You are correct that if you install the OS to another partition, Windows may sitll put a few files onto the C drive.  However, these files are only used to boot the operating system and are not used during normal operation. 

One way you could get rid of C: completly is to start with an upartitioned drive.  Create a small partition (say 8 MB).  Windows will name it C.  Then, create another partition of whatever size you want your windows parition.  Windows will call it D.  Then, delete C and intall Windows on D.  You will have 8 MB of unpartitioned space on your drive, but it is a small loss if you really don't want a C drive.

I am assuming you are partitioning through the Windows installer.  There may be more elegant way to accomplish this task using Partition Magic or some other program.

It shouldn't matter what size you make the partition.  Personally, I just make about a 1 GB partition for swap space, like you mentioned.

I don't recall Windows asking me where I want to install it.  It probably will ask if you attempt to install it to a partition already containing Windows.  It will warn you that dual booting is the devil and then ask if you want to overwrite the previous installation or install to a different folder.  I don't know how to change it on the first install, but I would be there is a way.

i checked the guide and found this:

The first screen you see says Welcome to Windows Setup. In the window beside the words Installation Type, you will see the words Upgrade (Recommended) if you have an operating system already installed.

does this not sound familiar?

obviously you need a drive with more than one partition.

windows comes with it's own partitioning & formatting utility.

step # 4 onn this page:

http://windows.radified.com/windows_install.htm

reads:



sound familiar?

i thought this stuff was self-evident.

haplo

Quote:

If you read Rad's guide--he does not say you should eliminate the C:\ partition--just install the WinXP on a different partition--so it's not in the *default* location (As a side note--seems like you would want to change the sub-directory name also from the *default= : \ Windows* if using the same reasoning for not using the same *default = C:\--my two cents worth  ! )

(As a second side note:  unless I'm not too clear on what this accomplishes--any *mal-ware* or virus that is being designed to work in a Windows OS, it's going to be more sophisticated than assuming the default partition and/or default sub-directory--the mal-ware writer must know as much as we do--right--so only the kindergarden level mal-ware writer is going to be fooled so easily by changing the default settings--when working with the current WinXP boot setup--one only needs to *read* the *boot.ini* file to find the location of the WinXP installation  ! --so if someone more sophisticated than I would explain why this recommendation has any real *added security*--I'm open to hearing the explanation  ! )

You might gain more insight into the boot process by visiting this website: 

Understanding MultiBooting and Booting Windows from an Extended Partition

I would recommend the *whole* website be read--but for your particular question--start with the two sections: 

Background - The Boot Process

, and

MultiBooting Principles

Also, Dan Goodell has this section where you can find *tools* to use in place of programs like *PartitionMagic*: 

Useful Tools for Our Project

If, you have a version of Ghost that includes DOS Ghost--you may be able to find *Gdisk* as one of the available programs that offers the ability to hide and un-hide, as well as set different partitions *active* or not.

So here's my suggestion--I have not done it and I have no idea if it would actually work--but:

Start over--re-format the HDD so it's a clean install--create your partitions--make the first one whatever size you like--it will initially be C:\, and then D:\ where you want to actually install WinXP.

C:\ is going to have the boot files, and be the *active* partition that the initial boot points to to continue the boot sequence.

Once you have everything installed, copy the boot files to the D:\ partition (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini) from the C:\ partition, edit that boot.ini file on D:\ so it points to *partition(2)* instead of partition (1), and now change the *active* status to partition (2) (which effectively *de-activates* the *active* status of partition (1) ).

So, now the initial boot process will look to the second partition (the *active* boot partition) for the next step of reading the boot files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini), boot.ini will now point to the second partition for the continued booting of the OS (boot.ini does not use *drive letter assignments--it uses the ARC path), and the WinXP registry will have D:\ as the assigned drive letter for that WinXP installation.

I would assume that once everything is installed and if it all works, you could then use WinXP's Disk Management to assign a different drive letter to that original C:\ to whatever--or just leave as C:\--use it for data storage or whatever, etc.

The above, as I previously said, is a theoretical suggestion to get you where you wanted to go--I have no idea if this would cause other unforeseen *issues*--but if you are still at the initial stage of testing different installation scenarios--go for it--and I, for one, would be most interested in the results of your efforts/experiment  !

I'd be interested in the comments of others regarding any *ill-logic* noted in this plan  !

p.s. Now if I could decide whether to get another 74G Raptor or go with a known-to-have-a-non-fatal-defect WD2500KS for $40 less...
http://websupport.wdc.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4003

NightOwl wrote:


It's not even that complicated.  Just read the environment.  Open a command prompt window, type "set" and press [Enter].  You'll see all sorts of data that's useful to malware programs.

Haplo, IMHO a major disincentive to putting Windows on other than C: is that it can create difficulties when restoring Ghost images.  This has been covered in other threads (how to get Windows to see itself by the correct drive letter after it's restored), so I won't rehash here.

I recommend always installing Windows on C:, and see no point in trying to change the installation directory.

You only get the "Advanced Options" if you are installing or upgrading from within another Windows OS.  If you are doing the install on a blank drive, as halpo seems to be, that option isn't available.  There probably is a way to change the installation directory on a bare install, but it is beyond my knowledge.