Why partition a hard drive???
- Thread starter ingeborgdot
- Start date
Separation of system files from personal data files. This is useful when something corrupts the system, such as a virus, and the system needs to be reinstalled. Storing personal data files on a separate partition can save those data files should something happen to the system files.
File fragmentation occurs faster and more often with system files than with personal data files. System files often need to be defragmented and the defragmentation process occurs faster if it is accomplished only on the system files in the C: drive/partition.
File fragmentation occurs faster and more often with system files than with personal data files. System files often need to be defragmented and the defragmentation process occurs faster if it is accomplished only on the system files in the C: drive/partition.
I don't know how to do it myself but I'm sure it could be done for personal systems as well but in lots of prebuilt systems these days they take part of the HD and partition it off and put the recovery info on it. That means can reinstall everything to your main partition from the recovery partition and bring everything back to the day you bought the system
On a personal level I imagine I'd put something like an image of my system on the recovery partition so if my system is corrupted I could use an apropriate boot disk and restore the image from the other partition.
As for Dual Boot systems if you wanted to run Windows XP off of a drive formatted in NTFS but wanted to dual boot win 98 you'd need to put 98 on a seperate partition formatted in FAT for that to work (at least I think you can dual boot like that across partitions).
On a personal level I imagine I'd put something like an image of my system on the recovery partition so if my system is corrupted I could use an apropriate boot disk and restore the image from the other partition.
As for Dual Boot systems if you wanted to run Windows XP off of a drive formatted in NTFS but wanted to dual boot win 98 you'd need to put 98 on a seperate partition formatted in FAT for that to work (at least I think you can dual boot like that across partitions).
That's the thing. I kind of understand it like that too but as you I don't know really for sure how to do it.
When you say system files I know I think what you are talking about. Would you explain so I know for sure. Thanks birdpup.
When you say system files I know I think what you are talking about. Would you explain so I know for sure. Thanks birdpup.
Well, I am building a new computer with the specs listed below. It has a 250gb hdd. If I partition it people have said make the os part around 30gb. OK, no problem. I will put os and install all programs on this side. Right?? So the next partition I will go in after I get into the os and all is installed and make the next part 220 or what is left. Right???
Well, my next question is going to be long. I install itunes on os part (we'll call it c). I will be transferring all my songs for itunes from my other computer to this one. ??Install on C? or the big partition (called D). Install Napster on C transfer songs from other computer to C or D? I think you get what I am asking.
When I install a picture program Microsoft Digital Image 10 for instance install on C and where do I transfer my pictures to c or d?
Then when all is installed where will my pictures go C or D and how do I get them there? I have worked with many computers but never taken the plunge to do this so I am a little apprehensive. I wish I could just talk to someone on the phone and ask them some questions.
I install pinnacle studio 9 does all my video go to c or d?? These are some of the questions I have. I have it down how to partition I just don't get where everything goes and how I make sure it gets there. Also, if I should make more than 2 partitions and why I should even partition at all. If I do make more than 2 what would be the advantage of it??
As the mighty whizbang said earlier
The other partition can be subdivided by folders, such as one for downloads, one for data, and another for backup to OS, another for stored CDs,...etc. how do you go about doing this????
Would it also be better to make a 3rd partition and ghost the perfect copy of the os with all things installed fresh and ghost it to this part or just make two partitions and ghost it to a dvd???
Well, my next question is going to be long. I install itunes on os part (we'll call it c). I will be transferring all my songs for itunes from my other computer to this one. ??Install on C? or the big partition (called D). Install Napster on C transfer songs from other computer to C or D? I think you get what I am asking.
When I install a picture program Microsoft Digital Image 10 for instance install on C and where do I transfer my pictures to c or d?
Then when all is installed where will my pictures go C or D and how do I get them there? I have worked with many computers but never taken the plunge to do this so I am a little apprehensive. I wish I could just talk to someone on the phone and ask them some questions.
