Changing Win7 System/Boot Partition without Reinstall

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  1. Posts : 8
    win-7 ultimate
       #31

    vivalamickey: Hi , I have installed the Lion Theme for windows and i didnt do the point restore ,there is any way to comeback to windows if i dont like it or i have to install windows again?

    Thanks Rickjaard
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  2. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
       #32

    How to change the Boot partition letter


    Hi Guys,
    I came across this thread when searching how to change the Boot partition letter. However it is not quite covering my problem, but no luck anywhere else.
    I've attached my Comp Management snip.

    I would like to change my K: partition back to F: (W7 changed it to K: for some reason), I can reinstall programs if need be but would prefer not to have to reinstall W7.
    FYI:
    I have W7 Windows folder on K:.
    I have XP Windows folder on C: and another on G:.
    I moved the W7 boot files to S: to avoid W7 backups getting too large.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Changing Win7 System/Boot Partition without Reinstall-computermgmnt.jpg  
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  3.    #33

    You cannot change an OS partition drive letter without ruining the OS, no matter what anyone claims.

    In your case you apparently installed Win7 from another OS so that it doesn't see itself as C as it will when correctly installed from boot. Always install an OS from boot to take this advantage.

    Your option now is to boot the installer to reinstall Win7 from boot. This will place Win7 on C whenever it is booted and reconfigure the multi-boot menu for the other OS's.
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  4. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
       #34

    Greg,
    Thanks for the quick reply.
    So, if I understand you correctly, after reinstalling W7 from the DVD it will always assign the drive letter C: to itself when it boots up?
    When I installed my second XP from the boot CD (before W7 was installed), this came up as G:. Only the first XP install comes up as C:

    Kevin
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  5.    #35

    XPired is not as advanced so will take the next drive letter whether booted or not.

    Win7 is engineered to always be C when installer is booted, and when seen from the other OS's takes a virtual letter which is insignificant.
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  6. Posts : 3
    windows 7 pro x64
       #36

    Saltgrass said:
    To answer some of your questions, you installed Win 7 with Disk 1 being your primary drive, so that is where the boot files were placed. The OS was then installed where you told it to.

    The way to make sure a drive is primary is to only have one drive or set it as first in the Drive priority in the Bios, which will then list it in the Boot device priority, or at least that is the way it works on my system.

    The fact it says disk 0 or disk 1, etc., depends only on the SATA connectors and is not an indication of primary drive. The fact one partition says "System", may indicate which drive is primary (different partition managers may use different terminology). I have recently discovered that a System partition can be on a secondary drive, as long as there is no active partition prior to it.

    Another option for changing your system is to set the Win 7 partition active, which you already have it appears. Then run the startup repair option from the install DVD 2 or 3 times.

    Note: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Win 7 has a neat little utility called the Snipping tool. Using it to make a picture of your Disk Management window and attaching it using the paperclip can be very helpful, although your description was very clear...But if you need additional information, you might use it.
    Actually the sata connections do have something to do with which disk to boot from, if it is a system bought after august 2011, since that is when all comp manu's were to comply with sata 3 compat standard and the blue sata hook up is the primary drive as far as the mobo is concerned and will send a "operating System not found error" if the boot volume isn't on that drive and from the post it is trying to follow by marking that volume as active
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  7. Posts : 3
    windows 7 pro x64
       #37

    gregrocker said:
    Since this thread is getting Google hits, here are the steps for removing the System Reserved partition:

    Boot free Partition Wizard bootable CD, rightclick on Win7 partition to Modify>Set to Active, click OK.

    Next click on Disk # to highlight disk, from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, Apply all steps. Reboot.

    If Win7 doesn't start boot into the Win7 DVD Repair console or System Repair Disk to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 starts.

    Once Win7 starts and holds the System Active Boot flags on its partition, boot back into PW CD, click on SysReserved partition to Delete, click OK.

    Then rightclick on Win7 partition to Resize, slide left grey border to the left to take up the deleted space, OK, Apply all steps.
    before giving tips like this a warning should be included that the system reserved hidden volume contains oem factory restore images and drivers for everything on the comp when it was bought
      My Computer

  8.    #38

    In what OEM brands does the Recovery or Tools get placed in the 100mb System Reserved partition to which I am referring? The only thing that fits there is the boot files.

    OEM drivers stored in a partition or drivers disk are out of date almost as soon as they're shipped. Win7 is driver-complete in it's installer and via optional Updates, and the latest OEM drivers if needed are on the model's Support Downloads webpage. Drivers in Factory Recovery are baked into the image.

    Stick around and read to learn how the most influential installation and repair methods were developed over three years here before disputing them in your third post.
    Last edited by gregrocker; 14 Jan 2014 at 22:45.
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  9. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 x64
       #39

    Changing win7 system / boot partition with and without reinstall


    - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Last edited by PCamateur; 08 Aug 2012 at 19:27.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1
    7 32-bit
       #40

    Ran into same issue as drakmyth and followed SIW's instructions, worked like a charm! Thx!
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