Whats the best partition system on a 75GXP 30 GB???

[Lombardaga]

I will get a IBM 75GXP 30 GB drive in a few days. I was wondering how many partitions i should 'split' the HD in???

 

[Noriaki]

How many OSes are you using?

If you just have one OS and the 75GXP is your only hard drive use 2 (one for OS install/apps/games and one for MP3s/files you don't want to lose in a format, the split is up to you. I'd do about 18/12, I have about 7 gig of MP3s, so if you have more or less you probably want a different split).

If you have one OS and a second hard drive just make the 75GXP one partition (use the 2nd hard drive for MP3s/files)

You have to re-install all your apps and games if you re-install windows anyways (unless you want to do registry mucking) so there's not much point in putting it on separate partitions.

If you have more than one OS it's a little harder to decide, I also have a 75GXP, here's my setup:

I dual boot Win98Se, Win2k and Linux.
IBM75GXP 30Gig:
1Gig Primary: Win98SE install and boot.
10Meg Primary: Linux /boot (this guy is probably uneeded since my Linux main is inside the first 1024 cylinders anyways, but if it weren't you'd need this)
2Gig Primary: Linux /
24.9Gig Extended:
1/2Gig Logical: Windows swap
2.4Gig Logical: Win2000 Install
1/2Gig Logical: Linux Swap
About 6.5Gig Logical: Windows Apps (I install stuff for Win98SE and Win2k to the same drive so I don't duplicate files, but each OS needs it's own registry so you have install stuff you want in both twice, I install drivers and OS specific stuff so the appropriate install partition)
About 15Gig Logical: Games.

(that only adds up to ~28gig, but 30gig advertised is 27.9real gigs)

I have a second hard drive, 17 (15.8) gig fujitsu
It has a 14gig Windows "files" drive. MP3s, downloads, documents, stuff I don't want to delete in a format.
i has a 1.8Gig Linux /home partition for the same reason, but of course Linux can read FAT32 so it can get at all my MP3s and stuff on my Windows "files" drive. there are a few things I like to keep on an Ext2 partition though.


Install Win98SE first.
Then Install Win2k and it will configure a boot menu for Win98SE and Win2000.
Then add Linux to the Win2k boot menu, this is very easy, if you have a book called "Linux in a Nutshell" it tells you how to add it (it tells you for WinNT4, but the process is exactly the same), or if you don't have that book look for a post by SUOrangeMan, and in his Sig he has a link to a thread he wrote on this topic, it's quite well written.

Edit: oh yeah, all of my Windows 98SE and 2000 partitions are all FAT32, I didn't feel that I needed the features offered by NTFS for my system. The Linux partitions are of course Linux's native FS, Ext2.

 

[Origen]

You didn't mention which kind of file system or OS you plan on using. If it's FAT32/Win9x or NTSF/WinNT/Win2k and just 1 OS I'd just stick to 1 partition. Otherwise do something along the lines of what Noriaki suggests.

 

[trmiv2]

I just got one of those drives too. I used 4 partitions myself. I have a C: 1.5GB formatted in FAT32 with Windows 98 installed, D: 3GB formatted in NTFS with Windows 2000 installed, E: 12GB formatted in FAT32, G: 12.5GB formatted in NTFS.

I did it like this because I like to keep all my applications and data separate from my OS's, just incase I have to reinstall Windows. Even though I would have to reinstall my applications too, at least all my save games, and config files are still intact and I can just reinstall over the current install. I did the different file systems because I don't want Windows 98 to see my Windows 2000 stuff, I prefer to keep them as separate as I can. If I had to money to get another drive I would just do each on a separate drive.

 

[Radboy]

C: 4GB Primary for W98/SE/ME + its apps
Next: 2GB Ext2 for Linux native
Next: 128MB Linux swap
D: 4GB Exteneded/logical for W2K & its apps
E: 6GB Ext/logical for games
F: 8GB ext/log for MP3s/jpegs/pr0n/etc
G: whatever left (~6GB) for downloads/drivers/back-ups/ghost images/etc.

 

[Linh]

Here's mine:

4GB for ME/Win2k + all installed apps and games (i boot into ME ONLY to play games)
Leftover for *downloaded* games/isos/apps/mp3s/backup etc...


Separate 2GB scsi HD for swap/page file and for general dump storage. also for burning with my scsi burner.

 

[andri]

Ok, here is mine:

2GB - FAT32, win98
2GB - Linux - 128M swap & the rest is linux itself
2GB - Win2K, NTFS
rest - one large partition, FAT32

 

[fs5]

My 45GB that's coming in is going to look like this:
4GB primary - ME
1GB for a burning CD-ROMs, defrag before burning
20 GB for MP3's
10 GB for Games/what not
10 GB Zips/backup

 

[Snooper]

About the only rule I use on partions is to keep them 16Gig or less (if FAT32). I tried making a large partion once. I copied over 2.9 Gigs of stuff from an existing 10Gig partion. Imagine my suprise when that 2.9 Gigs suddenly occupied over 5 Gigs! I didn't spend my money on a large drive just so I could waste it all on a screwed up file allocation table/cluster size mess. Needless to say, that partion was split up into multiple partions that keep them below that 16 Gig cut off (I think it is 16.8, but I want to be sure...). Anyone that says cluster size doesn't matter is fooling themselves. By the same token, I am also not willing to have 20 2 Gig partions either (of course, if I did that, I would only be able to use 40% of my hard drive space... *grin*). I found that the 8k clusters of a less than 16 Gig partion works for me. YMMV

 

[JellyBaby]

One tip: if you use Win 9x keep your first partition small. I made mine 15 gig and everytime Winny locks and I go through that pesky automatic scandisk it takes forever.

 

[fs5]

Doh, forgot about that 16GB cut off for FAT32, Then my new plan is:
4 GB primary
1 GB burn disk
8 GB games/what not
16 GB mp3
16 GB backups/zips

 

[Shockwave]

Thats the drive I have. Heres my setup

C: 2 Gig Win98SE
D: 2 Gig Ghost image storage (For now, soon to be Linux)
E: 8 Gig Games (So when I screw up C;, I dont hafta reinstall everything)
F: All else for mp3's, misc utils, and driver update storage

Then, I set it up just how I wanted it, then ghosted an image. That way, I can play with the OS all I want and if I screw it up, bam, reghost and all is well. I have to many games to do a cd ghost image, so I had to put'em on another drive.