WinXP partition numbering

Hi,
I have two harddrives, a PATA one with 2 partitions (C, D), and a SATA one with 1 partition (F)

Code:

DISKPART> list disk
  Disk ###  Status      Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  ----------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online       112 GB      0 B
  Disk 1    Online       233 GB      0 B

DISKPART> list volume
  Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
  Volume 0     E                       DVD-ROM         0 B
  Volume 1     V                       DVD-ROM         0 B
  Volume 2     C   winxp        NTFS   Partition     29 GB  Healthy    System
  Volume 3     D                NTFS   Partition     82 GB  Healthy
  Volume 4     F   big          NTFS   Partition    233 GB  Healthy

This seems quite normal I think. The stange thing is that windows numbers these volumes as:

Code:

c: \Device\HarddiskVolume2
d: \Device\HarddiskVolume4
f: \Device\HarddiskVolume1

My questions are:
1) how is the device numbering decided by windows?
2) what can I do to make the system partition (C) assigned \Device\HarddiskVolume1 ?
3) where is this numbering stored? (Registry?, First Track?)
I want this because Returnil apparently depends on \Device\HarddiskVolume1 being the system partition.

 

I've never bothered changing dl's in the past hojtsy, primarily because I never had reason. Two link's you can explore until, with any luck, our man wilbertnl drop's in to share his practical style of explanation. C'mon wilbertnl buddy, spare us the modesty and help put this into comprehensible layman's term's for the folk's at home!

Steve

 

Thanks.
A bit of clarification: I would not like to change the drive letters. I am happy to have C: assigned to the first partition of my first disk. What I would like to change is that windows assigns \Device\HarddiskVolume2 to the same partition. I would like the same partition to be called \Device\HarddiskVolume1 instead.