Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup (
More info?)
"TheDragon" <Respond_To_News_only@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:37rliaF5h6fulU1@individual.net...
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
> news:%23CSF980FFHA.3596@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "TheDragon" <Respond_To_News_only@gmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:37rfsjF5ericfU1@individual.net...
> >>
> >> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
> >> news:%23i7eqo0FFHA.3824@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> >> >
> >> > "Matthew Speed" <mspeed@mspeed.net> wrote in message
> >> > news:7fve111qnk9vhv00tame1hp8r524tsqbfi@4ax.com...
> >> >> I was setting up a 2K3 server machine and installed to the wrong
> >> >> partition of a drive. Since I have already added workstations and
> >> >> users to the domain wiping it out and reinstalling isn't an option.
I
> >> >> would like to merge the two drive partitions and put the existing OS
> >> >> on the single merged C drive. Is this something I can do? BTW...I
> >> >> have an external USB 2.0 drive of sufficient size to store the
entire
> >> >> system if needed for transfer purposes.
> >> >>
> >> >> Note: This is an SBS installation so it is everything. DC, Exchange
> >> >> server, you name it.
> >> >>
> >> >> Any advice?
> >> >>
> >> >> TIA
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > Yes, it can be done. Here is how I would do it:
> >> > 1. Boot the machine with a Bart PE CD.
> >> > 2. Zip up the system drive to some other disk, e.g. to your USB disk.
> >> > Include hidden & system files, and permissions.
> >> > 3. Repartion the disk.
> >> > 4. Unzip the zip file made in Step 2.
> >> > 5. Restore the boot environment.
> >> > 6. Make some adjustments to the registry in order to maintain
> >> > the correct boot drive letter.
> >> >
> >> > This is not a trivial operation. If my life depended on it then
> >> > I would do a practice run on some workstation before starting
> >> > the job on a fully configured server.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Server Magic is So much easier. Takes all of 10 seconds to resize a
> >> partition.
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Yes, I know. But how will ServerMagic cope with the change
> > of drive letter? The OP's system is currently installed on a
> > drive other than C:. After the merge, it will be drive C:. Windows
> > won't like this very much!
> >
> >
>
> You can change the drive letter to what ever you want. So he could set it
to
> what it needs to be to keep windows happy.
>
>
Have you tried this on one of your systems? Personally? Are
you aware that there are hundreds of references to the system
drive in the registry? That Windows will not run properly unless
they are all set correctly? That there are also some drive letter
references in some files that need to be changed?
Perhaps you can provide a step-by-step recipe to tell us
how to port an existing installation of Windows from drive D:
to drive C:, a recipe that can be tested by anyone reading
your reply. You would have a highly interested readership.