Formatting a new harddrive

[Redviffer]

When you install a program and you have 2 partitions, say a C:\ and a D:\ drive, and your C:\ drive is your OS drive, you don't want to install ALL your programs on it since, as most have said, they make it just 8 GB or so. This would quickly lead you to running out of space. Instead, you install the program to the larger partition. Some part of the program will go into the C:\ drive (windows system files, etc) but the bulk of the program will go into the D:\ drive. But you have to tell it to do that, otherwise it will just install to the C:\ drive. Most people don't do this, they are clicky types who just install to the default directory. My point being that if you are going to partition the drive, just make sure that when you install programs (not all mind you, say like games, etc), make sure they get installed onto the bigger, non-os partition. The other thing is that you may want to also change the pagefile to the non-os partition, as it grows and shrinks to accomodate memory usage unless you specifically tell it to stay one size. Nothing sucks more than getting an error because you are out of space on your OS partition, and then find out you have gigs of space on your other partition.

So, to reiterate (so I can understand it also 🙂 ), partitioning your hard drive isn't a bad thing, you just have to do a couple of thing differently when installing programs. I actually find that it's a pain in my @ss (tech support wise) if I do this for someone, as they usually don't follow the rule of not installing everything on the OS partition, and I then have to resize it for them or transfer programs to the other partition. All in all, much easier to just make it one partition for them. I don't exactly deal with the most computer literate of people, and I find that this works out better for both them and myself.

 

[Redviffer]

Originally posted by: Sid59

Originally posted by: Redviffer
i don't understand how changing the install path changes how much data is being installed.

You ever had to reinstall windows cause it got fooked and had to clean out the whole hard drive? Not fun. Less of pain if he were to make an OS partition and GHOST it.

It doesn't change the amount of data installed, just the location of it. Reinstalling would be a lot nicer if yes, he had a ghost image already on another partition. But like I said before, most of the times I've had a drive fail (and it hasn't been very much at all), the whole hard drive was toast, so all partions would be lost.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Redviffer
When you install a program and you have 2 partitions, say a C:\ and a D:\ drive, and your C:\ drive is your OS drive, you don't want to install ALL your programs on it since, as most have said, they make it just 8 GB or so. This would quickly lead you to running out of space. Instead, you install the program to the larger partition. Some part of the program will go into the C:\ drive (windows system files, etc) but the bulk of the program will go into the D:\ drive. But you have to tell it to do that, otherwise it will just install to the C:\ drive. Most people don't do this, they are clicky types who just install to the default directory. My point being that if you are going to partition the drive, just make sure that when you install programs (not all mind you, say like games, etc), make sure they get installed onto the bigger, non-os partition. The other thing is that you may want to also change the pagefile to the non-os partition, as it grows and shrinks to accomodate memory usage unless you specifically tell it to stay one size. Nothing sucks more than getting an error because you are out of space on your OS partition, and then find out you have gigs of space on your other partition.

So, to reiterate (so I can understand it also 🙂 ), partitioning your hard drive isn't a bad thing, you just have to do a couple of thing differently when installing programs. I actually find that it's a pain in my @ss (tech support wise) if I do this for someone, as they usually don't follow the rule of not installing everything on the OS partition, and I then have to resize it for them or transfer programs to the other partition. All in all, much easier to just make it one partition for them. I don't exactly deal with the most computer literate of people, and I find that this works out better for both them and myself.

bingo..😀

 

[Insidious]

I like a single partition.

Usually, when you format and re-install Windows, the programs you have on the second partition need to be re-installed as well because they are no longer registered properly.

As to data, well I just don't run into many pieces of data that won't fit on a CD (pictures, databases, etc....)

I am a big believer in backing up important data, and I don't feel like having it on a second partition within the same hardware really qualifies.

To reiterate, those programs you install on the second partition most likely aren't going to run properly when/if you re-install the OS on the first partition.

 

The partition utility in NT kernal operatring systems is diskpart. You can create partitions with it in the windows setup or run it from the repair console and it?s much simpler to use than fdisk. I prefer to partition and format from a command line in the console first then reboot and start the Win install. There is no right answer to partitioning. It?s all up to your personal taste. I just create one partition. I don?t like seeing a bunch of drive letters. I like to keep it simple. I also know that partitioning will not save me in a harddrive going south or from a corrupt partition table so I dont see the point in multiple partitioning unless you?re running multi operating systems on the same drive. Just back up your date to multiple sources and do it often. Data recovery is such a waste of precious time. Nice drive by the way. The barracudas are so quiet. I run the 40 gig one in my XP box. i am thinkning of getting another one to replace the noisy Maxtor in my SUSE box.