Change hard drive name

edited November 2005 in Hardware
I recently installed a new hard drive in my computer. I used to have two 10 gig's and they were labeled D and E. (It appears that I have a 2 gig internal drive named C as well. What good are internal hard drives when they are that small? IT has a bunch of program files and stuff on it, Do i dare delete everything on that drive?) Back to my main point. I unplugged the two hard drives (D and E) and went to install the new one, For some reason I had to make a new partition (I dont really remember why or what exactly it said) so I did that and the xp install went fine. Now for some reason the new drive (120 gig) is named F. This really bugs me, is there anyway to rename the drives?

Also, when I start up my computer the Program Windows wallpaper Changer always pops up. How do I access the menu to dertimine what programs will run when the computer is turned on? I have done this a long time ago, but I simply cannot remember how to get there. Please help. Thanks.

Comments

  • gibbonslgibbonsl Grand Forks AFB
    edited November 2005
    as for changing the drive letter go to - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Drive Management - right click this

    make sure you do it for the one you want to change
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Also, when I start up my computer the Program Windows wallpaper Changer always pops up. How do I access the menu to dertimine what programs will run when the computer is turned on?
    Start Menu -> Run -> type "msconfig" -> click Startup tab. That reveal the programs that start automatically with Windows. If you are unsure as to what the different program names refer to, do an Internet search.
  • edited November 2005
    thanks for the help, the only problem is it wont let me rename it because that is my boot drive? Now what do you recommend?
  • edited November 2005
    ALso, how come it is only seeing 111 gig of a 120 gig hard drive? I have SP2 and as far as I know i am all up to date as far as windows updates go.
  • gibbonslgibbonsl Grand Forks AFB
    edited November 2005
    Windows is accurately reporting the true size of your hard drive.
    1 Kb = 1024 bytes
    1 Mb = 1024 Kb = 1,048,576 bytes 1 Gb = 1024 Mb = 1,073,741,824 bytes

    111 x 1,073,741,824 = 119,185,342,464 bytes, which your hard
    drive's manufacturer is rounding off and calling 120 Gb. This is a
    common marketing ploy (trying to assign an even 1,000,000,000 bytes to
    the gigabyte) used by hard drive manufacturers to make their products
    seem a bit larger than they really are.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    The reason Windows indicates you only have 111GB is that Windows and hard drive manufacturers measure storage differently. Windows counts a GB as 1024 KB (1-2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024). Hard drive manufacturers count 1000KB bytes as a GB. The difference of what you see and what's on the hard drive label is completely normal.

    As to why you can't change your hard drive's label to C:, I don't know. I've had that problem before but can't remember the workaround right now. Someone will remember and will post here, I'm sure.

    [EDIT] Looks like Gibbons was faster with the keyboard than I was. Or faster brain. Probably the latter. ;D
  • gibbonslgibbonsl Grand Forks AFB
    edited November 2005
    google is my slave and I am the master ;D

    copy and paste are my tools :D
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    sailinstud, go to My Computer or Windows Explorer and expand your F: disk. Is F:\Windows there? I'm wondering if you installed Windows where you think you did. If any of the other drives were plugged in when you installed Windows, it might have gone on one of them instead. If you are certain that you installed on the 120GB drive, then perhaps you don't have administrator priviliges. Do you use a password to log on to your computer?

    Windows detects the partition/drive where Windows is installed and automatically names it C:.
  • edited November 2005
    Leonardo, I most certainly did install windows on the 120 gig'er (F). I have the file Windows and I did say earlier (I think...) that I had the old hard drives unplugged from the computer when I installed XP. The actual text says, "Windows cannot modify the drive letter or volume boot" when I try to rename the drive. As someone said earlier, there is probably a way around this, someone just needs to find it. I appreciate the help and keep thinking. Thanks. Can anyone provide any insight about what appears to be an internal hard drive? Read up on my first post to see the details. Can I delete this stuff?
  • edited November 2005
    I still need help, please!!
  • edited November 2005
    I still need help, please!!

    I think you might just be out of luck... I had almost exactly the same problem and the basic fix is to simply remove the other IDE or SCSI devices that may want drive letters and then reinstall Windows. It's the only thing that worked for me. Using other programs to simply change the MFT or boot record of the drive will just end up breaking Windows and you'll be forced to reinstall anyway.

    My $.02

    -Dan
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