how do you partition your computer hard drive?

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Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,392
19,711
146
No partitions. I back up to separate drives. Partitions are useless.
 

HappyCracker

Senior member
Mar 10, 2001
939
5
81
For all you geeks ou there:
john@socrates deltron $ sudo /sbin/fdisk /dev/hda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 77545.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77545 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 195 98248+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 196 1188 500472 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda3 1189 77545 38483928 83 Linux

Command (m for help):

For the rest of us:
100MB - /boot
512M - swap
the rest of the 40GB drive - priceless
nah just kidding, it's my /
 
Mar 19, 2003
18,289
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I've got five separate partitions now, but it's mostly a pain at this point (probably because they're all nearly out of space :p). This is on a two-drive RAID-0 array.

I'm probably heading down to CompUSA in Houston tomorrow (or today, I guess it is now) to pick up one or two of those $99 250GB hard drives, and starting over with a fresh format+Windows install (without bothering with separate partitions), which I've been wanting to do for a while anyway. :)

(Plus with the HDTV tuner card I just got, I need space to record stuff :p)
 

Stumps

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
7,125
0
0
always single partitions, i'm to lazy to setup multiple partitions and i find them annoying..I like a single C drive for everything
 

J Heartless Slick

Golden Member
Nov 11, 1999
1,330
0
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I did partition my C drive of a multiple hard drive system once. I did not see much point in it and it added unnecessary complexity.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
Creating partitions will cause less fragmentation in your drives by preventing the fragments from spreading all over. One of the reasons why I very rarely run the defragmenter.
 

Spencer278

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 2002
3,637
0
0
Originally posted by: nsafreak
I never understood people that "backed up" data to a separate partition. Putting data on one partition or another doesn't protect the data if the drive goes bad, the partition table gets corrupted, the MBR goes down the tubes or something equally drastic. As a form of "backup" it blows and really shouldn't even be bothered with.

I don't think people back up to a another partion as a way to protect data I think it more to make life easyer when windows craps out. So when you can't boot windows you can just reinstall and you don't lose anything in the other partion.
 
Mar 19, 2003
18,289
2
71
Originally posted by: zoiks
Creating partitions will cause less fragmentation in your drives by preventing the fragments from spreading all over. One of the reasons why I very rarely run the defragmenter.

That's one of the reasons I initially did it (set up partitions, that is) - but with my defragmenter scheduled to run nightly, it just doesn't seem that big of a deal.
 

zoiks

Lifer
Jan 13, 2000
11,787
3
81
Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Originally posted by: zoiks
Creating partitions will cause less fragmentation in your drives by preventing the fragments from spreading all over. One of the reasons why I very rarely run the defragmenter.

That's one of the reasons I initially did it (set up partitions, that is) - but with my defragmenter scheduled to run nightly, it just doesn't seem that big of a deal.

Yep it depends if you have your machine running 24/7. I have 5 machines so I don't think it would be wise for me to have all of them running constantly. My electricity bill is too high as it is.
 
Mar 19, 2003
18,289
2
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Originally posted by: zoiks
Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Originally posted by: zoiks
Creating partitions will cause less fragmentation in your drives by preventing the fragments from spreading all over. One of the reasons why I very rarely run the defragmenter.

That's one of the reasons I initially did it (set up partitions, that is) - but with my defragmenter scheduled to run nightly, it just doesn't seem that big of a deal.

Yep it depends if you have your machine running 24/7. I have 5 machines so I don't think it would be wise for me to have all of them running constantly. My electricity bill is too high as it is.

Yeah, that's a good point. Only one computer here. :p
 

loic2003

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
3,844
0
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Originally posted by: Spencer278
Originally posted by: nsafreak
I never understood people that "backed up" data to a separate partition. Putting data on one partition or another doesn't protect the data if the drive goes bad, the partition table gets corrupted, the MBR goes down the tubes or something equally drastic. As a form of "backup" it blows and really shouldn't even be bothered with.

I don't think people back up to a another partion as a way to protect data I think it more to make life easyer when windows craps out. So when you can't boot windows you can just reinstall and you don't lose anything in the other partion.

