Partition Schemes

[DasFox]

I had been told by a friend before that for ultimate Windows performance, it would be best to just create C: big enough for the OS. Then to place all the programs into D and one other one I'm throwing into it, is, E: for the Games, since games defrag the hard drive the most from what I have seen.

Well getting back to this C:, it sounds like a great idea, but then how do you overcome programs installing into, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users, etc.., like under the Application Data and different folders like this, as well as into C:\WINDOWS, like into the inf folder and system dlls etc...?

Personally to me, only devoting the C: drive to the OS sounds like better performance and if Windows can be effected this way, then how do we go about it?

THANKS

 

[Slick5150]

I make the C partition about 10gb, which is big enough for Windows and the main apps that I use. I put everything else on another partition (games, music, videos, etc...)

 

[nweaver]

/ (5 gigs or so
/var (depends on box, usually a few gigs, more for a web server)
/home 10-20 gigs, sometimes more (desktop box, multimedia server)
/boot 50-100MB
if I'm really not sure about the install, /etc on it's own, to save config files easy

 

[DasFox]

Originally posted by: nweaver
/ (5 gigs or so
/var (depends on box, usually a few gigs, more for a web server)
/home 10-20 gigs, sometimes more (desktop box, multimedia server)
/boot 50-100MB
if I'm really not sure about the install, /etc on it's own, to save config files easy

Are we sure we are on the same OS here? LMAO

I'm talking WINDOWS, not Unix/Linux, / /etc /var /home /boot are Unix partitions.

 

[DasFox]

Slick5150 that's fine, but the point I was making for C: was to ONLY have this for the OS alone, nothing else and programs in D:

ALOHA

 

[imported_rod]

I have:
C: (OS & Programs)
D: (games)
E: (data)
M: (multimedia) <-network drive
S: (storage)

 

[badboyeee]

I have 20gb to my C drive partition (OS & Programs). After two years it accumulated to 8.89gb.

 

[Cerb]

c:\ ntfs
f:\ fat32
hda1 ext2 / for puppy
hda3 xfs / for source mage

With modern file systems, partitioning is silly for anything but transport between platforms.

 

[n7]

My layout...

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: DasFox
Slick5150 that's fine, but the point I was making for C: was to ONLY have this for the OS alone, nothing else and programs in D:

ALOHA

That's not going to speed anything up really. If you have stuff on 2 seperate hard drives that can be accessed independently, then sure, but not just different partitions.

The benefit, of course, would be that you can easily reinstall Windows by just formatting the C partition and not losing the stuff on your other partitions.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: DasFox
Slick5150 that's fine, but the point I was making for C: was to ONLY have this for the OS alone, nothing else and programs in D:

ALOHA

That's not going to speed anything up really. If you have stuff on 2 seperate hard drives that can be accessed independently, then sure, but not just different partitions.

The benefit, of course, would be that you can easily reinstall Windows by just formatting the C partition and not losing the stuff on your other partitions.

...which can also be done without reformatting, by telling the installer to delete the current Windows folder and install a new one on top of it.

 

[AMDnewbie2006]

^^^ See now that's the kind of stuff had i known years ago i could of saved my HDD lol

 

[Ike0069]

Originally posted by: Slick5150
The benefit, of course, would be that you can easily reinstall Windows by just formatting the C partition and not losing the stuff on your other partitions.

This is the exact reaon I partition. I put the OS and a few other things on C, everything else on D.
When I want to reinstall the OS, just delete 'C' partition and reinstall.

 

[SolMiester]

OP, you could redirect your documents to 1 of the other partitions also, along with the swap file, image the OS when everything sweet, then, if you have issues, you have a 2 minute re-install possible.
Anyway, thats what I do, only O/S and office app, mail etc on C: drive. Docu's etc re-directed to Storgae/Backup drive. Games another & Music/Vid another.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

My partition configuration.

 

[DasFox]

SORRY guys I guess no one understood my QUESTION. Thanks for showing me your partitions, but that is not helping any. What my question was and I'll ask again is, will there be ANY BENEFIT if you ONLY put the OS on the C: partition and that is all?

THEN install Program Files applications onto D:

So if you can do this, THEN how do you OVERCOME programs installing into, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users, etc.., like under the Application Data and different folders like this, as well as into C:\WINDOWS, like into the inf folder and system dlls etc...?

NOW can EVERYONE PLEASE stop showing us their partitions and just PLEASE answer the QUESTION?


