Order of partitions in XP setup menu

The last time I reinstalled XP, Windows gave me the choice of
partitions to install into. Because I had previously divided my two
partitions (one for Windows and programs, the other for documents)
equally, I wasn't entirely sure which to install to, and cancelled out
of the installation. No big problem, since I double-checked, then
started the reintall again.

Next time this happens, I'm wondering--is there an order in which the
two partitions will appear? Does the one on the top refer to the
partition with the earliest letter (as in, partition C will always
appear right before partition D)? Or is it based on size? Or is it
based on...

PRR wrote:
> The last time I reinstalled XP, Windows gave me the choice of
> partitions to install into. Because I had previously divided my two
> partitions (one for Windows and programs, the other for documents)
> equally, I wasn't entirely sure which to install to, and cancelled out
> of the installation. No big problem, since I double-checked, then
> started the reintall again.
>
> Next time this happens, I'm wondering--is there an order in which the
> two partitions will appear? Does the one on the top refer to the
> partition with the earliest letter (as in, partition C will always
> appear right before partition D)? Or is it based on size? Or is it
> based on...

If you only have one hard disk the "active" partition will be enumerated
as drive C.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825668
Overview of PNP enumeration and hard disk drive letter assignments in
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP

John

be absolutely sure that
you don't install windows
to your d drive where your
doc's are or they will be
overwritten.

also keep in mind that
there are three options
that the cd provides for
setting up windows.

first option is to install
windows in addition to
the one that is already
installed on the hd.

the above will produce
a parallel installation of
the o.s.

second option is to
install windows to the
same folder where
windows is.

the above will overwrite
the installation already
on the hd.

the third option is to
:"repair" the current
installation on the hd.


--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

>
>

"PRR" <psaulm119@aim.com> wrote in message news:98ab01eb-1a49-4357-869a-819b51d530ab@k36g2000prb.googlegroups.com...
> The last time I reinstalled XP, Windows gave me the choice of
> partitions to install into. Because I had previously divided my two
> partitions (one for Windows and programs, the other for documents)
> equally, I wasn't entirely sure which to install to, and cancelled out
> of the installation. No big problem, since I double-checked, then
> started the reintall again.
>
> Next time this happens, I'm wondering--is there an order in which the
> two partitions will appear? Does the one on the top refer to the
> partition with the earliest letter (as in, partition C will always
> appear right before partition D)? Or is it based on size? Or is it
> based on...

It seems like you are describing how Windows assigns letters to label
the partitions. I am talking, however, about how they appear when you
are about to re-install Windows. I'm not sure if the labels "C" and
"D" will appear in the screen, when you are choosing which partition
to install to...


On Mar 10, 4:29*am, John John - MVP <audetw...@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote:
>
> If you only have one hard disk the "active" partition will be enumerated
> as drive C.
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825668
> Overview of PNP enumeration and hard disk drive letter assignments in
> Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
>
> John

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:28:54 -0800 (PST), PRR <psaulm119@aim.com>
wrote:

> It seems like you are describing how Windows assigns letters to label
> the partitions. I am talking, however, about how they appear when you
> are about to re-install Windows. I'm not sure if the labels "C" and
> "D" will appear in the screen, when you are choosing which partition
> to install to...
>
>

First, if Windows is *already installed* the window AFTER you select
to install (should be the 2nd) will show you "\Windows" telling you it
sees the Windows folder. At the bottom Status Bar of this window
there will be a "Repair" option.

Using this option will perform a "Repair Reinstall" of Windows, which
leaves your configuration and apps as is. It installs the original
Windows OS files, therefore you will have to run Win Update to
reinstall all applicable updates.

As to order; it's the order of the partitions on the drive or drives.

Active boot drive/partition first (aka C then other partitions or
drives in order.