You can do that on a single partition. Just reinstall windows over the top and you're back up and running with no data loss.

Personally, I have a main 200 gig Barracuda with single partition and everything on it. Next I have a 120 gig barracuda as a backup which I update regularly (mp3's, mail, my movies from the camcorder etc), finally I have a third 80 gig drive which I use for long term back-up of large files which I don't really use often (converted DVD's, large images, etc). This drive is noisy as hell so it's not often plugged in.


 

new2AMD

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2001
5,312
0
0
40gb main
2 partitions
20gb OS and apps
20gb misc files

160gb secondary
3 partitions
50gb Music
50gb Movies
50gb misc
 

Ausm

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,213
14
81
My Server

250 gig (50 gig OS and Apps + 200 Gig Backup Storage

250 gig (250 gig partition FTP Server)

250 gig (250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig(250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig( Backup/Misc storage one partition)

250 gig (Pure backup one partition)


Ausm
 
Aug 26, 2004
14,685
1
76
Originally posted by: Ausm
My Server

250 gig (50 gig OS and Apps + 200 Gig Backup Storage

250 gig (250 gig partition FTP Server)

250 gig (250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig(250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig( Backup/Misc storage one partition)

250 gig (Pure backup one partition)


Ausm

damn thats a lotta pr0n!
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,392
19,711
146
Originally posted by: quakefiend420
Originally posted by: Ausm
My Server

250 gig (50 gig OS and Apps + 200 Gig Backup Storage

250 gig (250 gig partition FTP Server)

250 gig (250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig(250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig( Backup/Misc storage one partition)

250 gig (Pure backup one partition)


Ausm

damn thats a lotta gay sheep pr0n!

Fixed
 

toekramp

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2001
8,426
2
0
Originally posted by: nsafreak
I never understood people that "backed up" data to a separate partition. Putting data on one partition or another doesn't protect the data if the drive goes bad, the partition table gets corrupted, the MBR goes down the tubes or something equally drastic. As a form of "backup" it blows and really shouldn't even be bothered with.

well it's better than nothing, if you get nailed by a virus, or need to format, at least you shiit is on a 'different drive'
 

Ausm

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,213
14
81
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: quakefiend420
Originally posted by: Ausm
My Server

250 gig (50 gig OS and Apps + 200 Gig Backup Storage

250 gig (250 gig partition FTP Server)

250 gig (250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig(250 gig partition pr0n server)

250 gig( Backup/Misc storage one partition)

250 gig (Pure backup one partition)


Ausm

damn thats a lotta gay sheep pr0n!

I only know this because most of them are my relatives...we take it up the bung and it hurts real baaaaaaad!


DoubleFIXED

Ausm

 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,256
406
126
I have Windows XP, MP3, Video, and Backup partitions. I suppose I could condense it into two partitions: Windows XP and Other, but it's fine the way it is.
 

blakeatwork

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2001
4,113
1
81
I don't..

2xWD 36.76GB (Mirrored)
1xMaxtor 80GB (Storage)
1xMaxtor 40GB 3000LE (Gaming)

Also, 1xMaxtor OneTouch (250GB) w/Linksys NSLU2 as a NAS drive
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
74 GB raptor:
~35 GB for XP/Programs
~12 GB for linux /
~20 GB for linux /home
~1 GB for linux swap
(doesn't all add up, but it's approximate)

120 GB WD SATA
1 partition fat32 for temp downloads/torrents

200 GB WD PATA
1 partition NTFS for permanent storage
 

Trevelyan

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2000
4,077
0
71
Originally posted by: nsafreak
I never understood people that "backed up" data to a separate partition. Putting data on one partition or another doesn't protect the data if the drive goes bad, the partition table gets corrupted, the MBR goes down the tubes or something equally drastic. As a form of "backup" it blows and really shouldn't even be bothered with.

I split my single 160GB into two partitions, and I set the second partition as D: w/ 100GB and make it the My Documents folder... this way whenever I reinstall Windows I don't have to backup all my files, I just format the C: partition.