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Reinstalling OS Drive Letters

djdelarosa25
By djdelarosa25
in Windows
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I currently have two hard drives. My OS is in drive C (hard drive 1) and my backup drive is D (hard drive 2).

 

I want to do a clean install of Windows 7 and swap them, making my backup drive (250 GB) be the drive with the OS. Since it is currently drive D, I want to change it to drive C, and the previous drive C with the OS to drive D. Unfortunately, I can't change the drive letter of the active partition. It says that the parameter is invalid. Can you guys help me out?

post-287910-0-84241700-1451993732.png

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The drive letter isn't burned onto the drive. It's how the OS referernces the drive. If you do a clean install on the 256, then it should assign C to the drive it is installed on.

If you had windows on both drives then depending on what installation you were booting from, the drives would change letters to the ones that the current version of windows assigned them.

Aragorn (WS): 250D | 6800k | 840 Pro 512GB | Intel 530 480GB  | Asus X99-M WS | 64GB DDR4 | Corsair HX720i | GTX 1070 | Corsair H115i | Philips BDM4350UC 43" 3840x2160 IPS

Gimli (server):  Node 304 | G4560 | ADATA XPG SX8000 128GB | 2x 5TB WD Red | ASROCK H270M-ITX/AC  | 8GB DDR4 | Seasonic 400FL

 Omega (server):                 Fractal Arc Mini R2 | i3 4130 | 500GB Maxtor | 2TB WD Red : Raid 1 | 3TB Seagate Barracuda | 16GB RAM | Seasonic G-450w
Alpha (WS): 900D | 4770k | GTX 780  | 840 Pro 512GB  | GA-Z87X-OC | Corsair RM 850 | 24GB 2400mhz | Samsung S27B970D 2560x1440

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IIRC drive letters are dependend on installation. If you install your OS on what is currently D, the new install will name it C.

 

Works even if you install an os on both drives. 

"It's a taxi, it has a FARE METER."

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What would happen to the original drive C with the OS and backup files (148GB)?

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What would happen to the original drive C with the OS and backup files (148GB)?

If you didn't wipe it, then nothing. I would suggest unplugging it before installing the OS onto the 256GB drive though. It would probably use the bootloader from the original drive when booting up, show both operating systems and then boot onto the new drive. If you just have the new drive in, it will write the bootloader to that. Then you just need to set the new drive as the primary boot device in the BIOS and you're all set. You can even plug the other drive in and boot from it when you start the computer and access the old OS.

Aragorn (WS): 250D | 6800k | 840 Pro 512GB | Intel 530 480GB  | Asus X99-M WS | 64GB DDR4 | Corsair HX720i | GTX 1070 | Corsair H115i | Philips BDM4350UC 43" 3840x2160 IPS

Gimli (server):  Node 304 | G4560 | ADATA XPG SX8000 128GB | 2x 5TB WD Red | ASROCK H270M-ITX/AC  | 8GB DDR4 | Seasonic 400FL

 Omega (server):                 Fractal Arc Mini R2 | i3 4130 | 500GB Maxtor | 2TB WD Red : Raid 1 | 3TB Seagate Barracuda | 16GB RAM | Seasonic G-450w
Alpha (WS): 900D | 4770k | GTX 780  | 840 Pro 512GB  | GA-Z87X-OC | Corsair RM 850 | 24GB 2400mhz | Samsung S27B970D 2560x1440

                              ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

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If I unplug the 160GB and install the OS on the 250GB drive and plug it back in, what drive letter would be assigned to it?

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Windows will always assing C:\ to the system drive. So if you unplug the 160 and install on 250, the 250 will have C:\.

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Windows will always assing C:\ to the system drive. So if you unplug the 160 and install on 250, the 250 will have C:\.

And if I plug back the 160 to transfer my files to the 250, what drive letter would be assigned to it?

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If you didn't wipe it, then nothing. I would suggest unplugging it before installing the OS onto the 256GB drive though. It would probably use the bootloader from the original drive when booting up, show both operating systems and then boot onto the new drive. If you just have the new drive in, it will write the bootloader to that. Then you just need to set the new drive as the primary boot device in the BIOS and you're all set. You can even plug the other drive in and boot from it when you start the computer and access the old OS.

And if I plug back the 160 to transfer my files to the 250, what drive letter would be assigned to it?

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It would have D: assigned to it, just make sure that you are booting from the correct one if you don't wipe the 160.

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It would have D: assigned to it, just make sure that you are booting from the correct one if you don't wipe the 160.

 

Will do. Thanks a lot! :)

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It doesn't matter what letter Windows automatically assigns.. you can always change it later very easily.

Just change the labels of the drives so you know what they are.

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