How to Configure Windows Installation to Install OS on D Drive and Remove C Drive

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to set up a Windows installation where the operating system is installed on the D drive instead of the default C drive, and I want to ensure that the C drive does not exist at all during or after the installation.

Is there a way to configure this during the Windows setup process? If so, what steps should I follow to achieve this? Any detailed instructions or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

This is for dev purposes.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hello John1122ss,

thank you for posting on the Microsoft Community Forums.

it is possible to install Windows on a drive other than the default C drive, but there are a few steps you need to follow carefully. Here’s a general outline of the process:

1. Backup Data: Ensure you back up all important data on your drives before proceeding, as partitioning and installation can result in data loss.
2. Create Bootable Installation Media: Prepare a bootable USB drive with the Windows installation files. More details please refer to Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com).

3. Prepare the Installation Drive: Connect the target drive (which you want to be the D drive). Disconnect or disable all other drives except the one you want to install Windows on, this ensures Windows won't automatically assign the drive letter C to another drive during installation. If the drive already has partitions, you might have to delete them to create unallocated space.
4. Boot from Installation Media: Insert the bootable USB and boot from it (you might need to change the boot order in the BIOS/UEFI settings).
5. Windows Installation Process: When prompted during the installation, choose “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)”, then you will see a list of available drives and partitions. Delete any existing partitions on the target drive if necessary, to create unallocated space. Select the unallocated space on the target drive and click “Next” to begin the installation process. Windows will automatically create the necessary partitions on this drive.
6. Assigning Drive Letters: During the installation, Windows will typically assign the letter C to the drive it is being installed on. However, since no other drives are connected, the system might use a different letter (like D) for the primary partition. After the installation is complete and the system is booting from the new Windows installation, connect the other drives again.
7. Verify and Adjust Drive Letters: Once Windows is installed, go to Disk Management (you can access it by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting "Disk Management"). Check the drive letters and change them if necessary. You can right-click on a drive and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths" to modify the letters. If the Windows installation ended up on C and you want to change it to D, note that this can be complex and might require third-party software or advanced configuration. It is generally easier to ensure that the drive letters are set correctly during the installation process.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Lei

Answer 2

I tried that, but it didn't work. Additionally, you can't change the drive letter after Windows installation is complete.

As shown in the attached image, I created an empty partition based on your advice before the OS installation.

Answer 3

The D: drive is showing as RAW, which means the file system is not recognized. This could be part of the problem. You might need to format this partition to a recognized file system (e.g., NTFS) before you can use it or change the drive letter. Be aware that formatting a partition will erase all data on it, so ensure it contains no important data before proceeding.

Answer 4

The error shown in the snapshot above occurred because I attempted to change the drive letter from C to D.