Partitioning new HD for clean install

  • Thread starter Thread starter Probert
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Probert

I've just bought a new 80 GB hard disk for my forthcoming upgrade.

Anyone got any bright ideas about how many partitions to make and what
sizes.

Cheers,
Probert.
 
I would suggest; No less than 6 Gb's for your primary partition. It will
live on less but, I think you will find it becomes a pain trying to shuffle
things around to keep from running out of space. Wherever possible, install
your "programs" to another partition. I have a partition dedicated to
"Keep", it is for backup of downloaded App's and tweaks so in case I need to
reformat, I don't have to look for and re-download them. The rest depends on
what you want to do with your PC.

Just my 2ct's worth. LOL, JAX
 
Hi Harry,

One of the main reasons he might want more than one partition is for the
protection of files in the event of an operating system failure
necessitating the reformatting of his OS drive.

JAX

Harry Ohrn said:
Why do you want/need multiple partitions?

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell\\User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Probert said:
I've just bought a new 80 GB hard disk for my forthcoming upgrade.

Anyone got any bright ideas about how many partitions to make and what
sizes.

Cheers,
Probert.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
JAX said:
Hi Harry,

One of the main reasons he might want more than one partition is for the
protection of files in the event of an operating system failure
necessitating the reformatting of his OS drive.

JAX
Click to expand...

Work, play and something in-between.

Cheers,
Probert.

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell\\User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Probert said:
I've just bought a new 80 GB hard disk for my forthcoming upgrade.

Anyone got any bright ideas about how many partitions to make and what
sizes.

Cheers,
Probert.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
JAX said:
I would suggest; No less than 6 Gb's for your primary partition. It will
live on less but, I think you will find it becomes a pain trying to shuffle
things around to keep from running out of space. Wherever possible, install
your "programs" to another partition. I have a partition dedicated to
"Keep", it is for backup of downloaded App's and tweaks so in case I need to
reformat, I don't have to look for and re-download them. The rest depends on
what you want to do with your PC.

Just my 2ct's worth. LOL, JAX
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, JAX.

Cheers,
Probert.
 
Hi JAX. I was wondering why Probert was wanting to run multiple partitions.
I have been using multiple partitions for years.

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell\\User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


JAX said:
Hi Harry,

One of the main reasons he might want more than one partition is for the
protection of files in the event of an operating system failure
necessitating the reformatting of his OS drive.

JAX

Harry Ohrn said:
Why do you want/need multiple partitions?

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell\\User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Probert said:
I've just bought a new 80 GB hard disk for my forthcoming upgrade.

Anyone got any bright ideas about how many partitions to make and what
sizes.
webt> > Cheers,
Probert.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Probert said:
Work, play and something in-between.

Cheers,
Probert.
Click to expand...


Ok so you need to ask yourself what you want to do with these partitions. We
do not have any understanding of your computing needs. Most people use their
systems to work and/or play on so your reply to my query doesn't help. JAX
gives you an idea that 6GB might be useful for the partition you want to run
the OS out of. But you could get by with less if you aren't installing apps
to the partition, or you could require a lot more space if you are
installing a large number of apps. If you want to play the partitioning game
I'd suggest you invest in decent repartitioning software that will enable
you to resize your partitions without data loss. Something like BootIt NG
would be helpful.
 
Just a caution here, if you use DriveImage 7. Some people subscribe to
installing application software on a separate partition. As such, there's
nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to run DI 7 to backup the
application partition in the XP environment, you won't be able to.

For ideas, here's a typical example that works for both 98SE and XP for
multiple partitions:
XP OS - 8GB NTFS
or
98SE OS - 8GB FAT32

Remaining - ExtendedX partition (FAT32)
Download partition for virus isolation etc - 8GB FAT32
Your personal files - 8GB FAT 32
Installation software and drivers - 8GB FAT32
MP3s (optional) - Size optional FAT32
Video (optional) - Size optional FAT32, or NTFS if exceeds 4GB filesize.
Image files (optional) - Size optional FAT32
CD images (optional) - Size optional FAT32
Swapfile for video rendering software (optional, should be mandatory) - Size
optional as driven by the video maximum size FAT32

Separate HD, first 4GB, ExtendedX FAT32 with dos logical drive for swapfile.
Works for dual boot as well for both XP and 98SE.

Removable HD option, may require add-on IDE controller card:
1. Entire HD in extended X FAT32, one dos logical drive for holding
intermittent image file backups of 80GB HD.
2. Same format as above for saving video files or MP3 files or both.
3. Copy of your 80GB hard drive.
Dave
 
May I ask why not? Just curious as to why you don't believe the application
partition can't be backed up in the XP environment in Drive Image 7.

I use DI7, have it installed on a seperate partition for applications, and
have no trouble imaging that or any other patition in the XP environment.


Don Burnette
 
Harry Ohrn said:
Ok so you need to ask yourself what you want to do with these partitions. We
do not have any understanding of your computing needs. Most people use their
systems to work and/or play on so your reply to my query doesn't help. JAX
gives you an idea that 6GB might be useful for the partition you want to run
the OS out of. But you could get by with less if you aren't installing apps
to the partition, or you could require a lot more space if you are
installing a large number of apps. If you want to play the partitioning game
I'd suggest you invest in decent repartitioning software that will enable
you to resize your partitions without data loss. Something like BootIt NG
would be helpful.
Click to expand...

Harry,
I work mainly from home, so that is the main use for the machine.

Progs and apps for work are, in the main, Lotus SmartSuite 9.7, Paint Shop
Pro 8, Serif Page Plus 9. There is also Norton AV 2004, Roxio Easy CD & DVD
Creator 6, Adobe Acrobat 5 (will upgrade to 6 only if I have to).

As for games (played in the main by my children - but I do indulge
occasionally!), there's Red Alert 2, C&C Dune Emperor, Grand Prix 4, Medal
of Honor and Ghost Recon.

System is self built. MSI K7 Combo motherboard, Athlon 2400XP CPU, 640mb
RAM, Creative Audigy 2 sound, Nvidia gForce 4 MX440 (128mb RAM onboard),
NetoDragon v92 Fax Modem (when BT get around to upgrading the local phone
exchange in this particular corner of southern England I'll be upgrading to
broadband - but that could be years away!), Seagate Barracuda 20GB HHD (this
will become a slave when I install the new one). 2 LG CD writers, one four
years old the other 3 months old.

Other peripherals are all connected via a Belkin USB hub; Epson C70 Plus
printer, Logitech Optical mouse, Logitech Easy Internet Keyboard, Wacom
Graphire 2 graphics tablet, Iomega Zip 250 drive, Mustek Bearpaw 2400TA
scanner and Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Racing Wheel. In addition there
is a midi keyboard attached to the sound card.

I do, as a matter of course, make MP3 copies of all my music CD's which I
store on CD-ROM, not the hard disk, though this may change when I turn my
current primary HD into a slave.

An additional question that occurs to me, having read Lil Dave's response to
my question, is are there any advantages or otherwise of formatting in NTFS
over FAT 32, or do the different systems have different uses depending on
what you're using a specific partition for, say for storing graphics and
MP3's over progs and apps?

Thanks for your help,

Cheers,
Probert.
 
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