Taking your explanation into account, here's what I understand to be the case...
I was using the repair tools on the Windows Installation disc to get a command prompt, which was assigned to x:. In the Windows GUI, the partition where Windows is installed is c:, but when I'm using the command prompt off the Windows installation disc, it sees hidden partitions that are physically in front of the partition where Windows is installed and assigns them drive letters, pushing the partition where Windows is installed to e:. The hidden partitions contain Dell diagnostic / repair utilities.
I suppose a valid question that I don't know the answer to, is which dos command, if any, let's you see a list of assigned drive letters ?