Partitions Not Detecting Correctly

I have two drives, and on the 1st drive I have two partitions, C and D.

The second drive is just storage and has been left as one partition.

In the Windows setup if I reinstall Windows XP the D partition on the 1st drive gets detected as E and the second drive's partition gets detected as D.

I don't get why it's doing this, any tool anyone can recommend to see if there are any partition errors it can automatically fix?

THANKS

 

I'm new to partitioning, but have you tried changing the drive letters for D: and E:? I know when I reinstalled XP a month ago, I had to re-arrange things a bit. Do you know how to get into disk management? You can find it by clicking Start, then right-click My Computer, then click Manage, the click Disk Management. It should now display your drives and partitions. You can right-click one and then select Change Drive Letters and Paths and then click Change and choose your drive letter. Windows will have to remain the C: partition.

 

Sure I know how to change the letters, that's not what I want, I believe there is something wrong with the tables, otherwise they'd report correct in the setup.

So I want a partition repair app to exam the partitions and fix any errors on it...

 

If you delete all the partitions when you reinstall XP, it will then assign drive letters in the order that you create the new partitions, starting with C, then D etc. It will use a letter in there somewhere for the CDROM drive (or DVD drive) also.

If you reinstalled and just deleted the partitions on the first drive only, then it will assign C or the lowest available letter to the intact drive and partition, then proceed to assign later letters to any new partitions you create. That's probably what happened...

 

I can't delete D there is DATA on it, and I don't have any other drives to install/backup this data to, also the same with E.

So I need to just install an app that will examine the tables and fix any errors on it.

I used Partition Magic in the past and when making partitions with it, it would fix errors like this...

Now that Symantec has a hold of it, I wouldn't want to use it.

 

Ok I can backup D let me make them over, I guess it's the simplest and best way, hehe.

THANKS

 

I'm not sure if this program will help or not. It has many different utilities. http://www.partedmagic.com/

Also, what would happen if you shut down the machine, disconnected the 2nd drive, then start the computer and then shut it down again and then re-connect the drive. I wonder if that would help. If not, then I'm stepping aside as I'm getting over my head.

innerpeace

 

This happens because the 2nd drive is an active primary partition and takes priority and has been c at one time. one way is to unplug the 2nd hard drive when you install xp on the first drive or hide the partition and unhide it later on with partition software.

 

I guess I forgot MS names primary first then secondary, that's why it's like this, there's nothing wrong, I just didn't remember.

THANKS anyway...

 

i forget to mention you can use a MBR util and wipe it out the mbr and format it again and if you going to be using this drive as a data drive in future anyways. you wouldn't have to unplug it and the drive letter be correct when you come to install again.

 

What I'm saying is if you have two drives, and on the first you make two partitions you now have a primary and secondary partition on this drive, so if it's the only drive it gets named C & D

Now slap in another drive and leave it as one partition. With this second drive it gets named D, and the second partition on the first drive gets named E...

MS names all the PRIMARY partitions FIRST, then it names the secondary ones next.

Got it?

THANKS

 

here's more to elaborate. the official order of the way microsoft assigns partititons.

Windows NT, 2000 and XP follow the same sequence as DOS/Win9x to assign drive letters to newly discovered partitions at boot time. Unlike DOS/Win9x, however, NT/2000/XP will remember those assignments on subsequent boots. Partitions will not change drive letters as other partitions or devices are added or removed from the system. Newly discovered partitions are assigned the next available drive letter following the DOS/Win9x sequence of discovery, but skipping over drive letters already "in use".

• active or first primary partition on disk 1
• active or first primary partition on disk 2
• active or first primary partition on disk 3, etc.
• all logical partitions on disk 1, in sequential order
• all logical partitions on disk 2, in sequential order
• all logical partitions on disk 3, etc.
• all additional primary partitions on disk 1, in sequential order
• all additional primary partitions on disk 2, in sequential order
• all additional primary partitions on disk 3, etc.