HD partitions and formatting question.

[Joyride]

Right now I have 1 partition with everything installed there. I know if I format this partition everything will be lost.

Here is my question:
If I do a 2 partition setup on 1 HD. 1 with my OS and 1 with my progs/MP3 and I format the partition with the OS what will happen to the the other partition?

Basically what will happen with the file associations I have between my OS and say a prog like Norton Antivirus

Is there any speed hit if I do do a 2 partition setup? Whats the advantages of getting a 2nd HD?

 

[Joyride]

Anyone?

 

[microAmp]

<< Right now I have 1 partition with everything installed there. I know if I format this partition everything will be lost.
Here is my question:
If I do a 2 partition setup on 1 HD. 1 with my OS and 1 with my progs/MP3 and I format the partition with the OS what will happen to the the other partition?
Basically what will happen with the file associations I have between my OS and say a prog like Norton Antivirus
Is there any speed hit if I do do a 2 partition setup? Whats the advantages of getting a 2nd HD? >>



Partion 1 has OS, Partion 2 has Programs, if you format partion 1, partion 2 will NOT be affected.

When you reinstall the OS on Partion 1, you will need to 'install' the programs again, so it's can get into the registry to work properly.

As far as I know, no one has seem to have done benchmarks doing mulitple partions.

 

[cleverhandle]

If you have programs living on a separate partition that write to the registry on the first partition, the programs will most likely not work or be totally screwy if you wipe and reinstall the OS. The only things that can be easily kept between OS installations are "static" files, like MP3's and documents. The partition zealots out there tout the benefit of faster defragging of the OS partition when the programs are separated, but that seems to me to be a very minimal benefit in exchange for the increased complexity. At most, I would do one extra partition for MP3's and such, and put all your programs along with your OS.

 

[splice]

If you reformat your OS partition, nothing will happen to the App partition. When you install the OS again, you will have to reinstall most the applications again, over the old ones... ie apps that require libs on the OS partition that were installed with the software, dll registration, or install time windows registry entries.

There is relatively no speed difference in having multiple partitions on a single drive.

 

[Joyride]

Thanks.

Looks like I'll have an OS/prog partition and an mp3/movie/picture partition

Again thanks