Main partition on my HD is almost full!!

[Jakeisbest]

When I reformatted my computer last year I stupidly set up three partitions, 1 for the OS, 1 for programs I constantly use, and 1 large one for data.

The partition for the OS I setup had 24 GB. However, it has slowly filled with crap over the last year and is now at like 23.2 GB full. Would my main partition being that full cause a random crash?

Also I have found a few methods of removing a partition online.

I was going to remove the partition between the programs partition and the OS partition. Is that safe to do? or should I just reformat this weekend while I have time?

Thanks!

 

[seemingly random]

Formatting and reloading is always a good idea if you have the time. It forces you to make a backup and to get rid of crap and duplicates - not to mention the removal of possibly unknown malware.

This might also be a good time to get a larger hd.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: Jakeisbest
When I reformatted my computer last year I stupidly set up three partitions, 1 for the OS, 1 for programs I constantly use, and 1 large one for data.

The partition for the OS I setup had 24 GB. However, it has slowly filled with crap over the last year and is now at like 23.2 GB full. Would my main partition being that full cause a random crash?

Also I have found a few methods of removing a partition online.

I was going to remove the partition between the programs partition and the OS partition. Is that safe to do? or should I just reformat this weekend while I have time?

Thanks!

An almost full partition won't cause crashes, just slow disk operations.

Why do you want to remove a partition?
While you can remove a partition (just so long as it isn't the boot partition, nor the partition with the Windows folder on it), doing so won't give you more space, just unpartitioned (unusable) space.

If you're going to reformat what partition and with what program?

 

[Jakeisbest]

Originally posted by: Billb2

Originally posted by: Jakeisbest
When I reformatted my computer last year I stupidly set up three partitions, 1 for the OS, 1 for programs I constantly use, and 1 large one for data.

The partition for the OS I setup had 24 GB. However, it has slowly filled with crap over the last year and is now at like 23.2 GB full. Would my main partition being that full cause a random crash?

Also I have found a few methods of removing a partition online.

I was going to remove the partition between the programs partition and the OS partition. Is that safe to do? or should I just reformat this weekend while I have time?

Thanks!

An almost full partition won't cause crashes, just slow disk operations.

Why do you want to remove a partition?
While you can remove a partition (just so long as it isn't the boot partition, nor the partition with the Windows folder on it), doing so won't give you more space, just unpartitioned (unusable) space.

If you're going to reformat what partition and with what program?

Oh, I didn't understand that.

Any way I think I am gonna just reformat and start re-installing programs.

Do you guys recommend just having 1 big ass partition for everything? Or should I make two, one for data, and one for the OS and programs?

 

[pjkenned]

If it is on one drive, one is fine, two is OK also. There are pluses and minuses to both, but if you have a simple one OS one drive config, one partition isn't a bad option.

 

[Elixer]

The biggest hog is when MS does SP releases, those eat a TON of space, and are still on the drive, as are all the service pack krud.
I would slipstream SP3 (if XP) or SP1 (if vista) and install a OS that way, it will save you a good chunk of your HD space.

BTW, I think having a main OS partition and a data partition is much better than one big partition. Much easier to backup in case you have to nuke the OS for whatever reason.

 

[Russwinters]

A partition/ hard drive being full WILL NOT cause a disk to be slower.


hard drives do not know the difference of being empty, or being full. Data is read as changes in the magnetic fields on the disk surface, and for this reason performance will not degrade because a disk is full.


Performance, however WILL degrade if your disk is fragmented heavily, as the heads now have to travel back and forth to read your files, instead of contingiously in a "straight line" you could say.

The only fact about a disk going slower when full is that the "end of the drive" which is the inner more part of the platters, is ALWAYS slower then the outer edge.

if you run a scan using HDtune or hddscan on an empty disk from start to finish you will clearly see a slow drop off of speed. This is because the "tracks" become shorter as you move into the disk more, and the "Sectors per track" also decrease, this means the drive has to change tracks more often which causes the performance to suffer.



So, I wouldnt worry about you partition filling up, just make sure you defrag it regularly.



Enjoy,

 

[Jakeisbest]

Originally posted by: Russwinters
A partition/ hard drive being full WILL NOT cause a disk to be slower.


hard drives do not know the difference of being empty, or being full. Data is read as changes in the magnetic fields on the disk surface, and for this reason performance will not degrade because a disk is full.


Performance, however WILL degrade if your disk is fragmented heavily, as the heads now have to travel back and forth to read your files, instead of contingiously in a "straight line" you could say.

The only fact about a disk going slower when full is that the "end of the drive" which is the inner more part of the platters, is ALWAYS slower then the outer edge.

if you run a scan using HDtune or hddscan on an empty disk from start to finish you will clearly see a slow drop off of speed. This is because the "tracks" become shorter as you move into the disk more, and the "Sectors per track" also decrease, this means the drive has to change tracks more often which causes the performance to suffer.



So, I wouldnt worry about you partition filling up, just make sure you defrag it regularly.



Enjoy,

No speed is not a problem at all. But I am experiencing random crashes, where my comp will freeze, no BSOD, just no responce from keyboard, mouse, or programs.

Then when I try to reboot the comp, my comp won't post. As in I don't get the "beep" when it starts up. The fans and led lights come on but nothing loads. When the comp does this the HDD activity light does not come on the mobo, so I am assuming i have having some kinda Hard Drive problem