Using UBCD4Win, I installed XP on my Win2K machine, which contains two Wester Digital 250GB drives. I used MBRWizard on my first drive, which I had divided into two partitions. As I expected, after I had used MBRWizard to wipe the MBR and associated sectors, the XP install disk offered to format Drive 0. I accepted, and the format, though taking an hour, gave me a clean install of XP.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten to disconnect peripherals, including a 4-slot card reader. The other Western Digital (Drive 1)containing my data in three partitions was perfectly intact, but had new drive letters attached. And the OS partition on Drive 0 was called Drive K!

OK, sez I, I'll do it again. I carefully disconnect the peripherals, boot with UBCD4Win wipe the MBR, exit and boot with the XP install. QUICK format this time. Perfect install, but this time the OS on Drive 0 is called G. Moreover, when I installed the nVidia drivers for the GS7600, they showed up as a drive F!

Was the quick format my mistake? What program(s) on UBCD4Win do I use to make the OS see Drive 0 as C? (I can use Partition Magic to add a partition E: to the drive to make the partitions identical to the old Win2K layout).

No big deal, but can anyone tell me how it happens that the nVidia drivers show up as a separate drive?

Obliged for any and all suggestions,
O. (who is beginning to treasure his UBCD4Win disk)

Did second drive contain a partition. Existing drives get a letter too: Drive 1 = C.

Use:
Yes, wipe the MBR, exit and boot with the XP install. QUICK format this time.
But reboot XP install CD again. Drive 0 = C now.

Or disconnect second hd too.

No idea about nVidia drivers.

Many of the USB connected 4 slot media readers could also explain the lettering issue. These will get enumerated before the hard drives. What I do to avoid that is disconnect the media reader until after I get Windows setup and installed the way I want it.

Yes, of course that's true. That's why I disconnected the reader for the second install. But Cdob, I don't think I understand. As I said in my post, I have three data partitions on Drive #1, and formatted Drive#0. With the peripherals disconnected ... wait, maybe I see the logic in it. By the time I tell XP install that I want to install the OS, it's already identified the OTHER drive and named its partitions -- that's where it puts the temp files at the very beginning of the operation. Now, when I tell it to install on (unformatted) drive #0, it obliges me, but has already named the partitions on (formatted) drive #1. Thus the newly formatted OS drive gets a letter farther down the alphabet. You're right; I should disconnect the peripherals *and disconnect drive #1*. Thanks for helping me think it out.
(Hope I got it right this time)
O

You didn't mention the type of HDD's you have but i have a similar issue where Windows wants to name my IDE drives as C and my SATA drive as another letter so before i reimage it i disconnect my IDE drives and just let it see SATA only so i can be sure it gets letter C:

Interesting, Vista does the oposite, if a SATA drive is attached to the system that is the drive that Vista wants to install to. In order to install to an IDE hard drive you must disconnect the SATA devices first, then hook them back up after you have setup the system how you like.

Yes, that's it. Drive letter C is used already. Another drive letter is used for Drive #0.

However after textmode setup partition and format drive letter is in RAM only, not stored to hard disk so far.
If you reboot CD again now, the OS connect drive letters again.
Drive #0 is formated now and get letter C.

Actually first hard disk get C: that's BIOS hard disk 0x80
given two hard disks: BIOS may change order virtually
IDE first and SATA next. Or the opposite SATA first and IDE next.


Yes, that's another solution. And this is more stable.