Keeping Dual Boot but Changing Drive Letters

Just upgraded using the clean install option. XP is on Drive C and Vista is
on a new Drive F. I'd like to keep the dual boot for awhile but the C drive
is making noises like it is going to fail someday. If I try to remove it the
system will not boot. Here's what I'd like. Get the drives to swap drive
letters, and have the system boot when I remove the old drive C.

Also, how do I get the time to select which operating system to boot time
down from 25 seconds to, say, 5 seconds?

That is not going to work.

I would say to image drive C: and save the image to later restore to a new
drive, but the fact that you are already hearing noises means that damage
may have already been done. It is of no value to image a drive that is not
known to be in a 100% reliable state. Yours isn't.

Plan to replace the drive and to reinstall the operating system that is
presently on the drive.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)



"hw-engineer" <hw-engineer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:91F461B9-FDB8-48AD-9FA5-E664338A01C4@microsoft.com...
> Just upgraded using the clean install option. XP is on Drive C and Vista
> is
> on a new Drive F. I'd like to keep the dual boot for awhile but the C
> drive
> is making noises like it is going to fail someday. If I try to remove it
> the
> system will not boot. Here's what I'd like. Get the drives to swap drive
> letters, and have the system boot when I remove the old drive C.
>
> Also, how do I get the time to select which operating system to boot time
> down from 25 seconds to, say, 5 seconds?

OK, let me try an be more clear (sorry about the pronouns).

XP has been running on C:. I bought the upgrade version of Vista and it
would only allow me to install from XP. It would not allow me to install
when booting straight from the Vista DVD.

Vista is now on F: If I try and disconnect or disable C: (from the BIOS)
the system will not boot. I get a message to the effect "No OS found"

Both drives are SATA with C: in the primary, F: in the secondary. If I try
and swap them, (C: in secondary, F: in primary) it still fails.

I've been researching this and I believe one thing that is happening is
that PC goes to C: first, sees there is two operating systems to choose from
and goes from there. If I remove C: or move it to the SATA secondary
connector, the PC will not boot. I've also tried to change drive letters
from within XP and Vista and that is not allowed.

So, maybe the multipart question is, how can I get the system to go to F:
first so that I can unplug C;, move F: to the primary slot, get "it" to come
up as Drive C:, and then plug the old C: back in and have it come up as some
other drive letter.

The original C: drive is not dead yet and I need to be able to dual boot
until I'm sure all my legacy applications are working properly. I'm fine
with re-installing XP on the old C: but I need to get the new drive running
stand alone first.


"Chad Harris" wrote:

> Hello hw--
>
> As you probably know using pronouns on your posts ensures you will not be
> clear.
>
> "If I try to remove IT IT IT IT IT [what does it stand for]--I think you
> mean Vista-- the system will not boot." That leaves us guessing. You mean
> if you try to remove Vista on F:\ it will not boot?
>
> Swapping drive letters will not impact the booting. The reason the drive
> letters didn't stay the same if they didn't is you didn't run Vista setup
> from the XP desktop.
>
> The damage Richard Urban refers to that may have been done is possibly the
> failure of the HD.
>
> If I were you, I'd get a new large HD since the prices are pretty economical
> and do your dual boot over.
>
> You certainly can backup Vista, or XP. Vista has a native backup; XP has a
> ridiculous backup but what you want to save can be burned easily to CD from
> within XP natively or with 3rd party like Nero, etc.
>
> I favor using Acronis True Image 10.
>
> You also have the option of using these procedures:
>
> Uninstalling Vista on Dual Boot with XP
>
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...l+boot+with+xp
>
> or you could use this:
>
> You cannot uninstall Windows Vista by using the "Uninstall a program" option
> of the Programs and Features Control Panel tool
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925809
>
> To resolve this problem, back up your files, and then perform a clean
> installation of Windows XP. To do this, follow these steps:1. Click Start,
> click All Programs, click Maintenance, and then click Backup and Restore
> Center.
> 2. Click Set up backup, select the location for your backup files, and then
> click Next.
> 3. Continue with the wizard to select the following:• The drives and the
> file types to back up
> • How frequently to back up the drives and the file types
> • What time of day to perform the backup
>
> 4. Finish the wizard, and then click Save Settings and Start Backup.
> 5. When the back up is complete, perform a clean install of Windows XP. For
> more information about how to perform a clean installation of Windows XP,
> click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
> Knowledge Base:
> 316941 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316941/) How to install or upgrade
> to Windows XP
> Note You cannot perform a clean installation of Windows XP by using an
> upgrade version of Windows XP. You must have the full version of the Windows
> XP.
>
>
> Good luck,
>
> CH
>
> "hw-engineer" <hw-engineer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:91F461B9-FDB8-48AD-9FA5-E664338A01C4@microsoft.com...
> > Just upgraded using the clean install option. XP is on Drive C and Vista
> > is
> > on a new Drive F. I'd like to keep the dual boot for awhile but the C
> > drive
> > is making noises like it is going to fail someday. If I try to remove it
> > the
> > system will not boot. Here's what I'd like. Get the drives to swap drive
> > letters, and have the system boot when I remove the old drive C.
> >
> > Also, how do I get the time to select which operating system to boot time
> > down from 25 seconds to, say, 5 seconds?
>
>

"hw-engineer" <hwengineer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:660A6DAE-F45C-492A-9954->> > Also, how do I get the time to select
which operating system to boot time
>> > down from 25 seconds to, say, 5 seconds?


Vista boot Pro (free, downloadable) will let you adjust that. There may be
other ways, but that's the way I know.