[SOLVED] Windows Partition Space

[jimmy_the_dude]

For my new build (Ryzen 5 1600, GTX 1060 6gb, Thermaltake Versa H22, MSI B350 Gaming Plus, 1 x 8gb Corsair Vengeance LPX RAM, Rosewill 550 semi-modular PSU, 120gb SSD & 1tb HDD) I plan to install Windows 10 off of a bootable media drive. The only thing I'm not sure about is the SSD's partition. I will install Windows 10 onto the SSD.

So many people have said so many things about how big a partition for Windows 10 would be. I don't plan to put anything else on the SSD... so that leads me to the question: do I make the partition the full SSD or something smaller? Also, how big is Windows 10?

Thanks in advance

 

[Darkbreeze]

You don't do "anything" with the partition. You let WINDOWS do it. All you need is the installation media, and then when you get to the part where windows asks where you want to install at, you click on the unallocated, unpartitioned space and click next. Windows will automatically create ALL of the necessary partitions, and there will be several. There will be a C: partition, a boot partition, an EFI partition and a restore partition. Windows will perform ALL necessary formatting of the created partitions as well.

If you follow the steps outlined at the following link, you will do a perfect, CLEAN install of Windows 10. Be sure to disconnect ALL drives except the drive you are installing Windows on until after the installation is complete. Then you can shut down, reconnect any secondary drives and continue on from there.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

I would highly recommend you create your media using the latest Windows 10 build version which is version 1809 and can be created by visiting the following link.


Windows 10 Build version 1809 download and update link


If you are moving your Windows 10 license from your existing system to the new one, you need to read and follow the instructions here, first.

How to associate your windows 10 license with a Microsoft account


Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change


Windows build 1607 and activation after a hardware change

​

 

[jimmy_the_dude]

You don't do "anything" with the partition. You let WINDOWS do it. All you need is the installation media, and then when you get to the part where windows asks where you want to install at, you click on the unallocated, unpartitioned space and click next. Windows will automatically create ALL of the necessary partitions, and there will be several. There will be a C: partition, a boot partition, an EFI partition and a restore partition. Windows will perform ALL necessary formatting of the created partitions as well.

If you follow the steps outlined at the following link, you will do a perfect, CLEAN install of Windows 10. Be sure to disconnect ALL drives except the drive you are installing Windows on until after the installation is complete. Then you can shut down, reconnect any secondary drives and continue on from there.

Windows 10 Clean install tutorial

I would highly recommend you create your media using the latest Windows 10 build version which is version 1809 and can be created by visiting the following link.


Windows 10 Build version 1809 download and update link


If you are moving your Windows 10 license from your existing system to the new one, you need to read and follow the instructions here, first.

How to associate your windows 10 license with a Microsoft account


Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change


Windows build 1607 and activation after a hardware change

​

So in the Windows installation process, there is a section where you can select what drive to install Windows on. There is also a button below that section that says *new*. There, I can create a partition. Are you saying that if I just click on the unallocated drive alone then Windows will install and create its necessary partition? Also, is there a way I can install external programs (e.g. MS Office, softwares, etc.) onto the partition?

Thanks again

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, that is what I'm saying. You do not NEED to create a partition to install to. Windows will do that itself. It will make full use of the remaining capacity of the drive for the OS partition AFTER it creates the boot and EFI partitions that it needs in order to function. Don't create a partition. Let Windows do it.

Yes, once the installation is done and you have gone through the process of installing any available Windows updates, and I WOULD do that before installing any applications or games, you can of course install applications and games to the C: partition as normal. I'm not sure why you WOULDN'T be able to, but rest assured, you can.

OR, if you have a secondary drive (And you want to make sure that ALL secondary drives are disconnected during the installation process) you can also usually install your game files there to save room on the OS drive, but you don't have to. It's fine to install them on whichever drive has the most room available or just on the main drive if that is all you have.

 

[Colif]

The only version of Win 10 that doesn't let you install external files on C is Windows 10 S and the restriction stopping you downloading external files is something you can stop with very little effort.

Everything else DB says is right, don't create partitions on drive, just choose the unallocated space and click next, windows does the rest for you.