got new HD, need suggestions for partitioning

[imported_jb]

i just added a 160GB WD to my HP Pavillion 515x. now i have the 40GB it came w/ and this new drive.
the 40GB is a 5400RPM Samsung. the 160GB is a 7200 WD.

i'm thinking about reinstalling XP.. currently all OS and software is on the 40GB. would i notice any difference putting the OS and software on the 160GB? i feel like partitions could cause some slowdown.

my options seem to be:
-make ~50GB partition on new drive for OS, use rest of new drive for program files & use the old 40GB for downloads/file-sharing/IIS server
-put OS and program files on the 160GB (use as C drive & master of the 40)
-leave OS on the 40 and use 160 as program files and downloads/IIS Server

i moved my IIS files to the 160 for now because of the increased RPM, but i guess Windows should be on it too.

 

[TungFree]

you will never use 50 gigs on C drive... unless you use it for videos or music, and that is best put into your 2nd partition on the 160 gigster

If it were mine 40 gig max maybe 30 on C the rest on D: Use D to backup C or use old drive to backup up your system once a week or sooner if you install enough to worry that hours of work will be lost if you loose the C drive to an unremovable virus or some such.

My experience is that, I use my computer many many hours a day, I am a power user, and all my hard drives or the overwhelming majority of them had either went or began to go with warnings to back the drive up. A hint to the wise, is to use your 40 gig only when you need to back up, disconnect it and reconnect for backup or restore only.

If your data is ever so important and exceeds 40 gigs get a 2nd Data backup drive and use it to backup critical data files. alternately sell the 40 or use it in another computer, get a 2nd 160 and mirror image it in your backups once a week or as often as logic dictates based on how much work you had put in that you would hate to loose if you only backed up way less.

The faster RPM is one factor the other factor is the buss speed. if both are 100 or 133 then it will make little difference, otherwise the faster buss will have mildly noticeable speeds. not revolutionary.

 

[casper114]

I would install my os on the 160 wd along with all apps. Since it has a speed of 7200 rpm it will increase your load time on your apps you have installed on that drive. I would use the other for like iso files and downloads and stuff like that. Or you could partition some space on the 7200 for apps.

 

[imported_jb]

currently, it is set up as 33GB for C and 4GB for HP_Recovery on D. the 160GB is on G.
i have never used HP Recovery, but i'm not gonna hate it.

so it wouldn't be a typical reinstall.
maybe i'll post w/ what i had to do.

 

[P0ldy]

Do you have an XP disc that came with your PC? I know Dell doesn't even ship XP anymore, just the backup partition. I suppose you could clone that partition to the 160 and install from there, delete it, and still have it on the 40.

Edit: Anyway, I allot 15 for XP and the rest for critical files. Just one huge partition. Heads off problems down the road.

 

[Valkerie]

Originally posted by: TungFree

you will never use 50 gigs on C drive... unless you use it for videos or music, and that is best put into your 2nd partition on the 160 gigster

This is probably true for a lot of users

 

[imported_jb]

i have A xp disc. i also have 6 HP recovery cds.
i would like some space for music and a couple of movies, so i want My Documents on the new drive. that's why i'm gonna reinstall.
i'll probably just make the 160 "gigster" the new C drive and use the 40 for somekind of additional back up. not exactly keeping critical files on this PC tho.
maybe i should ditch the HP recovery system. i have never needed it, and all it does is install XP & some software. System Restore is what i should be concerned w/ more, right? not that i've used that either in the last couple of years.

whatever.
so yeah, not worth putting the OS on a separate partition or what? i've heard about people doing that. doesn't seem like it would be worth it tho.

thanks for the comments.

 

[garkon]

i think the reason u would put the os on a separate partition is so u could re-format w/out loosing ur files? i dont know if it works all that well or not, or adds or decreases performance. Anybody.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: garkon
i think the reason u would put the os on a separate partition is so u could re-format w/out loosing ur files? i dont know if it works all that well or not, or adds or decreases performance. Anybody.

That is true. However, it is very counterproductive, not to mention a really bad idea in general, to put one's programs (except maybe certain large games in limited instances) on a separate partition from one's OS. The advantage of separating OS and programs from data is in ease of reinstallation, and if you reinstall the OS you're going to have to reinstall most of the programs anyway because they were so intertwined into the old OS'es registry that they won't work well (if at all) with the new OS to which they have not been properly installed. Therefore, make one partition for the OS, and another partition for data (plus any additionals needed on additional hard disks).

 

[P0ldy]

Originally posted by: jb
i have A xp disc. i also have 6 HP recovery cds.
i would like some space for music and a couple of movies, so i want My Documents on the new drive. that's why i'm gonna reinstall.
i'll probably just make the 160 "gigster" the new C drive and use the 40 for somekind of additional back up. not exactly keeping critical files on this PC tho.
maybe i should ditch the HP recovery system. i have never needed it, and all it does is install XP & some software. System Restore is what i should be concerned w/ more, right? not that i've used that either in the last couple of years.

whatever.
so yeah, not worth putting the OS on a separate partition or what? i've heard about people doing that. doesn't seem like it would be worth it tho.

thanks for the comments.

You could probably safely delete the HP partition, but you might want to back up the drivers, things that might not readily be available (don't know how proprietary HP hardware drivers are). By 'critical files' I meant anything besides the OS+program files I don't want to lose. It's easier to reinstall the OS on C: with the relief that your files on D: are safe. I recommend you set up your music and movies directory on D: and then point My Documents to the folder (Rightclick > Properties), because all the My folders are still on C.

If by 'System Restore' you mean the XP utility, I've found it pretty worthless. You should use the 40 for disk image backups that you do once a month/every so often if you're really serious about it. Much more reliable than System Restore.