How to use 200GB HDD for new XP install...possible?

[The Sauce]

Didn't mean to start a partitioning war here. I guess it does make sense to just format a smaller partition when reinstalling windows and keep pure data files on a separate partition - I had never thought about that before. I guess now that HDD's are getting so huge the time it takes to format a 200GB partition does factor into things.

Ok here's my plan, tell me if it's bunk:

1.) Install the 200GB HDD on my current XP/SP1 system and partition it up with one 20GB and one 180GB (roughly).
2.) Use it for a fresh install of XP.
3.) After XP and SP1 are installed then try to get ti to re-recognize the 180GB partition and/or use partition magic to do so.

 

[Pacinamac23]

The drive you install windows on is much more likely to get extremely fragmentted. I have a drive for Windows and normal apps but everything else goes to other partitions. Seems silly to me not to partition. It makes things a lot easier.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: amorse2183

Originally posted by: MichaelD
I can't believe nobody has asked this question yet. Why are you installing the OS to a 200GB partition? A waste of time and space, IMHO. Patition that bad boy! Give the OS 40GB (more than enough forever) and the rest to your proggy's. You'll "never" have to worry about wiping again.

why partition? there is no benefit to it. maybe it did when fat16 was still an issue but not anymore.

NO benefit? Where did you come up with that?

PRO's:

- Multiple OS'es
- Different File Systems
- Cheaper than buying an extra HDD
- Faster seek times
- Quicker to defrag (and less fragmentation on smaller partitions)
- Format certain partitions without losing your OS

CON's:

- None that I can think of

There's 1 con I can think of: moving data between partitions. On a whole 200GB partition, the file table is just re-written; but in a partitioned case, it's an actual move, so the head has to constantly go back and forth between partition areas on the disk to move the data.

 

[IsOs]

First of all, make sure that you connect your new 200GB HD to an ATA133 controller.

I've installed Windows XP Pro on a fresh 160GB HD without any problem. I don't have any experience with XP Home version.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: IsOs
First of all, make sure that you connect your new 200GB HD to an ATA133 controller.

I've installed Windows XP Pro on a fresh 160GB HD without any problem. I don't have any experience with XP Home version.

You don't need an ATA133 controller. You just need a controller that supports 48bit LBA, which most ATA100 can do with an update.

 

[rbV5]

I use my XP SP1 CD to format/partition my 200GB drive. I use a single partition, don't have to format to install/reinstall my OS, manage to not lose my data and its connected to my ATA100 controller. Pretty stupid, hugh?

 

[CrashX]

Let's see if I can explain this so everyone can understand.

Some of us like to rebuild our machines every six months or so. It helps to clean out all the programs we don't use and it get's everything a little more back to normal. So to do this, if you are like me, you format your drive, and do a new, fresh install of Windows on the C: drive. Now if you had one partition, you would have ALL your data on the C: drive. This would include MP3s, Word Docs, Videos, etc. This would be a TON of stuff to back up.

So, you take your 200GB drive and make a 10GB partition and a 190GB partition. You install Windows and whatever else you want to the C: drive. You store ALL your data on D: Next time you want to format C:, you don't even have to think about making a backup. It's all already on the other partition. Easy as pie.

This has nothing to do with old habits. In fact, it has everything to do with good habits. Just because you don't like to do it this way, doesn't mean it's archaic.

Now I know some of you will say that you should never have to reinstall Windows if you really know what you are doing. To those I say, nice fantasy world.

 

[rbV5]

Let's see if I can explain this so everyone can understand.

OK, explain to me why you think a format is needed to simply install a fresh copy of Windows. Is it necissary, or maybe just an old habit?

 

[Codename49]

If you don't format, it won't be a fresh install .

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
I see no advantage to having multiple partitions except for the potential confusion of having extra drive letters around to accidentally install things onto without meaning to. If I am going to reinstall windows I am going to have to reinstall all of the apps anyway, right? So what's the big deal about formatting one partition vs. two? Seems easier to me with just one. Plus with a 200GB HDD then the "Windows" partition would have to be at least 70GB and that's a lot of room to waste just on an OS. I am more interested int he slipstreamed SP1 thing if you are sure that would work.

picture the 200GB partition as a map of newyork city. You look at the map and are supposed to find tony's pizza shop, but aren't told where to look. That is how your HD feels when you ask it to find a file.

