I have two hard drives (C: and E. Normally I have windows 10 installed on C: and just my documents on E: drive.
I had to reinstall windows. The reinstall put the Boot on C: and the System on E: drive. (See image.)
Is there any way of putting the system back on C: drive? (I didn't want to reformat both drives and reinstall windows again if I can avoid it.)
1. Format your F: drive
2. Run Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) as Administrator, then run the command below to configure the booting on F:
bcdboot C:Windows /s F:
3. Reboot the PC, change BIOS to boot from the disk 0
More infomation about bcdboot: BCDboot Command-Line Options
Thanks. I think this will create another boot record.bcdboot C:Windows /s F:
More infomation about bcdboot: BCDboot Command-Line Options
I wanted System on C: drive (NOT D: drive).
Rebuilding boot sectors on first drive is easy enough. Getting boot sectors off E drive is a bit tricky. Easiest way is to back up E drive data, format it and copy data back. This is not the fastest way but is the safest way.
Ok what you need to do is
1) install Macrium Reflect Free, and create a bootable Macrium Rescue usb drive or dvd.
Alternatively use the WinPE Rescue drive in Software and Apps Section which has Macrium already installed.
2) copy all data files on hdd you want to keep to an external drive, or temporarily to C drive, as you have enough space (create a subdirectory eg Edrive). This will take a while as a lot of data.
3) Disconnect HDD.
4) Boot from Macrium drive, select restore tab, and click "fix windows boot problems", then it should list your C drive. If not, stop and come back for more advice.
5) Then click next, finish and boot sectors will be rebuilt.
6) Boot pc and check it is booting ok.
7) Reconnect HDD, and go to bios and check pc is set to boot from SSD
8) You can now format HDD, and then copy data back from C drive.
9) If System Reserved Partiopn still shows up with a drive letter, remove drive letter from Disk Management.
Install EasyBCD:
EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies
Move boot (system) files to C: partition:
Changing the Boot Partition
Make sure and read the note at the bottom of that procedure.
Remove the active tag from the E: drive partition:
Open a "run as administrator" command prompt. Type:
Diskpart
Select Disk 1
Select Part 1
Inactive
You will still have boot files remaining on E: drive, but they will not be used for anything and you can manually delete them.
Really, though, the boot ("system") files should be on F:, not C:. But in your OP you stated you wanted them on C: drive.
It worked. Thanks.Rebuilding boot sectors on first drive is easy enough. Getting boot sectors off E drive is a bit tricky. Easiest way is to back up E drive data, format it and copy data back. This is not the fastest way but is the safest way.
The only headache was getting Windows to recognize the second hard drive when I plugged it in. "BIOS" recognized it but DISKMGMT.msc wouldn't! All of a sudden after an hour or two fiddling, E: suddenly appeared without System status. Yippee!
PS I used the Window's system image app for the backups.