I install pinnacle studio 9 does all my video go to c or d?? These are some of the questions I have. I have it down how to partition I just don't get where everything goes and how I make sure it gets there. Also, if I should make more than 2 partitions and why I should even partition at all. If I do make more than 2 what would be the advantage of it??
As the mighty whizbang said earlier
The other partition can be subdivided by folders, such as one for downloads, one for data, and another for backup to OS, another for stored CDs,...etc. how do you go about doing this????
Would it also be better to make a 3rd partition and ghost the perfect copy of the os with all things installed fresh and ghost it to this part or just make two partitions and ghost it to a dvd???
30gb will not be enough for OS plus large programs, like games. It will be plenty for OS plus most programs, but when you start adding 5gb MMORPG's, it gets full quickly.
On my 160gb drive, I have one 30gb partition for system+apps, another 30gb for games, an 8gb partition to store downloaded Install files (for easy reinstallation later), and an 80gb partition for media and My Documents. I've added on unpartitioned large drives for dvd images and for recorded TV shows and such. When I recently reinstalled my OS, it was sooo convenient not to have to figure out how to back everything up - I just reformatted the C: system partition, reinstalled windows and my apps, and reinstalled the games on D:, and was set! Not having to backup and resotre 200gb+ of media was a dream.
On my 160gb drive, I have one 30gb partition for system+apps, another 30gb for games, an 8gb partition to store downloaded Install files (for easy reinstallation later), and an 80gb partition for media and My Documents. I've added on unpartitioned large drives for dvd images and for recorded TV shows and such. When I recently reinstalled my OS, it was sooo convenient not to have to figure out how to back everything up - I just reformatted the C: system partition, reinstalled windows and my apps, and reinstalled the games on D:, and was set! Not having to backup and resotre 200gb+ of media was a dream.
Read my article on the subject here: http://penguinblog.com/partitioning.shtml
Makes it easier to make backup Ghost images and backup your data, also better disaster recovery (soft damage to one partition won't affect any others).
Makes it easier to make backup Ghost images and backup your data, also better disaster recovery (soft damage to one partition won't affect any others).
I hope FlyingPenguin's article explained this well enough. Basically, the system files are the files necessary for the windows operating system to run. These files are typically hidden from normal users.
Dual OS, in my case, means the files that I want to be able to access with both Windows and Linux are on a single FAT32 partition.
So when I ghost which I have never done either I just let it ghost the os,apps etc. of the first original setup so when I need (hopefully never) I will have a perfect copy of the os and apps at first installation. Then I can ghost as time goes on. Is ghost the only way you back up or do you use alternate methods??
Ghosting a partition is useful for quick recovery if that partition is lost for some reason. Example, a nasty virus wipes your Master Boot Record (mbr) with partition table and several key system files. If your data is on another partition, then your data is not lost, only system files and your configuration files such as browser bookmarks, email (a whole different subject), and others. To restore your system, then you only need to copy your ghost image back into the partition and you have a running system after a few hours instead of a few days. This is an example of a good reason to create multiple partitions with your personal data separate from the system files.
I use an external hard drive to copy all my data files onto for safekeeping. I keep this external hard drive off, except for the once a week backup of my data. Other people use cd/DVD's which also work well
I use an external hard drive to copy all my data files onto for safekeeping. I keep this external hard drive off, except for the once a week backup of my data. Other people use cd/DVD's which also work well
Fern
Elite Member
- Sep 30, 2003
- 26,907
- 174
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I always have at least two OS's on my system at any given time. When I go to boot up I get screen asking me to choose which OS I want to boot to: win98se or win2k.
I still like to play older games (System Shock II), when I want to do so I choose to boot to 98se. If it's a newer game (Far Cry, D3 etc) I choose to boot to 2kpro.
For the many reasons already mentioned here, I have my games installed to a third partition etc..
Fern
Does this look good? What do you think?
