How many partitions on harddrive?

[Magnumike7]

I would like to know opinions on partitioning harddrives. Presently I have 4 partitions. 1 for windows 98, one for windows XP, 1 for all my programs, and finally, 1 for backups. If I decide to NOT go with dual boot and have ONLY winXP, should I go with ONE partition or 2? I have read mixed opinions on this matter and wonder what is the best solution. Does partitioning SLOW the access times for harddrives? I am going to be getting an "external" harddrive for my backups so what is the best solution for the partitioning of the MAIN drive where I have WinXP and all my programs?

 

[Bovinicus]

I like to have my OS on one partition, programs on another partition, and data (Movies, MP3s, Documents) on one partition. I don't have my current setup like that because I didn't know how much room to leave for my apps. I didn't want to sacrifice a single GB because I need all the space I can for movies. I know, I could've just put them on the app partition, but I'm too anal retentive with my computer for that. Anyway, I find the 3 partition setup I mentioned the most effective. OS needs performance priority, then apps/games, then data. The pagefile partition isn't a bad idea either, but unecessary. The first few GB of the HDD perform about the same, plus I have software that places it first anyway. You could make a folder on your data drive for backups.

 

[Sid59]

i usually have just 2. 1 x 8 GIG for XP and then the rest to house movies, music, apps, shows, etc.

I know some people who make different parittions for music, movies, and then a 700 MB parition so they can burn backups.

 

[everman]

A smaller one for the Os, another for apps, and another for files, and even if you want make a swap partition too. That's how I usually go.

 

[DonaldC]

I use multiple partitions including one for the swap-file.

 

[Ime]

I use one big partition!

I only have one set of data I feel I "have" to keep (my quicken data), and it's backups are stored off-site.

The rest I can re-download, or live without.

 

[KF]

The more partitions, the better. That way you can put more OSs on the HD. Everone should have at least two instances of the OS he uses on the HD. Then he should also have two instances of the _next_ OS he intends to update to (so he can see what the pitfalls are going to be.) You need two of each OS (at least), so that when you screw up one, you still have the other working to help you fix the main one. (And everyone should be trying out linux on another partition, just to be familiar with it. A second version of that is also advisable, so you don't have to resort to a mini version from floppy when linux quits working. Although linux is not too useful as it is, it gets better every day, and it is the way of the future.) Also try out junk you are uncertain of -which should probably everything- on the secondary one. At the very least, you will at least know if the installer program works. New add-in cards should really be installed on a secondary COMPUTER before you commit to putting it on your work computer.

You should have one extra partition for putting a new OS on, just in case. That way you can do a clean, fresh install to see if that fixes a new hardware problem, without unnecessrily losing your treasured main OS install. Since in 95% of the cases, a clean install does not fix the problem, even though people always recommend it, you will be way ahead of the game.

If you work with video, no reason to put them on the same HD and risk your work if for some reason you have to reformat or change OSs, or think you have to. Get that giant HD and use it only for the videos. I mean, DO NOT repartition your HD to put linux on it while you have massive amounts of valuable data on the same HD.

 

[Bovinicus]

I agree with KF in an ideal world. However, I cannot afford to use up precious space on a secondary OS partition and a future OS partition. If you have the space to do so, then by all means. However, I still say one for the OS, one for applications and games, and one for data is sufficient.