Examples:

1) HD0 (2 partitions) display as 1st partition (C, 2nd partition

2) HD0 (single partition, set active = C & HD1 (2 partitions)
display as HD0, HD1-part1, HD1-part2

Partitioned IDE hard drives:
1st partition = Primary
2nd partition = Extended


FYI on SATA hard drives on a RAID controller:

A "RAID Partition" can be 2 or more physical hard drives made to look
like any combination of hard drives. I mention this because newer
systems with SATA hard drives come with RAID Controllers even if you
use only one physical hard drive.

Our DELL Server at work has 3 physical SATA 80gb hard drives, but the
RAID partitioning was set to have 2 Logical Drives, C: & D:

In essence 2 of the 80gb drives = D:


--
======== Tecknomage ========
Computer Systems Specialist
IT Technician
San Diego, CA

The drive letters are really quite irrelevant they are merely symbolic
links to NT objects and these symbolic links are only specific to the
operating system. You can have more than one NT (XP) version installed
on the computer and the letters could be completely different from one
installation to the other. You could be booting with the CD to the the
Setup program or to the Recovery Console and the letters could be quite
different than what they are in the up and running Windows installation.

Partitions don't have drive letters, they are numbered, the symbolic
link will link a letter to the partition number. An MBR disk can have a
maximum of 4 partitions and these partitions are numbered 1 to 4. At
the setup screen the partitions will be shown in their order on the
disk, if you have 3 partitions they will appear as such:

x: Partition 1
x: Partition 2
x: Partition 3

If there are no active partitions on the disk the setup program will
assign letter C to the first partition and letter D to the CD drive and
then letter the other partitions with the next available letters. In
the above example assuming that there is only one hard disk and one CD
drive in the computer the setup screen would usually show something like
this:

C: Partition 1
E: Partition 2
F: Partition 3

If you were to flag the second partition as active the setup program
would show something like this:

E: Partition 1
C: Partition 2
F: Partition 3

Along with this the setup program shows the size of the partitions so
knowing how big your partitions are is always useful when trying to
identify the partitions. If you have more than one hard disk and CD
drive and if you have card readers then the letter assignment can be all
over the place!

So, to answer your question, at the setup screen partitions are ordered
as they are laid on the disk.

John

PRR wrote:
> It seems like you are describing how Windows assigns letters to label
> the partitions. I am talking, however, about how they appear when you
> are about to re-install Windows. I'm not sure if the labels "C" and
> "D" will appear in the screen, when you are choosing which partition
> to install to...
>
>
> On Mar 10, 4:29 am, John John - MVP <audetw...@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote:
>> If you only have one hard disk the "active" partition will be enumerated
>> as drive C.
>>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825668
>> Overview of PNP enumeration and hard disk drive letter assignments in
>> Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
>>
>> John
>

Thanks to you all for your replies. Yes you did answer the question--
the active, C partition would then have been listed first--also, as
was mentioned, that installing Windows onto a partition that already
had an installation of windows would have given me a warning message,
so I shouldn't reinstall if I DIDN'T get that message.

