Windows partition question...

[deadken]

First off let me start out by saying that I hate large hard drives. I would never have gotten an 80GB drive for my computer if I could have gotten a 40GB w/8mb cache. This problem/hatred is my own doing, I find that if I have a big HD I collect a lot of crap. Packrat mania sets in.

I usually set up my computers to have a small partition around 5 GB's for the C drive with all the rest as a D drive. This way if/when I need to do a Windows re-install, all of the software that I have on the machine doesn't have to be replaced. I just fixed my 11yr. old Daughters machine with a XP re-install and it took me less then an hour. For those who don't know... 11yr. old Girls (and other ages I am sure) Download TONS of FREE CRAP. This usually comes with Adware/Spyware/Virus's, and I can only clean them off about 1,000 times before the O/S is so corrupted that I just do a re-install.

My problem is that I keep getting 'low disk space' warnings. Windows keeps harrassing me to clean crap off the drive. As I said, I really only like having the OS on its own partition. Is there any way to turn off the Windows warning? I mostly only see the warning after my Family forgets to change the install from C to D like I have showed them a million times.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Disable Low Disk Space Warning

Also, I think there is a option in the XP Powertoys (Tweak UI) to disable the warning.

Personally, I think a C: partition of 5gb for XP and applications is a little too small. I use 10gb for my C: drive (which also only has XP and programs), and I've usually got about 3 to 4gb free.

 

[LeadMagnet]

With a 80GB drive I would usualy have a 8GB partition for the OS & applications,
a 64GB data partition, and a 8GB swap and ghost partition.

 

[CVSiN]

I got mine set at 5 too..
as long as you dont install anything other than windows to C: you are fine that includes a 1 gig swap file..

ONLY time this pisses me off when programs want to use C as a temp to install something.. then i get annoyed

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: LeadMagnet
With a 80GB drive I would usualy have a 8GB partition for the OS & applications,
a 64GB data partition, and a 8GB swap and ghost partition.

Why would you create a separate partition for your pagefile? It doesn't help performance any. As far as the Ghost partition, I'd store it on a separate drive in case your primary dies on you.

 

[Steve]

I usually use the first few GBs, i.e. if an 80GB drive is really 74.5, I'll use 4.5 for C: and if a 120GB drive is really 111, I'll use 11GB, that kind of thing.

 

[LeadMagnet]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan

Originally posted by: LeadMagnet
With a 80GB drive I would usualy have a 8GB partition for the OS & applications,
a 64GB data partition, and a 8GB swap and ghost partition.

Why would you create a separate partition for your pagefile? It doesn't help performance any. As far as the Ghost partition, I'd store it on a separate drive in case your primary dies on you.

I agree on both points if there was a second drive, however; I use a constant swap file of 2048MB (2 times my 1GB ram) so I free up 2GB on the primary OS partition.

The reason why I put ghost images on the 3rd partition is not for a backup but as a means of a quick restore of just the OS partition when it gets all gummed up from bad software and my playing with the OS settings.

 

[deadken]

Well, thank you VERY much. I will try it out on all of the computers in the morning.

Dare I hi-jack my own thread to inquire more about 'swap' files?
I understand that they are basically a section of the hard drive used for memory when your real memory fills up. I have read that they perform best (or affect the performance of the computer the least) when they are set to one size. Does it help to have it on its own partition? How does one go about setting the size to one setting and locking it? Would a person actually see a performance gain?

Thanks again for all of the replies, I hope that these questions generate another set of great answers...

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
I got mine set at 5 too..
as long as you dont install anything other than windows to C: you are fine that includes a 1 gig swap file..

ONLY time this pisses me off when programs want to use C as a temp to install something.. then i get annoyed

What is the point of only having a 5gb windows partiton, and another partiton for your programs ? 99% time if you do a reinstall windows your old applications are not going to work

 

[Steve]

Virtual Memory in Windows XP


Microsoft's own website has an article on how it works and what works best too. Both of them debunk some of the ideas mentioned in this thread, but as everybody's PC is set up uniquely, YMMV.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU

What is the point of only having a 5gb windows partiton, and another partiton for your programs ? 99% time if you do a reinstall windows your old applications are not going to work

There are many programs that do not place dlls in the system32 folder. They run fine even if you restore the windows partition. You are right; there are many programs that need to be re-installed if you restore the windows partition if you restore to a point before you had installed them. But, you can create the image of your windows partition after having installed all your programs. Then, they will all run fine even after a restore.

It is easier to save and later to restore a smaller partition image. That is the advantage of having a smaller windows partition.

Additionally, if you do multi-booting, you can have multiple windows partitions where they all share the same applications partition. Then, you save disk space by not having redundant data (multiple copies of the same programs).

 

[LeadMagnet]

Originally posted by: sm8000
Virtual Memory in Windows XP


Microsoft's own website has an article on how it works and what works best too. Both of them debunk some of the ideas mentioned in this thread, but as everybody's PC is set up uniquely, YMMV.

Good read SM8000 - Thanks - I'll give some of those ideas a try.