Speed is not what I am looking at, the NAME of the Game in Windows is called Defragmentation and because of this, the partition you install the OS to, along with other applications causes more defragmentation to eventually cause a hard drive failure, SO this is the REASON I am talking about making C: ONLY for the OS to eliminate this as much as possible to ensure better life and stability to the system.

THANKS

 

[boyRacer]

I used to do that. Now I put the programs and OS on the same partition. I don't notice any difference as far as performance is concerned.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I don't see any point in putting the programs on another partition, because if the boot partition fvcks up, you still have to reinstall all of the programs. The best use for performance I've seen so far is setting up another drive for scratch, such as Photoshop scratch disk, windows virtual memory, etc. That was it isn't accessing it as the same time as the OS.

EDIT: And if you don't want to see partition schemes, don't put that in your title. I'd suggest something to the effect of "windows optimizations" instead.

 

[DasFox]

bR and Fullmetal Chocobo look back up at my last post, I reedited it, starting at the bottom with the last paragraph, beginning with the word ---> Speed

THANKS

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

So you want to limit defragmentation of the hard drive data to prevent the hard drive from failing? As opposed to having the defragmentation occur on another hd and have that one fail, as per your theory? Meh. I think that is a moot point, honestly. If you are that worried about it, get a hard drive made for servers, as they are made for running 24/7. Also, looking at my defrag specs, the only thing that really gets fragmented is the page file, which once again goes back to what I was saying about setting up a scratch drive.

 

[Cerb]

To quote myself:
"With modern file systems, partitioning is silly for anything but transport between platforms."

There can be an advantage in some cases, but not for a single OS using a good file system (like NTFS, JFS, XFS, RFS...). AFAIAC, multi-OS desktops, and general servers, are the only ones that should use more than one partition.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
So you want to limit defragmentation of the hard drive data to prevent the hard drive from failing? As opposed to having the defragmentation occur on another hd and have that one fail, as per your theory? Meh. I think that is a moot point, honestly. If you are that worried about it, get a hard drive made for servers, as they are made for running 24/7. Also, looking at my defrag specs, the only thing that really gets fragmented is the page file, which once again goes back to what I was saying about setting up a scratch drive.

1. The page file shouldn't matter (it's basically never accessed sequentially, for one thing). Not that a dedicated disk is bad (especially w/ off-the-PCI-bus SATA)...
2. Getting a "hard drive made for servers" is silly. They still break. They are just louder (and faster, and break less often). Many people around here are using plain old consumer drives 24/7 w/ no issues. Just don't let them stay hot, and don't beat the hell out of them.

If you're worried about data: back up.
If you're worried about the time re-installing: ghost regularly as backup.
If you're worried about downtime: back up and have a RAID.

Backing up is an easier and better solution than fancy partitioning, and actually has proven benefits.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I was merely making a suggestion. I use RAID, and another drive for backing up as well. But then again, I don't believe that fragmentation of a drive will destroy it either. If he was worried about consistent non-sequential I/O transfers destroying a drive, maybe he should look into getting a drive that is more suitable for handling the heavy duty if it makes him feel better.

 

[SolMiester]

I know, boot to CD O/S - Linux - No frag period, O/S loaded to memory!...LOL

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: DasFox
SORRY guys I guess no one understood my QUESTION. Thanks for showing me your partitions, but that is not helping any. What my question was and I'll ask again is, will there be ANY BENEFIT if you ONLY put the OS on the C: partition and that is all?

THEN install Program Files applications onto D:

So if you can do this, THEN how do you OVERCOME programs installing into, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users, etc.., like under the Application Data and different folders like this, as well as into C:\WINDOWS, like into the inf folder and system dlls etc...?

NOW can EVERYONE PLEASE stop showing us their partitions and just PLEASE answer the QUESTION?


Speed is not what I am looking at, the NAME of the Game in Windows is called Defragmentation and because of this, the partition you install the OS to, along with other applications causes more defragmentation to eventually cause a hard drive failure, SO this is the REASON I am talking about making C: ONLY for the OS to eliminate this as much as possible to ensure better life and stability to the system.

Nice attitude. Did you actually read your sig quote?

Most have told you what the benefits are - you can quickly erase/format/re-install on your C: drive, without having to touch your other partitions.

95% of all programs allows you to choose where to install then, so simply pick your other partition. Also, you can change the default location of you "My Documents" folder to your data drive if you like. No, you won't catch everything, because some items are still going to assert themselves to the C: drive, but that's why you make it bigger than the raw OS size. I use 10g as well for an XP partition.