I used to prevent my hard drives letters from changing by installing Windows 7 and 8 from Windows 2003. Sadly, can't do that anymore since Windows 8.1 files aren't compatible with my Windows 2003, so the setup from there fails. To cut short the story, I don't really want to install Windows 8 and then 8.1 from it, it's time consuming. Is there a way to setup Windows 8.1 from a bootable media and still keep my drive letters as I have right now? I want to install the Windows 8.1 on the E: partition, keeping my Windows 2003 on D:\ partition. Sorry if this has been asked before, couldn't find anything on this forum. Or around the internet, as a matter of fact. And, yes, I do need to keep Windows 8.1 specifically on E: partition for a number of particular reasons, but especially for convenience.
If you are going to have multiple versions of windows so you can dual boot (in my case 5 versions), whichever version you choose to boot up will consider itself to be C: The other drives will rearrange the letters to fit. However it is relatively easy to change the letters. I do it this way: I put the DVD to Z: to get it out of the way. I put the other versions of Windows next V:, W:, X:, and Y: for the same reason to get them out of the way. I set up each version of windows the same way. Other drives Like Photos, Music, Movies, etc., are D:, E:, F:, etc. and they are the same on each version of windows.
Not that easy. It is considered C: only if it is a Primary partition. Windows OS installed to a Logical Drive on an Extended partition keeps the drive letters.