Looking for advice on how to partition my new laptop

[spd_27]

Hello,
First My environment:
Computer: Dell Vostro V13 laptop
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 @ 1.3Ghz
RAM: 4GB DDR3 @ 1066Mhz
HDD: 500GB HDD, 7200 RPM
OS: Windows 7 Pro 32bit + XP mode

I received my above computer with OS and Dell software pre-installed as follows:
- 39MB unnamed primary partition (dell diagnostics soft)
- 14GB RECOVERY named primary partition (with factory setup image of 3GB on it)
- over 450GB OS ( C: ) named primary partition with win7 pro XP mode pre-installed on it

Second, I should point that this is my first pc with win7, I have run winXP up to now on Dell XPS M1210 with one partition for OS and one for data.

Here is my question. I am wondering how to best partition my hard 500GB HDD above for eventual re-installation, performance and data safety before going on installing apps and migrating my data into it.

Should I just leave it configured as it was by Dell and shrink OS ( C: ) partition to create logical partitions for data, one D: for work, one E: for music, pictures and other media files.

Or should I format HDD, re-install OS and make primary partitions?

Thanks in advance for your interest and advices.

 

[manojgj]

If you have enough time for reinstalling the OS , then it will be a better choice than shrinking ..
if you don't need the factory restore option , you can also use the 14Gb also if you wish,,

 

[spd_27]

If you have enough time for reinstalling the OS , then it will be a better choice than shrinking ..
if you don't need the factory restore option , you can also use the 14Gb also if you wish,,

Thanks for your quick reply. Dell told me that after doing a full re-install, the PC recovery from 14GB partition wont' be available no more so indeed, there is no use to keep that partition. Any advice on how I should partition the whole disk?

 

[spd_27]

If you have enough time for reinstalling the OS , then it will be a better choice than shrinking ..
if you don't need the factory restore option , you can also use the 14Gb also if you wish,,

By the way, you advised that I should make primary partitions i/o of logical ones (shrinking) right? Why is that a better choice? appreciate your further input

 

[manojgj]

factory installation has lot of stuffs& applications which is useless for many people, so installing an fresh OS give some free space & speed..

shrinking & creating partitions may bring some file system errors in some cases(few time happened to me , like unable to open drive by double clicking or unaccesed by some applications..
its always good to build a new one instead on altering the existing crap which may looks like comfort at that time and later it will give more troubles...

 

[geofelt]

I do not favor partitioning unless you need to dual boot. It is much simpler to operate with one drive.
If you want to protect your data, do backups and image copies to an external drive.

Since you have 4gb, you might want to consider installing the 64 bit version of windows-7. If you can beg or borrow a 64 bit windows-7 install disk, you can still activate it using the product code on the bottom of the PC. See if you can get Dell to send you a 64 bit version for free.

I would favor a clean install, reformatting the dell drive, getting rid of all the extraneous bloatware and recovery partitions. How useful is it to be able to recover to the initial delivered state?