partitioning a 1TB hdd

[HammerT]

I have a 1tb hdd , and im confused how to partion it ?
Previously on my old hdd of 500gb i had 3 partitions
C(90gb)-OS+runtimes,sdks
D(200gb)games,music,movies
E(200gb)-3rd party softwares+their setups as backups(all softwares in my pc)

And then i read in internet that it is best to install all softwares in os drive. So I was wondering if i should use my new 1tb HDD in this same way or should i follow some other way ? Like :
C(250gb or less)- os+all softwares
D(around 500gb)-games,movies media
E(remaining)-files,documents+setups(as backups)

What do you guys suggest ?
How should i partition my new HDD ?

 

[Boogieman_WD]

Hey there, HammerT.

Basically with partitioning it's all up to the user's personal preference. In my case this would go C: - OS and program files, D: games, E: media files and personal stuff, which should always have a backup. Especially for pictures, documents, projects, etc.
So basically it's no t a bad idea to install all your programs on C: as well, if the worst happens and you need to reinstall Windows or change the C: drive (if it's a separate disk), you'd have to install all of your programs from scratch anyways.

The bottom line is this - there's no "correct way", so do what feels best in your case.

Hope that helps.
Boogieman_WD

 

[USAFRet]

Personally, partitioning a single drive is mostly a waste (IMHO)
Maybe 2. 1 for the OS and applications, 1 for music/video, etc.

Putting applications on a different partition is a waste, because in case of an OS reinstall, they need to be reinstalled anyway.

And, you really need another physical drive or two, for actual backups.

 

[ArtPog]

You'll probably get a number of responses as to how you should partition your HDD. BUT I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING WHATEVER PARTITIONING SCHEME YOU FINALLY DECIDE UPON.

You do NOT partition your day-to-day working HDD or SSD with the idea that this or that partitioning scheme will afford you some appropriate degree of security. You multi-partition your disk (should you decide on creating multiple partitions) only if you believe it will organize your work in a fashion that facilitates (for you!) the day-to-day operation of your PC.

I point this out because for too many years this fiction has existed that by creating this or that partitioning scheme this will afford the PC user some degree of security he/she would not otherwise have should the drive be single partitioned. Please understand there may be good & sufficient reasons for you to multi-partition your drive but security is not one of them. It simply never works that way.

Your #1 priority should be to create & maintain a comprehensive backup system of your PC whereby from time-to-time your ENTIRE system is backed up - including your OS, all your programs & applications, your registry, your created files, etc., etc. In short - EVERY piece of data on your day-to-day working drive.

All the rest is conversation.

 

[jsmithepa]

Since you are asking.

1st thing out of the way, your BACKUP should be on an external drive that you only plug it in (bring online) when you are doing backup and offline otherwise. If your backup is on the same physical drive, what happens if the physical drive dies, you restore backup from where? Now that you have an old 500GB, perfect, stick that into an USB enclosure and that's your backup.

Then, I see this logical association:

OS+APPS. If you have to re-install, re-load OS, you have to re-install Apps, so may as well group them together. Grouping these two also facilitates you to do IMAGE BACKUP OF C:. Is a thing of beauty, any trouble, image restore C: and you are back in solid business in 15 minutes, no fuss, no spending days running a de-malware and hope for the best. OS+App fairly static stuff except for configuration settings and registry.

TOOLS. Place to keep third-party apps, trial-wares, downloads, Stuff that I've accumulated but if it gets lost it's not the end of the world, can usually re-download them. Also keep here my personal apps and scripts, tools etc.

DATA. Stuff that you need to function but without it, or even having a partial copy doesn't prevent the OS from booting up. It does not have to be included in your OS Image Backup. Backup this stuff based on the frequency of your data change

As usual, YMMV.

 

[HammerT]

Guys thanks for the reply
After reading all your replies i have decided to go like :
C-OS+all softwares
D-all media including games
E-app files and their setups(so i dont have to download them again)

(But then it really doesn't matter if i install al the software in c drive ,if im willing to install them again even if my os gets busted right and it doesnt really decrease the system performance to any notable measure right ?)

Also , im installing win8.1 in C,so how much space should C drive have ?
Also what about spaces for other drives ?

PS: my hdd is WD WD10JPCX-24UE4T0 1TB

 

[Boogieman_WD]

Well, you can check the official system requirements for Windows 8.1 here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/system-requirements. Basically it says 20GB for the 64bit version. But you should take into account OS updates, all the software you'd like to install along with some space for System Restore Points. Basically I'd say that you could make it around 100GB. However this could easily be not enough or more than enough depending on what you decide to install, as already mentioned.
Perhaps the largest partition should be the one with all your media files and games, so calculate all the space you'll need for the last one (with the apps), while making sure that you leave some space available for future installations and dedicate the remaining space to the Games/media files partition.

So as already mentioned, it all depends on how much data you're going to store on each of those partitions.

 

[USAFRet]

There's a standard maxim for partitions: Whatever size it is, it will be too small.

Consider this:
1. 100GB OS-Application partition C
2. 400GB games partition D
3. 500GB for all else. E
(don't do it this way, just an example, choose your own numbers)

Lets say you have 50GB free in the D partition, and 200GB free in the E partition
You wish to install a 60GB game in D. That won't work, even though there is 250GB 'free' on the drive overall.
Now you have to mess around with trying to resize them, with all the hassle and hazards that brings.

If D & E were simply 1 partition, you'd have full use of that 250GB.

And in your overall scheme, you still haven't said anything about a backup drive.

 

[HammerT]

Well what i meant by backups was the setups of all 3rd party programms which i used to save in a separate disk so that i wont have to download them again if OS drive crashes.

Any way,currently i have this config in mind is this good ?
C(250gb or less)- os+all softwares
D(around 500gb/400gb)-games,movies media
E(remaining)-files,documents+setups(as backups)

 

[USAFRet]

Well what i meant by backups was the setups of all 3rd party programms which i used to save in a separate disk so that i wont have to download them again if OS drive crashes.

Any way,currently i have this config in mind is this good ?
C(250gb or less)- os+all softwares
D(around 500gb/400gb)-games,movies media
E(remaining)-files,documents+setups(as backups)

And what I meant by a backup is a different drive, for if/when this one dies.