Help and Support

Windows 95 Setup Modifies the Boot Sector of All Drives

Article ID:126350
Last Review:November 15, 2006
Revision:1.1
This article was previously published under Q126350

SYMPTOMS

After you set up Windows 95 on your computer, you can no longer boot from a different physical hard disk.

Back to the top

CAUSE

The Windows 95 Setup program checks all the hard disks in your computer to make sure that only one contains 80h in the DriveNumber field of the boot sector. If more than one hard disk contains 80h in the DriveNumber field, Setup changes the boot sector of all the hard disks so that only drive C contains 80h in the DriveNumber field. Setup makes this change so that Windows 95 can find the boot disk when you start the computer and recognize the other drives.

Back to the top

WORKAROUND

You can use either of the following methods to correct the DriveNumber field:
Use the FDISK program that is included with Windows 95 to set the primary active partition.
Use a disk editor to change a disk's DriveNumber field so that you can boot from that hard disk.

Back to the top

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

Back to the top

MORE INFORMATION

When the Windows 95 Setup program finds more than one hard disk in a computer, it sets the DriveNumber field of all disks other than the boot disk (usually drive C) to 81h, even if you had the DriveNumber field of other disks set to 80h so the computer could be booted from them.

Back to the top


APPLIES TO
Microsoft Windows 95

Back to the top

Keywords: 
KB126350

Back to the top

Article Translations

 

Other Support Options

  • Need More Help?
    Contact a Support professional by Email, Online or Phone.
  • Customer Service
    For non-technical assistance with product purchases, subscriptions, online services, events, training courses, corporate sales, piracy issues, and more.
  • Newsgroups
    Pose a question to other users. Discussion groups and Forums about specific Microsoft products, technologies, and services.