New XP install and partitions

[ButtersStotch]

Hello all, I have a few questions...I am doing a new install of XP (with SP1). Oh, it will be on a 200GB hd, so does anyone also happen to know if it will see it all okay? SP1 added support for drives over 137 so I natuarlly assume the XP setup would allow me to partition all of it, correct? Yes, my motherboard and BIOS support drives over 137gb too. Anyways, so I will make say three partitions and then choose to install XP on the first one. Once XP is setup I can then format from inside Windows the other "RAW" partions to NTFS or whatever I like. My question is, for NTFS, what cluster size should I use? I would think the smallest size would be the best as it would give me the most capacity for a drive this size, however I think I remember reading something that said to just let Windows use the default size. Anyone know?

 

[l33t]

Use the default size. The only reason you'd want bigger/smaller cluster size is if you were planning on putting mostly specific size files to fill the partitions. Just let XP use default size. It's a 200GB drive after all

 

[ButtersStotch]

Okay, thank you...I forgot to ask two other questions as well. Partioning...some people say they make one for the o/s, one for apps and games, and one for data. They say then if the o/s gets trashed you just reinstall over it and the other partitions are intact. However, don't games and some applications put files in windows directories and such and create registry entries? The last question I had before I do this...swap file...some say you should give it its own partition (to prevent fragmentation in other stuff) and put it on a different drive than where the os and programs are if possible. I was looking at the memory mangement and page file settings in XP and it would let me specify the size (min and max) of the page file for each partition I had made put I could not find where to actually tell it where to locate it...ie, each partition would have the page file on its own partition...page file does = swap file, doesn't it?

 

[pitupepito2000]

I would go with a partiton for your Operating System with your programs and games in it, and a separate partition for your data or mp3s. The games and applications should be in the same partition as the os because they will make registry entries, but the data can be in a separate partition.

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: pitupepito2000
I would go with a partiton for your Operating System with your programs and games in it, and a separate partition for your data or mp3s. The games and applications should be in the same partition as the os because they will make registry entries, but the data can be in a separate partition.

This is how I would do it as well.

Any registered App. WILL have to be re-installed when you re-install winXP (registry entries lost). So you might as well put them on
the same partition. Then put your pix, music, DB, etc... on a different partition if you want them isolated.

 

[ButtersStotch]

Okay thanks...can anyone answer my swap file question in my second post in this thread?

 

[jhites]

Originally posted by: ButtersStotch
Okay thanks...can anyone answer my swap file question in my second post in this thread?

Your swap file setting would depend on amount of ram.
If you have say 512Mb ram, you could set min/max to same 512Mb.
Over 1Gb ram, you could set min/max to 256Mb or even 0.

I use 8Gb on the Primary Partion for the OS
This allows for much faster defragmentation
Then the other two partitions I split pretty even.
One for programs and games and the other for files.

It does not matter that the programs are on a different partition.
You can use the XP Automated System Recovery for Backup and
it will restore all registered program locations without having to re-install the programs.
Quick and easy. I have used it several times in this manner.