Then picture a 40GB partition as a map of brooklin and you are asked to find the same shop. The same for your hardrive finding the file. Much less space to search for the known file.

 

[Auric]

Why ever re-setup Windows? That's what backup images are for. Save one of the original setup if you want and you can have a "fresh" install in five minutes with minimum interaction -given you use partitioning. It is convenient to save one of the setup with all drivers too, them perhaps with all your tweaks and programs. Archived proggies, music, movies, games belong on a seperate partition because they don't change, rarely get messed up and either do not need to be backed up because they already are archived, or they are too big to include in regular backups of C: (OS/proggy/data ). For securitiy you want to have at least three consecutive images to fall back on or restore data from. If you don't have at least one other partition then images of C: can only be made directly to CD. For convenience it is nice to have at least the last one available on the HDD since recovery of files from spanned NTFS images requires hella swapping. If you just clone a drive to a backup drive then it is an all or nothing scenario and chances are high that a problem will go unnoticed until it is too late and is already incorporated into your only backup. Plus it takes more than an hour to restore (unless you just swap drives but then you need to backup immediately which takes the time anyway). Get the religion!

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: DaTT

Originally posted by: amorse2183

Originally posted by: MichaelD
I can't believe nobody has asked this question yet. Why are you installing the OS to a 200GB partition? A waste of time and space, IMHO. Patition that bad boy! Give the OS 40GB (more than enough forever) and the rest to your proggy's. You'll "never" have to worry about wiping again.

why partition? there is no benefit to it. maybe it did when fat16 was still an issue but not anymore.

NO benefit? Where did you come up with that?

PRO's:

- Multiple OS'es
- Different File Systems
- Cheaper than buying an extra HDD
- Faster seek times
- Quicker to defrag (and less fragmentation on smaller partitions)
- Format certain partitions without losing your OS

CON's:

- None that I can think of

Thanks. Additionally:

WHEN (not if) Windows goes belly-up, you don't lose anything vital. You can have all your emails delivered to a .pst stored on a different partition, etc. All proggys on a different partition than the OS. You may have to make new shortcuts and such, but its' a whole lot better than reinstalling everything!

Actually I agree with you on everything BUT one thing.

Its slightly more complicated than just making shortcuts. Most programs have some sort of registry entry to ensure they run correctly.

I suggest you keep a small partition seperate and use norton ghost to backup...

Just a point
Dan

 

[rbV5]

If you don't format, it won't be a fresh install

LOL, why not?

 

[mooojojojo]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i don't like having all my mp3s and other media files, plus all the programs i've downloaded (drivers, utilities, etc) on the same partition as windows. so, no, you're stupid for saying that its not needed anymore

Riiiight, ok, you keep partitioning until you are blue in the face. You're really cool. I wish I could have all those drive letter.

And read what I posted above. I have 70GB of INSTALLED apps on my 160GB main drive. My other three drives (160GB, and 2X 120GB) store my apps, videos, music and whatever else I have. So tell me again why I need to partition my main hard drive?

Yes, but you have 3 other HDDs to hold your documents, MP3s, videos etc. If you only had 1 HDD, you would certainly find partitions useful.

 

[buleyb]

keep in mind, for XP & 2k, all the other partitions don't need to have logical drive letters. You can mount them into the file system of your main partition (like making the second drive be mounted at c:\music), this might help those that hate the drive letter fiasco...

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: buleyb
keep in mind, for XP & 2k, all the other partitions don't need to have logical drive letters. You can mount them into the file system of your main partition (like making the second drive be mounted at c:\music), this might help those that hate the drive letter fiasco...

That is a very good point that I never considered, and infact saying this never realised you could do!

I might have to try that at some point...

I must atmit I still like having individual drive letters, neva'mind..