XP on D:DRIVE changing to C:DRIVE

[vynum]

I have 2 hard drives.
PRIMARY/MASTER
C: ( windows 98) - 20gig
PRIMARY/SLAVE
D: ( windows xp pro) 120gig

My boot.ini is correct. My Multi-Boot screen is correct. Everything works fine. Now, all I want to do is take out my PRIMARY/MASTER 20 gigger and move my 120 in that postion on the cable,jumpers,bios settings and boot.ini etc.

This will now make my 120 gigger PRIMARY/MASTER instead of PRIMARY/SLAVE.

Now I know right off hand that all my registry settings, path/statements etc. when I installed programs when inside of XP are pointing to D: and not C:  So, what I did was opened up my regedit just to see how many instances of \"C:\", \"D:\", \"E\", & \"F\".? In order for me to do this successfully was to \"export\" my entire registry settings. so I did and saved it to a file called \"myreg.reg\" which was 60,407Kb in size, which sounded about right. Then I opened up myreg.reg in Ultra Edit and performed a search of instances and here was my results.

78 = C:
12,742 = D:
42 = E:

Now I know you\'ve noticed like I did that the D: has more instances of the drive:path statement. This is ok because I multibooted onto this drive and installed many programs etc. And I performed the regedit export from this drive.

Now here what I\'m thinking might work for me and I need some good imput before I do this because I don\'t want to screw up very badly. Oh, I might screw up a little but I dont want to screw up to the point were XP doesn\'t boot. Remember Windows 98 was my Main OS, Now I\'m making XP my main OS and after 2 months of study this is the only way I know how without doing a full format/reinstall for which I do not want to do. I know \'clean install\' is the best bet, but and this is a BIG BUT, I have already installed many programs onto this drive under XP and it will take me days upon days to do it all over again. I was told that understanding this, I should take out my C: 98 gigger in return this would automatically make my D: the C: now and perform a \'recovery install\'. Another words, install Windows XP over itself in this NEW POSITION. Well this all sounded good until I got to thinking about /path/statements and possible registry hacks I would have to make. Now I haven\'t even begun to think about all my *.dat files. How ever many there are?

Now due to trial and error, for the record, simply changing my boot.ini file rdisk(x) and Bios Boot Sequence from [HDD-0} to [HDD-1}, and jumper switching etc.. well this simply didn\'t work. Simply for the fact the way I installed XP. I installed XP as a \"clean install\" from within Windowss 98 Primary/C: onto my new 120 gigger Slave/D:

What I want to know is this. If i do take out my 20 gigger leaving only my 120 Gigger with \"most-of\" XP intact and edit my \"D:\" paths changing them to \"C:\" , will this work to the point were I can at least save most of my paths so when I do the \'reinstall\' Windows want give me lockups because it can\'t find this or can\'t find that?  I noticed also when looking up my X: instances in my registry that most of all the path statements truly looked like this; \"X:\" , with 2 back slashes instead of one. For me, this looked good because it would give me a sure thing with changing only \"X:\" , and this can be done with the click of the mouse in Ultra Edit.

What else should I be looking for to change in my registry besides path statements?

Now after I edit and change all the D:\'s to C:s and remove all the C:\'s and anything and everything that has to do with my 20 gigger I think I should be in good enough shape to apply it to my registry and shut down, remove my C: win98 20 gigger and then boot up and perform the \'recovery install\'. Of coarse I will save a good copy of my orignal registry.reg file to floppy just incase I have to reverse and put everything back the way it was.

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. Oh, before I go one question I\'ve been wanting to find the answer too.
What if I just took out my C: 20gig and done a recovery install without editing my registry, Would the Windows Setup.exe installation change all my paths in my registry accordlingy? I\'m afraid I might already know the answer but I would love to be stand corrected. I think the answer would be, no.

So, in closing, All I want to do is take out my C drive which has my main windows 98 OS on it and leave my D: drive which is were I \'clean\' installed Windows XP, it was a brand new drive by the way, and make it my only operating system. I want to do this \"Without\" reinstalling every program I have installed already. I might have to reinstall a few but keeping the count down is my goal.

