Partition Strategy

[vanmol]

There just doesn't seem to be a clear concensus on how to partition a single HD. I am waiting for my new Barebone system and would like to configure my partitions for optimal performance. Should I install the OS on the first partition and the Program files on the second partition? I was also thinking of creating another partition for all music and video files. I think everyone agrees that a page file partition should only go on a second HD so that is not an issue. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[3 of 7]

Operating system on a smallish c: (10-20g) and programs, Documents and pagefile on the second larger partition.
I like the pagefile on the second one simply to keep the size of my OS images smaller.

[traveler]

Partition 1 - operating system

Partition 2 - programs

Partition 3 - games

Partition 4 - data

Just my suggestion.

I'd get a second, etc., hard drive(s) for backup as soon as possible so you can put ghost images on it.

[zsaz1029]

Just out of curiosity, because I've really never partitioned my drives in the past, once done, can the partitions be assigned labels of some kind to be easily identified (OS, Data, Games, etc.) from explorer drop down menus and such?

[shaihulud]

You all may be shocked, but I would only do a primary partition for each drive installed in the system. Segregate the data to the other physical volumes rather than the partitions on a single drive. Multiple partitions on a single drive can slow the drives I/O.

Yes all partitions can have a label

[3 of 7]

You have the option of giving them names when creating them ( or when you re-format one)..
I always name the second partition ( Data ) and change the drive letter to D: so it won't change if you remove or add another drive. This is really important if you install programs on it. The downside is SFC (System File Checker) sometimes needs to be told where to look for your cd drive afterwards, but that's a simple reg edit.

[vanmol]

Thanks all, I kinda like Traveler's 4 partition suggestion and I do have another hard drive but it's an older IDE and my new board only has 1 IDE connector. Already spent too much but guess I cud go for another $50 bucks for second Sata drive.
1 more question------The DATA partition----What is considered Data?

[jmlikos]

I read where you should format the page file as fat 32 instead of ntfs. You could always look at installing an external drive.

[shaihulud]

The downside is SFC (System File Checker) sometimes needs to be told where to look for your cd drive afterwards, but that's a simple reg edit.

This almost sounds as if you increase your partitions to change drive letters later or at installation you do not create all partitions to enumerate them. Can you elaborate what you mean? Because, I think you can remedy your issue before hand, unless this is the latter increase in partition case.

If Windows, at installation time, has x amount of partitions to enumerate you will have x partitions in drive letters before ROM drives. If only one is created, such as C: would be, then the other devices to be allocated a letter will. If all partitions are enumerated beforehand then the order will be consecutive. There after ROM drives will take the next letter. If the drive has multiple partitions beforehand, your enumerated drives will not be consecutive and the system volume may reside on a different letter than C:.

1 more question------The DATA partition----What is considered Data?

Data is arbitrary. Mainly in the context to mean as anything that is data storage such as archives, patches, photos, et al, etc. Technically, using multiple partitions on one volume is nothing different than one partition on one volume anyways. A folder hierarchy is the same as multiple partitions on the same physical volume since there is no physical difference. It is all logical in allocation. What seems physically different is the fact that the partition is enumerated and seems as if it is another drive but physically is not.

Whichever way you elect, you will need to be diligent on installations and place in them proper locations. All installations default to C:. Even if properly placed, most installations now are in multiple locations due to the My Documents syndrome of idiocy. In other words, even if you install BF2142 to the games partition, it installs files in the system volume that contains the users My Documents folder.

[shaihulud]

I read where you should format the page file as fat 32 instead of ntfs

This is not a good idea. If you do such you will lose NTFS robustness, which mainly is security. FAT32 does not have any, and for a 1ms difference it is not worth it!

You could always look at installing an external drive

Just to note about your external drive comment. I also would not advise booting a true system volume from an external device. What I mean by true is THE system volume only to be used on THE system. There is nothing wrong with multiple boot drives, internal and external. However, what is truly what you will use as the drive should not be external even if it is eSATA. The internal drive is more protected in many ways.

[jmlikos]

I created a partition with docs on and then just moved the my documents folder to it. I agree though, with multiple partitions you do have to do a little more managing.

[3 of 7]

Originally Posted by shaihulud

This almost sounds as if you increase your partitions to change drive letters later or at installation you do not create all partitions to enumerate them. Can you elaborate what you mean? Because, I think you can remedy your issue before hand, unless this is the latter increase in partition case.

Yes, it's when the partitions are changed later (or not created during the install that the SFC needs to be manually pointed)

As to the question about what constitutes data, my line of thought on this is, anything that isn't a "core" program, ie windows, AV, anti-spy etc goes on the "data" drive simply because it allows backups to be so fast and so small. If ones' docs are on the data drive as well, the game data we were discussing earlier remains off the image.

[ctal]

I would recommend reading the following excellent reference:

RADIFIED: Hard Drive Partitioning Strategies

As the author says, there is no single partitioning strategy that is optimal for everyone. I think that the most important consideration is that you have a second hard drive, either internal or external, for backups and for image files.

If you deal with very large files, such as video (which I do extensively), obviously those files should go on a second (or third) hard drive, and in a separate partition from the one used for backups and images.

My own approach on my two desktops is to use Raptors with a single partition for Windows, programs, and "data" (not large video files), with separate partitions on additional hard drives for large files and for backups/images. If your primary drive is fast (such as a Raptor) or large with a lot of spare room (so that the files on it will tend to remain near the outer, faster edges of the platters), then the supposed speed advantage of multiple partitions is not particularly relevant.

Keep in mind also that having multiple partitions will cost you space. You'll need to leave sufficient empty space within each partition for your defragmenter program to operate, and space for recycle bins and system restore points (if you want them). You will also have more partitions to defragment and to image.

-- Al

[ctal]

As a p.s. to my previous post, although I'm sure most abx'ers understand this properly, it is a common misconception elsewhere that installing Windows and programs on separate partitions would allow Windows to be reinstalled without the programs having to be reinstalled. That, of course, does not work, because the entries for each program in the Windows registry would be destroyed when Windows is reinstalled.
-- Al

[jmlikos]

That is a very good point!