Partitioning a 30 GB HD for data storage.

[Elledan]

I've this 30 GB, 5400 rpm Western Digital WD300 HD. It'll be used for storage of many 2-10 MB files, some 30+ MB and further mostly <1 MB files.

I was thinking of something like this:

G: 4 GB
H: 6 GB
I: 10 GB
J: 10 GB

What do you think?

 

[Maverick]

this is very user specific
my advice to anyone doing this is make sure to dedicate a partition solely for windows and your basic system files so that it can be formatted easily should you ever need to reinstall your OS.

 

[Dan]

I agree with Shiva112 about devoting one partition to your OS and system files. It's a practice that saved my butt more than once over the years.

FYI, here's how my 45GH HDD is partitioned:

C: 4.87GB = Win2K
D: 8.48GB = Programs/Applications
E: 9.78GB = MP3's
F: 19.7GB = Data/Files

 

[Elledan]

Uhm, maybe I didn't make myself clear enough, but this is HD is solely for data storage, i.e. it will not contain an OS. It's just the second, slave, HD

 

[acidtear]

dont partition it at all. it will just cause headaches later.
TRUST ME
just make different folders

 

[BreakApart]

I agree with acidtear DON'T partition it at all. Data storage drives have ALWAYS worked best for me as 1 solid drive, using multiple folders.

But, this is totally your choice it's not like you can't redo it later.

 

[Davegod75]

why partition if it is a data drive? Isn't that what folders are for? It just creates a mess and confusion with 5 or 6 drive letters. Just leave it as one big drive and make seperate folders for your groups.

 

[Elledan]

You guys are right, it's madness to partition a HD for data storage

I guess I'm just too used to systems with just one HD

 

[rodan]

So, having a drive, partitioned, with the operating system separate,,,does this mean, if my system &quot;crashes&quot;, I only have to reinstall the operating system , and, not my programs or apps, provided I have them on a separate partition?

 

[gariig]

<< So, having a drive, partitioned, with the operating system separate,,,does this mean, if my system &quot;crashes&quot;, I only have to reinstall the operating system , and, not my programs or apps, provided I have them on a separate partition? >>



Man, I wish it was that easy, you stil have to reinstall everything because you need all the registry entries and all that fun windows stuff. Man, don't I wish it was that easy!

Gariig

 

[GregMal]

I believe that if you have fat32 partitions over 8 gigs your
sectors get a little bloated.......
Greg

 

[Elledan]

<< I believe that if you have fat32 partitions over 8 gigs your
sectors get a little bloated....... >>

Don't worry, I only use real filesystems like NTFS and Ext2


<< So, having a drive, partitioned, with the operating system separate,,,does this mean, if my system &quot;crashes&quot;, I only have to reinstall the operating system , and, not my programs or apps, provided I have them on a separate partition? >>

Some programs need to be reinstalled again since they require certain entries in the registry. Making a regular backup of the registry (or parts of the registry, like Local Machine > Software) can save you from reinstalling many programs.

 

[Radboy]

i busted up my 45-gig storage drive into 3 15-gig partitions. this way i don't have to defrag the whole thing if only one partition needs defragging. saves a little wear &amp; tear on the drive. maybe it'll last a little longer this way.

Ghost is the way to go to protect yourself from broke-dick systems. simply restore the image of your boot partition &amp; be back up &amp; running in 10 mins. no need to re-install os &amp; apps.

 

[pjs]

I basicly agree with Shiva12 and Dan. My configuration is:

C: 4GB, Operating System
D: 1 to 2 GB, fixed size swap file and temp. files
E: 8GB, applications
F and G: 8GB each, data files for applications.
H, 8GB, downloaded files

Paul

 

[Whitedog]

OS and programs on 10 gig single partition NTFS hard drive. (you have to reinstall everything if it crashes, so what matters if it's all on the same partition)

Data (stuff that isn't tied to the registry or OS) on a single partition 46 gig Fat32 hard drive. (32k cluster size... who cares... it's 46 GIGS!)

Operating systems are full of small files (1k or less) and thus should be setup on NTFS. Data files and stuff are generally not small files and thus it matters not if your cluster size is large.

Multiple Partitioned hard drives are suck.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Since this drive will be used for data storage only, partition it only if you wish to limit some files (say, MP3s for instance) to no more than XXGB.

Even though some folks think I partition everything from hard drives to slices of bread, I have a 45GB drive that is one solid volume.

-SUO

 

[Elledan]

Thanks for the advice, but I've already set up the drive

One big partition of 30 GB, NTFS with disk compression enabled.

BTW I was just wondering, what would happen if you would put more than 26 HD's (partitioned, so for example 7 HD, with 4 partitions on each HD)/Zip-drives/CD or DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive etc. in one system? Would Windows just run out of drive-numbers? And Linux?

 

[Elledan]

Anyone?

 

[TunaBoo]

<< Anyone? >>



AA, AB, AC, etc.

 

[Elledan]

Hmm... sounds cool. Now I only need to find some money for some IDE/SCSI cards and a bunch of HD's

BTW I assume that Linux goes on like this: hdaa1, hdaa2, hdab1 etc.?