installed second hard drive but can't use some programmes off the first one.

troopie · 12-10-11, 07:13 AM

Can anyone help?

I left my rig with the local (useless) IT guy from my (small) home town to 'fix' a few probs and after much time and money it now runs properly but now I've got a whole new batch of probs to deal with.

Not least of which is the hard drive debacle.

After talking me into fitting a second hard drive (cool i thought, two hard drives and 1600 GB

) my old C:/ is now D:/ with all my old info etc. preserved intact, thus allowing him to reinstall the os without loosing anything.

Trouble is while most of the installed programmes are easily accessed simply by navigating to D:/ and then opening their .exe files others will not. Wouldn't be so bad except it's mostly important ones that won't (of course).

The strange thing is none of the programmes from D:/ (working or not) show up in the 'uninstall' feature of control panel!

Any one got any ideas how I can fix this? Am running Vista home premium 32 bit.

Arclight · 12-10-11, 08:22 AM

Problem is there is no information for those old programs in the registry. Most programs rely heavily on entries in there to find and access files they depend on. Easiest way to fix is to simply reinstall the program. You can point the installers to the existing directories on D: if you want.

It's possible, I suppose, to retrieve the registry entries from the old OS install, both transplanting those is far more work. You'd have to change a lot of the entries since the drive letters changed.

Long story short, new OS means reinstalling programs.

Jan Kyster · 12-10-11, 08:27 AM

Keywords:

Quote:

Originally Posted by troopie

...useless IT guy ...reinstalled the os

Why didn't he just insert the drive and started the pc? Why reinstall OS?

Which was what made (some) of your programs not working. You'll have to reinstall these programs under new OS...
You may try to switch drive letters in disc management, but I'm certain this won't work as it'll probably require you to mess with Vista's boot sector as well...

Suggestion will be to make a backup of your data, reinstall OS with a new format of both disc and partitioning and then reinstall your programs.

Best way to waste a weekend!

If you have an image of your original drive C from before adding the second disc, this would have been the time to use it!
But I guess you don't have a such one... only a few care to take the time...

Best of luck!

troopie · 12-10-11, 08:54 AM

The object of the excorcise (pardon the pun) was to reinstall the os in the hope of fixing a heap of bugs that made the rig almost unusable (that actually and eventually worked btw).

He asked me whether their was anything I wanted to keep, as doing so would wipe everything. He asked 'which folders' I wanted!

I meean, come on, it's Windows! There's **** stored all over the bloody place!

I was a bit blown away by that as the machine is (of course) chockers with stuff I need. So when I told him I needed everything he suggested the two drive 'solution'.

So, any way, I'm hering ya's, thanks for the reply, but it doesn't help me much. I mean, I've got $400 worth of Microsoft office on my machine but I can't open a word document or spreadsheet or any other bloody document that's not good for wordpad

(don't have access to the disk for the time being).

Jan Kyster · 12-10-11, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troopie

...I can't open a word document or spreadsheet or any other bloody document that's not good for wordpad

(don't have access to the disk for the time being).

Use Microsoft viewer/converter http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/do...001044981.aspx

Use the Office Web editors http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/

Other free viewers http://www.officeviewers.com/

Or use OpenOffice for off-line editing/viewing/creating everything you've ever made... http://www.openoffice.org/

Quote:

Originally Posted by troopie

...He asked 'which folders' I wanted!

I meean, come on, it's Windows! There's **** stored all over the bloody place!

You're in complete command of what gets stored where...

Oh! And be carefull with the use of ****

troopie · 12-10-11, 11:31 AM

Cheers JK, guess I still got a lot to learn!

danasan · 12-10-11, 12:19 PM

Changing back the drive letter from D:\ to C:\ could solve the problem.

As long as Windows is up and running, you won't get the allowance to change the drive letter of the disc where Windows is running on.

You need a tool which will do the trick in DOS mode. I think I remember a tool called Partition Magic is able to serve you in your situation.

As an alternative, Format C:\ or Format D:\ after an external backup will lead you to a virgin setup.

Before installing the OS, unplug the disc you don't want your OS on. That way you won't get in trouble with the drive letters. Plug it in after the new installation and nothing will be changed by accident.

BUT: Be careful with Partition Magic, b a c k u p y o u r d a t a f i r s t

12-10-11, 07:13 AM	#1
troopie Captain Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Oz Posts: 507 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	installed second hard drive but can't use some programmes off the first one. Can anyone help? I left my rig with the local (useless) IT guy from my (small) home town to 'fix' a few probs and after much time and money it now runs properly but now I've got a whole new batch of probs to deal with. Not least of which is the hard drive debacle. After talking me into fitting a second hard drive (cool i thought, two hard drives and 1600 GB) my old C:/ is now D:/ with all my old info etc. preserved intact, thus allowing him to reinstall the os without loosing anything. Trouble is while most of the installed programmes are easily accessed simply by navigating to D:/ and then opening their .exe files others will not. Wouldn't be so bad except it's mostly important ones that won't (of course). The strange thing is none of the programmes from D:/ (working or not) show up in the 'uninstall' feature of control panel! Any one got any ideas how I can fix this? Am running Vista home premium 32 bit.

12-10-11, 08:22 AM	#2
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Problem is there is no information for those old programs in the registry. Most programs rely heavily on entries in there to find and access files they depend on. Easiest way to fix is to simply reinstall the program. You can point the installers to the existing directories on D: if you want. It's possible, I suppose, to retrieve the registry entries from the old OS install, both transplanting those is far more work. You'd have to change a lot of the entries since the drive letters changed. Long story short, new OS means reinstalling programs. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

12-10-11, 08:54 AM	#4
troopie Captain Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Oz Posts: 507 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Cheers anyway The object of the excorcise (pardon the pun) was to reinstall the os in the hope of fixing a heap of bugs that made the rig almost unusable (that actually and eventually worked btw). He asked me whether their was anything I wanted to keep, as doing so would wipe everything. He asked 'which folders' I wanted! I meean, come on, it's Windows! There's **** stored all over the bloody place! I was a bit blown away by that as the machine is (of course) chockers with stuff I need. So when I told him I needed everything he suggested the two drive 'solution'. So, any way, I'm hering ya's, thanks for the reply, but it doesn't help me much. I mean, I've got $400 worth of Microsoft office on my machine but I can't open a word document or spreadsheet or any other bloody document that's not good for wordpad (don't have access to the disk for the time being).

12-10-11, 12:19 PM	#7
danasan Elite Spam Hunter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Flensburg / Germany Posts: 1,141 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	Changing back the drive letter from D:\ to C:\ could solve the problem. As long as Windows is up and running, you won't get the allowance to change the drive letter of the disc where Windows is running on. You need a tool which will do the trick in DOS mode. I think I remember a tool called Partition Magic is able to serve you in your situation. As an alternative, Format C:\ or Format D:\ after an external backup will lead you to a virgin setup. Before installing the OS, unplug the disc you don't want your OS on. That way you won't get in trouble with the drive letters. Plug it in after the new installation and nothing will be changed by accident. BUT: Be careful with Partition Magic, b a c k u p y o u r d a t a f i r s t __________________ "I invite you to go inside this submergible hole in the water where you can nicely hide from destroyers."

12-10-11, 11:31 AM	#6
troopie Captain Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Oz Posts: 507 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Cheers JK, guess I still got a lot to learn!