What are the advantages of Partitioning?

[firewire]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Hi

Ref.

XP Home Edition
120 GB hard drive
New Installation
What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one primary
partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there seems
to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as trouble
free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

One of the major reasons to use partitioning: Segregate o.s. on a partition totally separate from "data". Makes it easier to backup data as a separate set.
Also, partitioning is just about mandatory if you multi-boot (different operating systems).
Also, used as part of testing setups.
These are just a few.
--
Maurice N
MVP Windows - Shell / User
-----


firewire wrote:
> Hi
>
> Ref.
>
> XP Home Edition
> 120 GB hard drive
> New Installation
> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one
> primary partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject
> and there seems to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to
> run the OS as trouble free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for
> your help.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:52:01 -0700, firewire wrote:

> Hi
>
> Ref.
>
> XP Home Edition
> 120 GB hard drive
> New Installation
> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one primary
> partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there seems
> to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as trouble
> free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.

Many reasons for partitioning or not partitioning. It all comes down to
personal preferences and considerations for backup.

Personally, I keep XP and my major programs on C:. Data and lesser programs
on other partitions. Backup of data is easier (all in the same partition)
and, most importantly (to me), "disaster recovery" is easier to manage.

Using a disk image program (Acronis True Image), I can easily image the XP
partition to a single CD and to an external hard drive. Images are created
on a regular basis, weekly and before any major changes. Takes less than 5
minutes to accomplish. This way if the operating system goes belly up for
whatever reason, it can be easily restored - this is also a less than 5
minute process.

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP ~ Windows Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 19:52:01 -0700, firewire wrote:

>XP Home Edition
>120 GB hard drive
>New Installation
>What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one primary
>partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there seems
>to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as trouble
>free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.

I have my hard disk partitioned with only Win XP Pro installed to the
primary partition. I have My Documents and files I have downloaded on a
logical drive, programmes I use and MP3s on other logical drives. When I
need to reinstall Win XP Pro I don't lose any of this data.
I use PowerQuest PartitionMagic 8.0 to do the partitioning.

I do quite a bit of beta testing which causes me to have to reinstall my
operating system regularly. I have two primary partitions both with XP
Pro installed and one of the partitions hidden. The hidden partition is
not used on a daily basis and always remains in almost the same state
except I do sometimes go to Windows Update just to keep it current. When
I need to reinstall my operating system it is usually a matter of
deleting the current primary partition and replacing it by copying the
data on the hidden primary partition to it.

I use Forté Agent 3.0 to read newsgroups, Eudora 6.2.5.4 Beta
[currently] for email and Opera 8.02 for browsing the web. I have those
programmes on a logical drive instead of the primary partition and when
I need to reinstall my operating system none of those programmes need to
be reinstalled and I don't lose any of my settings.
--

Ian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

firewire Wrote:
> Hi
>
> Ref.
>
> XP Home Edition
> 120 GB hard drive
> New Installation
> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one
> primary
> partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there
> seems
> to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as
> trouble
> free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.


I would agree with Maurice N.
What you should aim for is to keep your C drive for your OS and
possibly your programs in C:\Program Files and have another partition
for your data. If you keep all your data, Word docs, spreadsheets etc.
in your "My Documents" area, you can change the default location from
your C drive to your data partition, D or what ever it is. To do this,
open Windows Explorer, right click on "My Documents" in the left pane
and select properties. Click on the "Move" button. Select the D drive
and follow instructions.
You will then be able to easily copy your data to whatever external
media you have, CD, tape, memory stick or another HD.
I personally have found that the OS works better if the C partition
contains nothing else but the OS. Keep your Programs on a different
partition. Also, try and keep the C partition at no more than 8 Gbs for
optimum access speed.
Cheers


--
aginart

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

firewire wrote:
> Hi
>
> Ref.
>
> XP Home Edition
> 120 GB hard drive
> New Installation
> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one primary
> partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there seems
> to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as trouble
> free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.
>


Placing data files on a partition or physical hard drive separate
from the operating system and applications can greatly simplify system
repairs/recoveries and data back-up.

There's really very little point in having a separate drive or
partition for just applications. Should you have to reinstall the OS,
you'll still have to reinstall each and every application and game
anyway, in order to recreate the hundreds (possibly thousands) of
registry entries and to replace the dozens (possibly hundreds) of
essential system files back into the appropriate Windows folders and
sub-folders. This is a useful solution only if your system partition
lacks sufficient space for all of your applications.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Re backing up to another device: am considering using a high-capacity USB
flash drive as repository for my Windows XP Home SP2 and use that as my
"bootable CD". What do you think about this idea, and what sized flash drive
do you suggest would be required? As yet don't know whether all makes of
flash drive can take NTFS (I only have one partition). I am a "beginner" re
XP and modern technology.
--
CEC4


"Harry Ohrn" wrote:

> As mentioned the reasons for using a multi partition drive are varied. Keep
> in mind that if a drive fails all partitions are gone so if you are using
> partitions for backup storage you'll lose the backups as well. It is always
> wise to backup to another device.
>
> --
>
> Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
> www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
>
>
> "firewire" <firewire@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0AA7C859-9BEF-4E5E-BECC-9321303216F3@microsoft.com...
> > Hi
> >
> > Ref.
> >
> > XP Home Edition
> > 120 GB hard drive
> > New Installation
> > What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one primary
> > partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there
> seems
> > to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as trouble
> > free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.
> >
>
>
>

