Change drive letter for presumable needed boot disk

Windows 7, 32 bit, 12 partitions on 3 hdd's, Windows 7 on C:

When migrating to Windows 7 I first tried to update my Vista which I had used happily for 2 years. Installation went fine, but there were too many problems after.

So I bought a new 1 GB hdd and installed Windows 7 there from scratch. It is on a partition with drive letter C.

I copied most of my old partitions to the new hdd, went fine.

When trying to delete one of the old hdd's with EASEUS Partition Master Home 4.1.1 manager software, there is one partition on it (which once before was called C, then successfully renamed to Z ) which I can't delete. I has on it the following folders:
$RECYCLE.BIN
Boot
System Volume Information (locked)
-->and files:
BOOTSECT.BAK
bootmgr

They are only 30,5 MB in size. So I resized the partition to 1 GB.
EASEUS characterizes it as Status = System, Pri/Log = Primary. Windows Disc manager characterizes it as System, Active, Primary Partition.

My question is: Can I change the drive letter from Z to B without risking the whole system to be unbootable? (and maybe never be bootable again?)
When trying I just get the usual Windows warning.

I would be most grateful for an answer explaning what and why or why not.

Mick

Hello Mick,

Welcome to 7 Forums.

Could you post a pic of Disk management. Info here if needed. http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...ed-method-uploading-posting-screen-shots.html

Gary

timmendorf.. first download a wimpe disk or create one.

have it on a dvd or flash disk ready to boot (first test it boots)...

if so, then yes, you can start playing around... change it to b from z just a drive letter should be fine yup.

If system becomes unbootable.. its NOT permanent at all, just needs some manual typing to fix (from the aforementioned wimpe disk).. worst case scenario would be to move the bootmanager manually to your new C , then u cud delte that partition + have the boot active system in right place. but anyway, id recommend my scripts for that but I dont think im releasing them as open source after all, as I got no feedback at all from this forum members, which I would of appreciated.

Ayway, as long as you have that wimpe disk, and it fails I guess I can help you as long as u have internet to come and ask again n explain what went wrong.

toodles

actually nvm...

but hint: boot with wimpe , then go to your new C ,

I build a 'mikepe' with my program I wrote (which has bootrec.exe as well),

so i run bootrec /mbr (so i guess forget this option)
( i think it will work without this anyway.. if not OOPS.. you can make a wimre from your installation, again my program SUCK does this all for me )

run from \windows\boot
bootsect /nt60 all /force

go to old C (Z

attrib -s -h
del *.* and/or format it.

your wimpe disk is X:
copy files from X: as explained in this file i give you

build the bcd on your new C:

off you go.

Thanks, Gary,
here you are.

Mick

@ Solar
Thanks to you too.
Whats is a "wimpe disk"? Do I have to buy any programs from Symantec to create one?
Mick

That Z: partition won't delete because it's active system partition holding the MBR for Win7.

You should have unplugged other drives before reinstalling Win7

First, mark C active in Disk Management.

Now unplug DISK0 so MBR can be recovered into C where it belongs. Either plug C: HD into that cable or set it as first HD to boot (after DVD) in BIOS.

Now boot into the WIn7 DVD and run Startup Repair 3 separate times as it has multiple issues to fix including rewriting the MBR to C.

Now you can plug Z: HD back in but may need to use free Partition Wizard CD to delete Z. Boot into Partition Wizard, right click Z, delete. You may also need PW to set C active earlier.

no lol. You could buy my program and be eternally happy for 12 bucks or so... but come back for that when you get another boot problem one day kiddo (don't think it iwll be releasable for another month as Iam converting from open source scripts to native binaries)

let's see, just push f8 , and get into the recovery environment, then get to the command prompt, from then non you can do the instructions I said, but try it the other way first; to a person with light knowledge of the boot procedure, it feels more secure than typing out things manually... sigh sometimes I miss the days of dos

Thanks a lot guys.
I'll try and come back.

Mick

Well, guys, I'm back.
@gregrocker: Thank you very much. It worked perfectly. I got rid of the useless little partition.

Mick

Great news, Mick.

Can I ask how many times you had to run Startup Repair to re-write the MBR?

Did Z: HD delete/format after replugging with Disk Management, or PW?

gregrocker,

I disconnected the drive with partition Z.
I started the system with the original Windows 7 DVD and had to repair the boot sector only once.
I reconnected the 3rd drive, deleted partition Z and moved and expanded partition J which is the only partition on that drive.
Everything went fine.

Afterwards I backed up parts of partition L (Old C) to partition G and formatted partition L.

I deleted a "ghost" system with Easy BCD 1.7.2. and renamed "Windows 7 recovered" to "Windows 7".

When trying to install VISTA on that partition L (because Dreamweaver CS4 and PaintShopPro X2 don't work correctly on Windows 7) it didn't work out.
VISTA doesn't start whatever I do. It appears in the startup system selection, it says MS Corp. and then nothing, a black screen for hours. Partition L is Primary, but . . .
So for the time being I have to live with Windows 7 and some little terribly annoying bugs especially of DW.

To be honest, I should have stayed with Vista anyway

Mick

Did you try installing your problem programs in Vista or even XP compatibility mode? rightclick the .exe and use Compatibility tab on Properties.

Google these programs to find other's solutions re: Win7. Check their websites for Updates. Start a topic here in the relevant forum.

Try running the Vista DVD from Windows 7 to install to L. Try reformat NTFS. Run Partition Wizard file checker and HD surface scan (right click context menu) on all HD's and partitions.

gregrocker,

I tried with xp compatibility. It didn't work out.

I tried with virtual xp. There it works for DW, but it needs time to always open virtual xp. It doesn't work out with PSP X2, because I need 32 bit colors. The best I can get is 24 bit colors, but with many other problems (you have to change the registry for 24 colors, and the MS guys don't like people like me to have 24 bit if they decide 16 bit colors.).

I am under the impression that Win 7 has been optimized for best flawless installation, but the problems (many small ones like freezing programs etc. come later. It's a neat trick for them to sell better, but an evil one for pros who want to work.)

That's why I wanted to install Vista again. I has EASEUS scanning all partitions of that drive over night. They all seem to be perfect.

I'll give your idea to install VIsta from Win 7 a try. I'll be back.

Thanks
Mick