DOCUMENT:Q139819 14-FEB-2002 [winnt] TITLE :Missing and Multiple Drive Letters Assigned To Partitions PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER:3.51 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbsetup ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you install Windows NT 3.51 on a hard disk partition greater than 9, the following problems may occur: - The first primary partition is not assigned a drive letter. - The Windows NT operating system partition is assigned 2 drive letters. (Drive C: and the letter that would be normally be assigned to partition L:) - From File Manager and from the MS-DOS prompt, both drive letters C: and L: address the same Windows NT operating system partition. - If you assign a drive letter to the first primary partition using Disk Administrator, you can then use the first primary partition in File Manager. - When you reboot the system, you lose the drive letter assigned to the first primary partition and must re-assign it again. Following is an example of the above symptoms: [logical drives in extended partition] Primary1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 <-- operating system (unassigned) D: E: F: G: H: I: J: K: C: NOTE: Both File Manager and the MS-DOS prompt address the Windows NT operating system partition by using drive letters C: and L: while the 1st primary partition is inaccessible unless you assign a drive letter to the partition using disk administrator. RESOLUTION ========== - Move or re-install Windows NT into a partition numbered less than ten. -or- - Delete partitions until the operating system partition is partition number nine or less. Change the arc path in the BOOT.INI file to reflect the new partition number before you reboot. The arc path looks like this: Multi(0)Disk(0)Rdisk(0)partition(9)\winnt35 STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51 We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available. Additional query words: prodnt ====================================================================== Keywords : kbsetup Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search Version : 3.51 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2002.