[rdc]

What\'s  the purpôse of making C: from D:
If it is because you want to make your win xp pro start as default instead of win 98 , then it is not necessary to change their postitions .Simply change the default settings in the boot.ini .
timeout = 10
default =multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1) Winxppro
[operating systems]
etc.........

ends with
c:=\"Microsoft Windows\"

multi , disk and rdisk  from the default line must correspond to the line of WINDOWS=\"Microsoft Windows XP Professional\" /fastdetect  line in  \"operating systems\"

[vynum]

>\"What\'s the purpôse of making C: from D:\"

I want to take out the hard drive that is presently located as Primary/Master & C:.

As you know, when installing the first OS in a partition or first Hard Drive \"P/M\" windows delgates the C: to it right?. The next partition or hard drive installed will be delegated D, then E & so forth by the Operating System..

>\"If it is because you want to make your win xp pro start as default instead of win 98\"

No, not at all. The defualt bootup OS can easly be changed inside of XP. Evidently you didn\'t understand my post. I said, I wanted to take out my hard drive that has Windows 98 on it. I installed Windows XP onto a completely and entirly different drive.Let me explain it this way.

If you install in any form or fashion, clean or upgrade \"FROM WITHIN WINDOWS 98\",  Windows XP or Pro will depend on and needs the the Master Boot Record (MBR) of that drive. Remember, XP takes a complete snap shot of your Hardware before installation. Not only to see if everything is compatible but also to remember its\' setup and location.

If I disable, take out, hide, my P/Master were Win98 is, XP goes nutts becuase it can\'t find 98\'s DRIVE. All of this takes place right at boot-up, way, way before the boot.ini is read from XP. The boot.ini file is exactly what its\' extention emplies. It is an \".ini\" file. This stand for (initialization). My problem is located way before any initialzation is performed by XP.

Do this and you will see what I\'m talking about. Install Windows 98 on system. Then either Partition a new Volume space, on that same drive for XP, or, install it on another hard drive all together. A seperate partition or different hard drive is the same thing to the OS. It will assign it a NEW DRIVE LETTER D,E,F,G etc

Now boot into \'windows 98\' and perform a \'clean\' install XP from within windows 98, onto a different partition or another hard drive.  Then either HIDE that partition by editing the MBR, or disable it all together by removing the POWER & IDE cables. Now boot up and you will see that Windows XP will look for that drive and complain that it cannot find it. You will not even see the Multi-Boot screen (boot.ini configured).

Editing the boot.ini in any way, shape, form or fashion will not solve my delema.

I guess I might just have to take out the win98 drive, and boot from the XP CD and perform a \'recovery install\' onto that drive were XP is not installed. But now I\'ll will be facing an entirely differnet monster. My Registery settings & .dat file configurations. All of this will have to be edited by hand before the \'recovery install\" can take place. If not XP will rek havoc and possible be so unstable, it might give me BLACK DEATH (blank screen).  I\'ve already installed over 80 GIGS of programs onto this 120 gigger. I do not want to have to reinstall all that [censored] again.

[rdc]

If you must change the whole registry from d: to c: ,and still have trouble by some forgotten or missed  things  I wish you good luck .
And still find a way to stop winxp looking for the missing c: drive . I would rather reinstall everything .
I replaced a 9gb hd with an 18gb hd with a ghost image of the 9gb hd on it (c: to c:) and the only thing I had to do is to reactivate by phone and then it started upwithout any problem
Anyway good luck

[Sumeet.]

Juz reinstall. that would be faster n more reliable than ur method (chaning c to d from the registry)

[rdc]

I would never try this change of the registry neither ( this is his idea) . I  would also reinstall  .First I would copy my email folders , my wab file , my documents , my favorites , and perhaps some other impotant files .
But if he wants to make those changes in the registry , the only thing I can say is I wouldn\'t  .