Hard Drive partitioning?

[Shovelhead]

First, I know how and have done it numerous times.
I once read an article wherein it gave a bare-minimum size for the primary Windows partition. What I don't get is how other software is then installed.
How do I format the next partition solely for other software?

:signs101:

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Why would you want your programs on another partition? There are a few programs that simply don't function properly if you do this.

Maybe a partition for the OS AND programs, then seperate partition for your personal/data files.

 

[GK]

You can split your additional software on one, your boot/os partition on the other, and your storage on another (or another drive) just don't forget to leave yourself room for updates on the main partition because they add a significant amount sometimes.

 

[Shovelhead]

Why would you want your programs on another partition? There are a few programs that simply don't function properly if you do this.

Maybe a partition for the OS AND programs, then seperate partition for your personal/data files.

I kind of got the impression that Windows would be more speedy.

 

[GK]

One thing to keep in mind is a lot of programs that have user preferences to be saved are going to default to the partition that its installed on and conflicts can occur if it shares a windows resource since now you have them installed on a separate partition. You will need to manually (if possible) change those directories out.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

I kind of got the impression that Windows would be more speedy.

I guess that might be possible, but not enough to really notice. I would install the apps in their default location (on system C:/ drive). It is a lot less headache.

You can redirect your "My Documents" or "Documents" folder to the second partition. That is actually a pretty good idea. Then the OS will default to saving your personal files to the second partition.

That way, if you ever have to reinstall the OS, it doesn't ever touch your personal files.

 

[cptcorn]

It's a mess. Don't do it... OS/Programs one drive... Storage, different drive.

 

[Shovelhead]

I guess that might be possible, but not enough to really notice. I would install the apps in their default location (on system C:/ drive). It is a lot less headache.

You can redirect your "My Documents" or "Documents" folder to the second partition. That is actually a pretty good idea. Then the OS will default to saving your personal files to the second partition.

That way, if you ever have to reinstall the OS, it doesn't ever touch your personal files.

Cool...I've learned something new. How does one do that?

 

[choucove]

While it can be nice to create two separate partitions on a single traditional hard drive - one for the OS and programs, and the other for data - when you look at the physics of how the hard drive works it does not, in reality, make the systems that much faster (if any at all.) The hard drive header can still only read data from one place at one time so it does not matter where that information is at on the hard drive or which partition. The only way that separating the OS and program files from the data files will truly increase your system performance is if you have them on completely separate hard drives. I still like the idea of partitioning a single hard drive a lot of times, though, if you have the room as it can make file organization much nicer.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Cool...I've learned something new. How does one do that?

I haven't done it in a while (server does this automatically), but try this:

Right-click "My Documents"
Select "Properties"
Type the new path in the "Target" box, or click the "Move" button
Select your new location ( E:/ or whatever your second partition is)
Click OK

 

[jiarby]

How do I format the next partition solely for other software?

rt clik my computer
choose MANAGE
select disk management
select correct disk
rt click create partition
then, after the partition is created you have to format it


I have 1 disk for OS & DATA (partitioned 1/3 OS - 2/3 DATA)

 

[BrianKE]

Another downside to putting your programs on a second partition is that Windows XP and on takes care of defragging your drives and actually moves more commonly accessed files to the areas of your hard drive that are accessed faster. I don't believe it does this if you put your programs on a separate partition.

Having built and maintained computers for years I really cannot think of any reason you would want to store your programs on a drive seperate from your OS. As previously mentioned there are so many things that you don't see and don't realize that are installed for the program that it can get very confusing if you start looking for a file that you thought would be with the program and it is stored elsewhere (take a look at <user directory>/Documents and you will see tons of folders created by Windows for many of the programs you have installed).

 

[B Snyder]

Why would you want your programs on another partition? There are a few programs that simply don't function properly if you do this.

Maybe a partition for the OS AND programs, then seperate partition for your personal/data files.

My 5 year old compaq desktop came configured with 1 partition just large enough for XP (D only and the other partition (C for everything else. So far so good. My 2 new Asus netbooks arrived similarly.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

My 5 year old compaq desktop came configured with 1 partition just large enough for XP (D only and the other partition (C for everything else. So far so good. My 2 new Asus netbooks arrived similarly.

That is a very odd configuration. In theory, it should work. The problem is that there are applications out there that simply will not work unless your app and OS are on the C:/ drive. I can think of one major antivirus that had this problem a couple years ago. Not to mention, you have to change every installation path for every application you install. That would be a nightmare for me. I would undoubtedly forget.

That said, it would make sense from a security standpoint. Many malware programs are going to look for Windows on the C:/ drive. If it isn't there, it may cause the malware not to work correctly, who knows?

I, personally, wouldn't do it. Like I stated before, OS and apps on C:/ and file storage (My Documents) on the second partition. That would be my recommendation. By all means, do what makes you most comfortable. There are many ways to skin this cat.

 

[Techman]

I wouldn't do it either. Casey is right again.


Reality. Newer drives and machines are so fast there is almost no noticeable advantage.
The theory about partitioning drives is from the old 486 days when large hard drives came on line. Some machines could not access the full amount of those bigger drives so users would partition the drives into small sections.

 

[B Snyder]

I just checked one of my asus netbooks and I was wrong. Its partitioned into 2 drives but the D: partition contains only the i386 directory.

 

[choucove]

I just checked one of my asus netbooks and I was wrong. Its partitioned into 2 drives but the D: partition contains only the i386 directory.

What you are probably finding here is the factory restore image. Many (if not most, anymore) of your preconfigured computers through places such as Dell, HP, Asus, and more will create either an image of the factory default settings of your computer and place it on a small restoration partition, or some other special restoration partition for troubleshooting and restoring back to Windows.

 

[trakers]

I've found allocating 70Gb to Drive C: for Windoze and program installs and the balance for data files and an auto data backup drive works very well.

For instance I might have a 750Gb drive allocated as follows:

Drive C: - 70Gb
Drive D: - 230Gb
Drive G: - 400Gb

 

[joeshaul]

Partitioning your apps separate from your OS shouldn't really affect speed noticeably, it may actually do the reverse as the data may be further away from the OS now and the drive will have to constantly move back and forth when launching apps. In days of old, it was recommended to have the apps and data on another hard drive completely separate from the OS, as in theory, while the operating system is caching/swapping/etc, the other drive could still be accessed for loading the apps/data. This was of course back when swap files were in constant use, as the computer would only have 32-128 meg of memory in it.