On Mar 11, 6:35*am, John John - MVP <audetw...@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
> The drive letters are really quite irrelevant they are merely symbolic
> links to NT objects and these symbolic links are only specific to the
> operating system. *You can have more than one NT (XP) version installed
> on the computer and the letters could be completely different from one
> installation to the other. *You could be booting with the CD to the the
> Setup program or to the Recovery Console and the letters could be quite
> different than what they are in the up and running Windows installation.
>
> Partitions don't have drive letters, they are numbered, the symbolic
> link will link a letter to the partition number. *An MBR disk can have a
> maximum of 4 partitions and these partitions are numbered 1 to 4. *At
> the setup screen the partitions will be shown in their order on the
> disk, if you have 3 partitions they will appear as such:
>
> x: Partition 1
> x: Partition 2
> x: Partition 3
>
> If there are no active partitions on the disk the setup program will
> assign letter C to the first partition and letter D to the CD drive and
> then letter the other partitions with the next available letters. *In
> the above example assuming that there is only one hard disk and one CD
> drive in the computer the setup screen would usually show something like
> this:
>
> C: Partition 1
> E: Partition 2
> F: Partition 3
>
> If you were to flag the second partition as active the setup program
> would show something like this:
>
> E: Partition 1
> C: Partition 2
> F: Partition 3
>
> Along with this the setup program shows the size of the partitions so
> knowing how big your partitions are is always useful when trying to
> identify the partitions. *If you have more than one hard disk and CD
> drive and if you have card readers then the letter assignment can be all
> over the place!
>
> So, to answer your question, at the setup screen partitions are ordered
> as they are laid on the disk.
>
> John
>
>
>
> PRR wrote:
> > It seems like you are describing how Windows assigns letters to label
> > the partitions. I am talking, however, about how they appear when you
> > are about to re-install Windows. I'm not sure if the labels "C" and
> > "D" will appear in the screen, when you are choosing which partition
> > to install to...
>
> > On Mar 10, 4:29 am, John John - MVP <audetw...@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote:
> >> If you only have one hard disk the "active" partition will be enumerated
> >> as drive C.
>
> >>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825668
> >> Overview of PNP enumeration and hard disk drive letter assignments in
> >> Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
>
> >> John- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

"PRR" <psaulm119@aim.com> wrote in message
news:98ab01eb-1a49-4357-869a-819b51d530ab@k36g2000prb.googlegroups.com...
> The last time I reinstalled XP, Windows gave me the choice of
> partitions to install into. Because I had previously divided my two
> partitions (one for Windows and programs, the other for documents)
> equally, I wasn't entirely sure which to install to, and cancelled out
> of the installation. No big problem, since I double-checked, then
> started the reintall again.
>
> Next time this happens, I'm wondering--is there an order in which the
> two partitions will appear? Does the one on the top refer to the
> partition with the earliest letter (as in, partition C will always
> appear right before partition D)? Or is it based on size? Or is it
> based on...


"PRR" <psaulm119@aim.com> wrote in message
news:1c8d50b1-5a42-4cda-8e5d-804024827e81@g8g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
It seems like you are describing how Windows assigns letters to label
the partitions. I am talking, however, about how they appear when you
are about to re-install Windows. I'm not sure if the labels "C" and
"D" will appear in the screen, when you are choosing which partition
to install to...


PRR:
To follow-up on the info you've already rec'd from John & Technomage and in
the context of your specific example...

1. We'll assume that when you refer to a reinstall of the XP OS you're
referring to a Repair install of that OS accomplished through a boot to the
XP OS installation CD and undertaking the Repair process.

2. Presumably you would begin the process at the "Welcome..." screen by
pressing Enter to set up XP.

3. The next screen will list the current OS installed and you would have an
option to Repair the currently installed OS or an option to install a fresh
copy of the OS. The currently installed system would be identified by its
drive assignment letter, presumably C: in the vast majority of cases. No
partition number would be reflected; merely the drive letter. Thus you could
begin the Repair process, i.e., reinstall of the OS, at that point.

4. Now if you did choose to install a fresh copy of the OS (rather than
undertaking a Repair install of the current one) then the next screen would
display the numbered partitions together with their drive letter
assignments. So that in your example "C: Partition1" and "D:Partition2"
would be listed.

If, on the other hand, you had a bootable OS and for one reason or another
decided to "reinstall" the OS, you could of course do that after booting to
your Desktop and inserting your XP OS installation CD and selecting the
"Upgrade" option. Under those circumstances neither any drive assignment
letter nor any partition number would be displayed or listed; the reinstall
of the OS would simply proceed. For all practical purposes, the resultant
process would be substantially the same as undertaking a Repair install of
the OS via a boot to the XP installation CD as described above.

I don't know whether any of the above further clarifies this matter for you
but I thought I would just pass it on in case it did.
Anna