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Optimal partition setup?

now when FAT16 was the way of the world, there was a real reason to partition hard drives to get the most storage space out of your drive. other than just tidyness, or perhaps the pagefile on its own drive, why do you partition out there? i haven't done so in years. i don't see the point.
 
🙂

Its my way of utilizing hdds. So if you can't go with, then gth.
Others may benefit from my opinion or not. Calling people names just shows what you think about those who don't agree with you. My opinion is just that, but you in your almighty wisdom have to resort to 'stupid'
Stupid is, what stupid does!
 
Originally posted by: oog
all one partition.
Click to expand...
QFT.

Unless you plan on installing a bunch of beta OSs or boot multiple OSs on your laptop, one partition is the easiest to maintain. The "data" partition idea comes from the server world and was quite reasonable in the 90's when about every OS could self-destruct. BUT, the biggest risk with a mobile drive is hardware failure. Any partitioning scheme will have a slim chance of saving you, and might make it even harder to find "data" if another partition is involved.

Oh, and if you want to play with OSs, just get another HDD and find a kit on EBay for the parts for your laptop.

 
Originally posted by: gsellis
Originally posted by: oog
all one partition.
Click to expand...
QFT.

Unless you plan on installing a bunch of beta OSs or boot multiple OSs on your laptop, one partition is the easiest to maintain. The "data" partition idea comes from the server world and was quite reasonable in the 90's when about every OS could self-destruct. BUT, the biggest risk with a mobile drive is hardware failure. Any partitioning scheme will have a slim chance of saving you, and might make it even harder to find "data" if another partition is involved.

Oh, and if you want to play with OSs, just get another HDD and find a kit on EBay for the parts for your laptop.
Click to expand...

One reason to have a separate partition on a laptop is if you want to keep the size of a backup image small. This may happen if you have 60 gigs of MP3s that are separately backed up on another machine, but only a few gigs of programs and work that you would like to back up frequently. In this situation, having a separate partition for OS and programs is easier to maintain.
 
Originally posted by: 6000SUX
One reason to have a separate partition on a laptop is if you want to keep the size of a backup image small. This may happen if you have 60 gigs of MP3s that are separately backed up on another machine, but only a few gigs of programs and work that you would like to back up frequently. In this situation, having a separate partition for OS and programs is easier to maintain.
Click to expand...
I would do that on a Windows laptop, because I tend to mess around with Windows enough that I can sometimes bring it close to the breaking point after a year or so. It's much easier to reinstall with data on a separate partition, as well as providing simpler maintenance as you've pointed out.

BTW, using an external drive for data with only OS and programs stored on the internal is fine if your laptop is used exclusively as a desktop replacement. I have a desktop for that, though, so if you use your laptop like most would (docked sometimes but frequently portable), then setting things up so that external accessories (drive plus power adapter plus cables) are required for basic everyday usage is quite cumbersome and not something you should do without very careful consideration.
 
I would NEVER use just 1 partition. Do you know how risky it is?

Say your Windows gets corrupted. I would unhesitatingly pop in an XP disc and begin installation with multiple partitions. However, with 1 partition, I would be a lot more worried and begin to backup first.

I say allocate about 16GB for Windows. That's PLENTY. You should keep your apps seperate. Install critical apps that you use a lot on the Windows partition (i.e. Office, etc)

Other programs games should go on partiiton #2.

I say divide it

16, 42, 42 = 100

42 for games + apps,
42 for media, music, movies, etc... download drive

It's not about if you're going to be booting experimental beta OSes or whatever, it's just ease of organization

My desktop

C: XP (16gb)
D: 64-bit XP, Waiting for Beta 2 Vista (16gb)
E: Games, Programs, Documents, etc (100gb)
F: Media (100gb)
------
HD #2
G: Backup XP (if my first HD ever dies) (16gb)
H: Media cont'd, download drive, [SWAP FILE GOES HERE] (68gb)
I: New download drive (H is filling up), laptop backup (68gb)

That's a 250gb 7200.8 + 160gb 7K250.
 
I don't get it. There's nothing wrong with one partition only, but it does have some risks. Windows + apps on one and data on another is a good idea. Windows, apps, and data all on separate partitions is not necessarily going to have any advantage, and can be a hassle, but if it suits you then go for it.

However, splitting data onto multiple partitions on one drive is simply a nightmare. Folders can do exactly the same thing, are much easier to organize or move around later, and don't have hard size limits. Can you please explain how partitions are that much easier to manage than doing the same thing with top-level folders, because I tried the parititions-for-separating-data thing long ago and quickly gave up.
 
Originally posted by: oog
all one partition.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Splitting applications up from the OS really makes no sense. All you are doing is complicating things and hurting performance by increasing the average seeking distance.
 
Originally posted by: KoolDrew
Originally posted by: oog
all one partition.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Splitting applications up from the OS really makes no sense. All you are doing is complicating things and hurting performance by increasing the average seeking distance.
Click to expand...
Especially on a slow seeking, slow rotating drive that has to hunt for the tables for each lookup.

 
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