35 OS and apps
35 Data and some games(not many)
25 Pictures
25 Music
100 Video
20 Backup - OS
35 OS and apps
35 Data and some games(not many)
25 Pictures
25 Music
100 Video
20 Backup - OS
Here's how mine works:
10Gb C: drive for Windows only. No programs, games, files etc.
176Gb D: drive for everything else. Programs are sorted into category folder (i.e. d:\art, d:\games), personal files, music, downloads etc are all on this partition.
Should something happen to Windows, I reinstall onto the C: drive, and all my data, saved games etc, is still there. Sure, I have to reinstall most programs, but 99% of the time, you keep your settings.
10Gb C: drive for Windows only. No programs, games, files etc.
176Gb D: drive for everything else. Programs are sorted into category folder (i.e. d:\art, d:\games), personal files, music, downloads etc are all on this partition.
Should something happen to Windows, I reinstall onto the C: drive, and all my data, saved games etc, is still there. Sure, I have to reinstall most programs, but 99% of the time, you keep your settings.
It is good to see you studied FlyingPenguin's article so well. What is missing in your plan is uncertainty related to data accumulation. For example, if you create numerous partitions for Data, Pictures, Music, and Video then you can possibly run out of room on one partition while having too much room in another partition that could be otherwise used more efficiently.
Another issue is the 35GB partition for the OS and applications. It is too large. A minimum system partition would be between 6GB and 10GB. I like to have a system partition between 18-25GB and this really depends on how the system partition plans to be used. I currently have a 25GB system partition but only 12GB of it is actually being used right now. However, it is good to have some leftover space for defragmentation purposes. Defragmentation cannot occur unless there is 10-15% empty space on the partition.
It is good to know how the system partition will be used before partitions are created but sometimes this is not yet known due to inexperience. Here are issues to consider:
1) system files
2) application files
3) location of desktop and My Document folders
4) game files
5) personal data
6) media (pictures, videos, music)
7) backup
I would recommend
20-25GB OS and apps
185GB Data and media
20 Backup (I am not sure how large a backup partition would need to be.)
I put my backup on an external hard drive, but a partition such as you have planned can also work well.
I believe, an advantage to putting application files on another partition is that personal configuration files such as contact lists, addressbooks, browser bookmarks, email, and such are safe on a separate partition. System files have a higher probability of corruption than do application and data files.
Transfer user files to another partition
You can transfer all the users personal files to the D: partition by following this procedure:
copy C:\Documents and Settings\* D:\WinXP
Then login as each user on the system and go to:
right-click My Computer, select Properties, select Advanced tab, select Environment Variables button at bottom,
in the "User variable for <username>" section, create a variable named "USERPROFILE" and give it the value "D:\WinXP\<username>".
In the "System variables" section, create a variable named "ALLUSERSPROFILE" and give it the value "D:\WinXP\All Users".
If you desire, you may hide the D:\WinXP folder by right-clicking it and selecting Properties, then giving it the "Hidden" attribute, but only for that folder and not for its subfolders.
EDIT:
For backup purposes, you may wish to try Acronis True Image.
I decided to go with 3 like you suggest.
I still want 30 for os
190 for data etc
30 for back up
That should take care of it because 250 is around 240 isn't it?
I still want 30 for os
190 for data etc
30 for back up
That should take care of it because 250 is around 240 isn't it?
Ok I started to load xp. I did the first partition at 30gb for the os. Now for the rest which will be two partitions where can I find info on what to do next. How do I create the other partitions?
Once your system is working, you can create the other partitions using the Disk Manage utility from within Windows.
right-click My Computer, select Manage, select Storage/Disk Management
right-click My Computer, select Manage, select Storage/Disk Management
It has a good visual interface and is intuitive. It is not anything to worry about in complexity.
I am installing all apps now but the crazy thing is my letters are all screwed up. My hdd is g. Can I just rename it or what do I do to change the name?
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