Drive letters wrong after removing Linux dual-boot partition

[Rehevkor]

I had Windows XP Pro installed on my laptop, then I used Partition Magic to convert some free space into a new partition. I installed Linspire on the new partition, allowing it to configure GRUB for dual-booting. This worked fine, but I decided that I didn't want Linspire anymore, so I formatted that partition from within Windows and rebooted. I used the recovery console on the WinXP cd to run fixboot and fixmbr, then restarted. This worked in my testing of other various Linux distros, but this time I got an error: "NTLDR is missing"

I did some Googling and searching here, but I found nothing that helped with my situation. After some looking around I discovered that the driver letters for the two partitions had been switched somehow. In Windows, before I restarted, the Windows partition was C: and the newly reformatted smaller partition was E:. When I log into the recovery console the Windows install partition is shown as E:/ and the new, empty partition is C:/. Buh?

I've looked everywhere for a way to change the drive letters back to what they should be, but I haven't had any luck. The DISKPART command seemed the most likely solution, but the description in Microsoft's support documentation is apparently for a completely different program, since almost none of the features listed are available from the recovery console.

Does anyone know how I can fix the drive letters? Thanks.

 

[Bullitt]

Never had the need to do it, but have you tried
Control panel->admin tools->computer management->disk management, right-click the partition and select "Change drive letters and path" option?

 

[mrgstiffler]

Never had the need to do it, but have you tried
Control panel->admin tools->computer management->disk management, right-click the partition and select "Change drive letters and path" option?

It wont let you chage the drive letter of the system partition/drive

 

[Rehevkor]

I think you missed something. I can't boot into Windows. AT ALL. So getting to the control panel is kind of impossible

 

[michealo]

suprised /fixboot and /fdisk /mbr didnt work

try it from a pure dos boot disk and not recovery console

 

[Rehevkor]

Here's proof that Microsoft sucks at recovery tools, if you need any. I fiddled around with the recovery console for hours with no luck. I booted from my Knoppix disc, ran qtparted, and saw that there was no active volume set. I set the windows install partition active, rebooted, and it worked perfectly.

I love my Knoppix CD. Everyone should have one

 

[zappa86]

Microsoft recovery console is weak. I have tried fixboot and fixmbr and it never seems to actually do anything.

 

[neo86]

Try "bootcfg /rebuild" from the recovery console.

 

[Rehevkor]

Try "bootcfg /rebuild" from the recovery console.

I did, that didn't work either. It just stuck a new boot.ini on the partition detected as C:, which had no OS on it Not exactly useful.

All is well now though, thanks to Knoppix.