I'm retarded (computer help, specifically HDD config)

Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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Okay, so I just reformatted my system two nights ago, and apparently in-between then and sometime after the LAST time I reformatted (I do it about once every 8-12 months) I reconnected my hard drives differently (this is probably because the lights I had inside my case were dying, and were on the same power chain as my third HDD, thus everytime the lights flickered, the drive would stop reading).
Before I reformatted:
C: (Boot)
D: 12gb drive
E: 120gb drive

Lo and behold, once I had XP reinstalled I have this:

C: (System) 12gb
D: 120gb drive
E: (Boot)

Now, my question is, once I figure out which drive is which, can I simply reconnect them to get the right drive letters? Windows won't let me rename either the Boot or System disks so I can't do that.
 
J

JHendrix

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Buro Destruct said:
Okay, so I just reformatted my system two nights ago, and apparently in-between then and sometime after the LAST time I reformatted (I do it about once every 8-12 months) I reconnected my hard drives differently (this is probably because the lights I had inside my case were dying, and were on the same power chain as my third HDD, thus everytime the lights flickered, the drive would stop reading).
Before I reformatted:
C: (Boot)
D: 12gb drive
E: 120gb drive

Lo and behold, once I had XP reinstalled I have this:

C: (System) 12gb
D: 120gb drive
E: (Boot)

Now, my question is, once I figure out which drive is which, can I simply reconnect them to get the right drive letters? Windows won't let me rename either the Boot or System disks so I can't do that.
Click to expand...

Nope, once Windows sets your drive letters that's what they're staying at as far as boot and system information is concerned. The only way around it is re-installing windows.
 
norton9478

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Most modern motherboards can be set up for boot sequence...
But once XP decides it likes a setup, it can be a bitch to unwind....

I'd try another format.

Other advice:
Take those Gay lights out of your Case. Seems like they don't do anything but fuck up your hardrive.
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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norton9478 said:
Most modern motherboards can be set up for boot sequence...
But once XP decides it likes a setup, it can be a bitch to unwind....

I'd try another format.

Other advice:
Take those Gay lights out of your Case. Seems like they don't do anything but fuck up your hardrive.
Click to expand...
lol, I did a long time ago. Everytime I started up Star Wars Galaxies the system would lock-up when logging into the game world. I want a smaller case now, without windows or faggoty lights.

And damnit, I guess I'll just have to get used to Windows being E.
 
norton9478

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I always hated those lights and shit.... WTF do I need LED's on my PS fan for?

Also, When I install windows, I only have one HD in the PC so it doesn't try to install it on the wrong drive.
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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norton9478 said:
I always hated those lights and shit.... WTF do I need LED's on my PS fan for?
Click to expand...
Well, the plus side is my case has excellent ventilation, which helps since I have a 3.0ghz P4, a GeForce 5900 and three hard disks jammed in there. The downside is that it weighs about 3 metric tons and I'm tired of the window.

I'd love to have one of those ultra tiny cases that look like rejected Gamecube designs.
 
J

JHendrix

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Buro Destruct said:
Well, the plus side is my case has excellent ventilation, which helps since I have a 3.0ghz P4, a GeForce 5900 and three hard disks jammed in there. The downside is that it weighs about 3 metric tons and I'm tired of the window.

I'd love to have one of those ultra tiny cases that look like rejected Gamecube designs.
Click to expand...

Not going to have a lot of luck getting 3HD's in there though.

What kind of power supply are you running now though? The story sounds pretty weird considering what was happening.
 
norton9478

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Case Lights:High End System
as
KC Lights: Loutus
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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JHendrix said:
Not going to have a lot of luck getting 3HD's in there though.

What kind of power supply are you running now though? The story sounds pretty weird considering what was happening.
Click to expand...
Oh I know. I'll have to consolidate on the HDDs.

Its an Antec 450 Watt Power supply. I know the lights flickering and the drive dying sounds bizarre, but as soon as I removed the lights the problem went away.
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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So I tried the link kaifun gave me, and it didn't work, so here I am after ANOTHER install of Windows with my drives in the right order and the Windows installation on another drive. The problem I'm having now is that there is one folder from my other XP install that WILL NOT delete. Its called Blastcln and it simply will not delete from my system. WTF is the problem?
 
