Hard Drive Letter

Maris · Dec 19, 2010, 19:47:51

Hello

I've just reinstalled Windows 7 & my hard drive is now lettered 'H' rather than the usual 'C' for reasons unknown to me. I have a programme I cannot instal as it directs the software to the 'C' drive, which doen't appear on my PC.

I've tried relettering it under Disk Management but 'C' is not on the dropdown list of available letters & it's not used elsewhere.

Anyone have any ideas please?

Thanks

Maris

Glenn · Dec 19, 2010, 20:35:54

Is this of any help? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/EN-US

Technical Ben · Dec 19, 2010, 21:49:36

I would strongly suggest making a drive image first if you have a spare HDD/Space. Use windows 7 backup utility. Then if changing the drive letter breaks anything, your safe.

Maris · Dec 19, 2010, 22:20:09

Thanks for your replies & advice.
I'm not sure this solution would fix it, ' For the most part, this is not recommended, especially if the drive letter is the same as when Windows was installed.'

The HDD was lettered 'H' on installation & hasn't changed since.

gizmo71 · Dec 19, 2010, 22:26:25

If you can figure out what's eaten the C: letter you should be able to add that to your H: drive so that either letter will work - that'll solve your installation problem.

To find what's using C: you could try going into Device Manager and turn Show Hidden Devices on in the menus - that may show up a flash or DVD drive that isn't connected or enabled.

esh · Dec 20, 2010, 11:36:33

This is usual behaviour if the registry isn't nuked before reinstallation as it finds various drives are used already. It seems that the new Windows has given the same drive a different device ID and H was the earliest letter designating a new drive. You might have to do some registry hackery to get it right. Of course, now it's installed to H, the question is whether windows is clever enough to correctly work once you change the root drive. I don't have an answer for that. I assume whatever you are trying to install is ancient software. Have you tried just copying it from another computer?

D-Dan · Dec 20, 2010, 11:49:41

I had this problem once on XP, and whilst I managed to fix it sufficiently that Windows was happy, the same could not be said for other software. There was so much went wrong afterwards that I found the best option was a clean install.

I'm usually the first to say that a re installation isn't necessary, but I'm sorry to say that this is one of those rare occasions when I think it is.

Steve

Maris · Dec 20, 2010, 12:15:40

Thanks for all your advice.

I'll try transferring the programme from my lap top, I can't see what other drive has taken 'C' from me & messing around in the registry is a bit beyond me.

Maris

Maris · Dec 21, 2010, 09:31:03

Bit the bullet & reinstalled windows. Sorted.

Rik · Dec 21, 2010, 09:31:26

Well done.

esh · Dec 22, 2010, 12:18:39

Quote from: D-Dan on Dec 20, 2010, 11:49:41
I'm usually the first to say that a re installation isn't necessary, but I'm sorry to say that this is one of those rare occasions when I think it is.

Yeah, I think I agree here. There is still an awful lot of stuff that is hard-coded deep in the depths that can be overlooked. The only other case I deemed reinstallation necessary was when the keyboard driver got corrupted and I couldn't type my password to log in. Sigh!