Windows 7 reorders partition letters on hard drive - Microsoft Community

hello,

want put windows 7 on disk containg windows xp.

want preserve windows xp partition letter scheme.

however, after install windows 7, persistently rearranges partition letter scheme.

have not been able fix disk manager in windows 7.
have not been able fix system recovery environment on install dvd.

here drive letter scheme in windows 7:
part 3 c  ## windows 7
part 4 d
part 5 e

note part 2, windows xp partition, missing

here drive letter scheme want:
part 2 c  ## windows xp
part 3 f  ## windows 7
part 4 d
part 5 e

using diskpart system recovery environment shows expected partition letter scheme in place.

diskpart:

diskpart>sel disk 0
diskpart>list part
  partition ###  type              size     offset
  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------
  partition 1    primary           7954 mb  1024 kb ## linux
  partition 2    primary             33 gb  7958 mb
  partition 3    primary             33 gb    41 gb
  partition 0    extended           204 gb    74 gb
  partition 4    logical             61 gb    74 gb
  partition 5    logical             61 gb   135 gb
  partition 6    logical             61 gb   196 gb ## linux
  partition 7    logical             21 gb   257 gb ## linux
diskpart>det disk
  ...
  volume ###  ltr  label        fs     type        size     status     info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
  volume 2     c   ypc          ntfs   partition     33 gb  healthy            
  volume 3     f                ntfs   partition     33 gb  healthy            
  volume 4     d   ypd          ntfs   partition     61 gb  healthy            
  volume 5     e   ype          ntfs   partition     61 gb  healthy            

(why no partition marked active?)

partition letter scheme want.

however, windows 7 on fly overrides letter scheme, assigns letter c partition 3, windows 7 windows partition, , makes partition 2, windows xp windows partition disappear.

there registry entry controls windows 7 partition letter assignment?

otherwise, how can control letter assigned windows 7 windows partition?

using diskpart.exe while in windows repair mode useless because drive letters in windows repair mode quite different in normal mode. should this:

1. run disk manager (diskmgmt.msc) while in windows 7 normal mode.
2. set drive letters way want them.
3. reboot windows 7.
4. check if drive letters way set them in step 2.

Windows / Windows 7 / Files, folders, & storage