Curt

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What JHendrix said is completely incorrect, you CAN change the Drive letters once the system has been installed, although you cannot change your primary boot volume (usually always C:\)

In fact it's quite easy.

As a person w/ multipe hard drives you need to become familiar with Windows XP/2000's Disk Management mode.

Take it from me, I have a Desktop with 5 HD's in there totalling .6 Terabytes of Storage.


To get to it open op the Control Panel
Then Administrative Tools
then Computer Management
Once in the Computer Management Area just select Disk Management, and it will allow you to change pretty much anything you could ever want to change... easily format, re-partition, drive names/letters etc.... Heres a screen of what it should look like.

PS this screen is taken off my notebook which only has 60 GB.... the Desktop has .6TB

diskmanage.jpg



That's a bummer about your boot drive being E: something similar like that happened to me before... but the other drives are changeable....

Also this probably happened due to the Master/Slave configuration on the IDE cable, Ie the Jumper Settings on the hard drive were incorrect/swapped or something....
 
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Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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CurtWRX said:
yeah.
Click to expand...
As it says in my original post, it made the C drive the system drive and the E drive the boot drive, Windows will not allow you to change either of these driives. It did me no good to be able to change the letter of ONE drive.
 
Curt

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When you retry to install it, switch the master/slave configuration on the Drive you want to be C, set it as Master...

Then in the BIOS make sure it is the First Drive to Boot.... Then Re-install windows and give that drive a clean format....

if you do this there is no reason it shouldnt be C:\
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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CurtWRX said:
When you retry to install it, switch the master/slave configuration on the Drive you want to be C, set it as Master...

Then in the BIOS make sure it is the First Drive to Boot.... Then Re-install windows and give that drive a clean format....

if you do this there is no reason it shouldnt be C:\
Click to expand...
Trust me, I know. Not only did I check the way the drives are physically connected inside the system, but I checked the BIOS to make sure it was recognizing them properly. For all intents and purposes, it should've worked out, but Windows felt like jumbling the letters up I suppose.
 
Curt

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That's indeed strange.

Best of luck...

With the Exception of a few programs like you mentioned expecting the Path to automatically C:\ you should be fine.... It would just be a bit annoying.
 
Buro Destruct

Buro Destruct

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CurtWRX said:
That's indeed strange.

Best of luck...

With the Exception of a few programs like you mentioned expecting the Path to automatically C:\ you should be fine.... It would just be a bit annoying.
Click to expand...
Well, I just rolled with the punches and installed Windows on the drive that it kept calling C and then deleted the installation on the drive that WAS E. This made my C drive both the boot and system drive and thus allowed me to configure the other drives back to the letters they had prior to this entire fiasco.

One issue though is that theres a folder in the old installation called Blastcln that will not delete. I've tried renaming it, changing its properties, etc etc. It also won't let me look inside the folder.
 
Yodd

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Buro Destruct said:
One issue though is that theres a folder in the old installation called Blastcln that will not delete. I've tried renaming it, changing its properties, etc etc. It also won't let me look inside the folder.
Click to expand...

Thats the Blaster Removal tool thats from MS. Officially its suppose to be removed via the Control Panel once its installed, but it doesn't look like thats an option.

I know you mentioned attempting to change its properties, but have you looked at security on it? Assuming you are logged in with admin rights, bring up the properties and then click on the security tab and make sure that the administrators group has full access to read/write/modify and so on that folder. If it doesn't, then you can try changing access to it and give admin full rights to it and see if you can delete it from the gui then.


Or, try from the command line. You can try rmdir c:\path\to\blastcln\ Or wherever its at.
 
kernow

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this thread makes me laugh

and laugh and laugh and laugh
 
C

Chicago Cheeseburgler Crew

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kernow said:
this thread makes me laugh

and laugh and laugh and laugh
Click to expand...
me too

Not because I'm an anti-microsoft linux fan boi but because I don't understand a word of this computer jargon so I laugh to play it off like I have an idea of whats going on.
 
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