Microsoft KB Archive/929848

= In unattended installations of Windows Vista, the wrong partition becomes the installation drive =

Article ID: 929848

Article Last Modified on 1/4/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Windows Vista Ultimate
 * Windows Vista Business
 * Windows Vista Enterprise
 * Windows Vista Home Basic
 * Windows Vista Home Premium
 * Windows Vista Starter

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SYMPTOMS
In unattended installations of Windows Vista that have multiple partitions on the hard disk drive, the first partition is not assigned driver letter C as expected. Also, Windows Vista is installed on a different partition.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs when the Unattend.xml file does not assign a drive letter to the installation partition. Then, the installation partition uses drive letter C. If another partition has been assigned drive letter C in the DiskConfiguration setting, that partition is assigned another drive letter.

For example, the following &quot;DiskConfiguration&quot; section of the Unattend.xml file creates partitions on a disk, and then assigns drive letter C to the first partition:

  0  <!—Create Partition 1-->  1 Primary 100  <!—Create Partition 2-->  2</Order> Primary</Type> <Extend>true</Extend> </CreatePartition> </CreatePartitions> <ModifyPartitions> <!—Assign Drive Letter C to Partition 1--> <ModifyPartition> 1</Order> <PartitionID>1</PartitionID> <Letter>C</Letter> </ModifyPartition> <ModifyPartitions> </Disk> </DiskConfiguration>

Then, in the following &quot;ImageInstall&quot; section of the Unattended.xml file, you specify that Windows Vista is installed on Partition 2:

<pre class="fixed_text"><ImageInstall> <OSImage> <InstallTo> 0</DiskID> <PartitionID>2</PartitionID> </InstallTo> </OSImage> </ImageInstall>

You expect the following results:
 * Partition 1 is assigned drive letter C.
 * Partition 2 is either assigned drive letter D or the next available drive letter.

The actual results are as follows:
 * Partition 1 is either assigned drive letter D or the next available drive letter.
 * Partition 2 is assigned drive letter C.

<div class="resolution_section">

RESOLUTION
To avoid this behavior, add the following fragment to the DiskConfiguration setting in the Unattend.xml file. This fragment assigns a drive letter to the installation partition.

<pre class="fixed_text"><ModifyPartition> 2</Order> <PartitionID>2</PartitionID> <Letter>D</Letter> </ModifyPartition>

Keywords: kbprb KB929848

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