 

[Unknown]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

How does the OS work better if the C partition contains only the OS? Is it
your imagination?

news:aginart.1ul8dn@pcbanter.net.
...
>
> firewire Wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> Ref.
>>
>> XP Home Edition
>> 120 GB hard drive
>> New Installation
>> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one
>> primary
>> partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there
>> seems
>> to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as
>> trouble
>> free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.
>
>
> I would agree with Maurice N.
> What you should aim for is to keep your C drive for your OS and
> possibly your programs in C:\Program Files and have another partition
> for your data. If you keep all your data, Word docs, spreadsheets etc.
> in your "My Documents" area, you can change the default location from
> your C drive to your data partition, D or what ever it is. To do this,
> open Windows Explorer, right click on "My Documents" in the left pane
> and select properties. Click on the "Move" button. Select the D drive
> and follow instructions.
> You will then be able to easily copy your data to whatever external
> media you have, CD, tape, memory stick or another HD.
> I personally have found that the OS works better if the C partition
> contains nothing else but the OS. Keep your Programs on a different
> partition. Also, try and keep the C partition at no more than 8 Gbs for
> optimum access speed.
> Cheers
>
>
> --
> aginart

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Just my 2-cents worth, but I use three partitions.
- C: containing the OS and just about all applications with an install
footprint under 300 MB or so. This I backup into a restorable Ghost
image so that I don't have to manually reinstall everything over
again. If it just contained the OS you could create a restore image
that fit on a CD but you'd still have to reinstall everything else.
- D: containing all my data (backed up for individual file restore as
needed)
- E: containing the big DVD size applications like Encarta and games
(that run a lot faster when I don't have to swap the CD's in and out).
I don't back this up. It's easier to reinstall these few. You could
put this on C: and just have a bigger image.

Brian

"Unknown" <Unknown@Somewhere.Kom> wrote in message
news:lzETe.1285$mj1.1149@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
> How does the OS work better if the C partition contains only the
OS? Is it
> your imagination?
>
> news:aginart.1ul8dn@pcbanter.net.
> ..
> >
> > firewire Wrote:
> >> Hi
> >>
> >> Ref.
> >>
> >> XP Home Edition
> >> 120 GB hard drive
> >> New Installation
> >> What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one
> >> primary
> >> partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and
there
> >> seems
> >> to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as
> >> trouble
> >> free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.
> >
> >
> > I would agree with Maurice N.
> > What you should aim for is to keep your C drive for your OS and
> > possibly your programs in C:\Program Files and have another
partition
> > for your data. If you keep all your data, Word docs, spreadsheets
etc.
> > in your "My Documents" area, you can change the default location
from
> > your C drive to your data partition, D or what ever it is. To do
this,
> > open Windows Explorer, right click on "My Documents" in the left
pane
> > and select properties. Click on the "Move" button. Select the D
drive
> > and follow instructions.
> > You will then be able to easily copy your data to whatever
external
> > media you have, CD, tape, memory stick or another HD.
> > I personally have found that the OS works better if the C
partition
> > contains nothing else but the OS. Keep your Programs on a
different
> > partition. Also, try and keep the C partition at no more than 8
Gbs for
> > optimum access speed.
> > Cheers
> >
> >
> > --
> > aginart
>
>

 

[Unknown]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

Why not a high capacity external hard drive? I use a 200 gig Seagate hard
drive.
"CEC4" <CEC4@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F6661B6C-DAC3-4D3B-A794-ACED85B6AFB6@microsoft.com...
> Re backing up to another device: am considering using a high-capacity USB
> flash drive as repository for my Windows XP Home SP2 and use that as my
> "bootable CD". What do you think about this idea, and what sized flash
> drive
> do you suggest would be required? As yet don't know whether all makes of
> flash drive can take NTFS (I only have one partition). I am a "beginner"
> re
> XP and modern technology.
> --
> CEC4
>
>
> "Harry Ohrn" wrote:
>
>> As mentioned the reasons for using a multi partition drive are varied.
>> Keep
>> in mind that if a drive fails all partitions are gone so if you are using
>> partitions for backup storage you'll lose the backups as well. It is
>> always
>> wise to backup to another device.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
>> www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
>>
>>
>> "firewire" <firewire@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:0AA7C859-9BEF-4E5E-BECC-9321303216F3@microsoft.com...
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > Ref.
>> >
>> > XP Home Edition
>> > 120 GB hard drive
>> > New Installation
>> > What are the advantages of partitioning vs running the OS in one
>> > primary
>> > partition? I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and there
>> seems
>> > to be as many reasons for as against. My goal is to run the OS as
>> > trouble
>> > free and efficiently as possible. Thanks for your help.
>> >
>>
>>
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (More info?)

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 09:58:02 -0700, CEC4 wrote:

> Re backing up to another device: am considering using a high-capacity USB
> flash drive as repository for my Windows XP Home SP2 and use that as my
> "bootable CD". What do you think about this idea, and what sized flash drive
> do you suggest would be required? As yet don't know whether all makes of
> flash drive can take NTFS (I only have one partition). I am a "beginner" re
> XP and modern technology.

Is your system capable of booting from a bootable flash drive? More and
more systems have this capability with floppy drives disappearing. Check
your documentation to find out if this is possible with your system.

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP ~ Windows Shell/User