Topic: Partitioning Your HDD

[Tony]

Hi Adept,

Here?s one for you, lets assume I want to partition an existing HDD so that the OS is on it?s own partition. [I have Partition Magic Version 7]

Now in my particular case, I have a 40.0 GB HDD consisting of:

C: Drive 30.0 GB [used 7.2 GB]
D: Drive 10.0 GB [used 0.65GB]

Operating System W2K Pro

Directories on C: Drive:
Documents and Settings  > Sub Folders
                                      All Users
                                      Catch
Epson [ printer/scanner]
Mgafold [graphics drivers]
Program Files
Windows  Update Setup Files
WINNT

Talk me through it Adept please,

[Tony]

Now I'm Ok with the resizing of partitions bit using Partition Magic, it's the moving and leaving of which folders on C: and D: drives that I want confirmation of.

Is there also an argument for having the OS on one partition, Programs on another and personal Data on another ?

Questions, questions so many questions, I'm a pain I know  

I had a go at resizing C: Drive to 12.0 GB and D: Drive to 28.0 MB just as an exerise using Partition Magic. But it could not perform the alterations because Virus protection was enabled. See you learn something even when things are not succesfull, I will remember to disable virus protection next time  

catch

[Sandra]

The reason for having the OS on its own partition is that in case it gets problems it can be wiped and reinstalled without losing any other data.Obviously any programs you have would still need to be reinstalled so that the re installed OS could find them again.
The only reason I can see far having multiple (other)partitions is so that you could possibly organise your folders more easily.
A very rare occassion which may be an advantage for keeping your personal data on a seperate partition could be if you found yourself in my situation last week.My drive failed and went into dos compatability mode and eventually a friend managed to get it partially sorted and we tried to wipe and format it without much success on my PC with 98SE on.He took it home and did it on his as NTFS at first and found that he could see the data on the second partition (fortunately because of the drive problem we had only wiped the first partition on my PC)which all fit on one cd so he saved it for me before wiping it completely.
As I said earlier this was a very unusual and hopefully rare situation so I dont think it would reall justify doing it as a safety measure.

[Tony]

Thanks Sandra, now if I understand you right, the OS and installed programs go on C:drive [the Primary Active Partition]As you say nothing gained if a reinstall of the OS is undertaken, as the programs will also need to be reinstalled.

Now seeing as the >My Documents< folder contains data personal to me which I would not like to lose in a reinstall could not that go onto another partition. Lets say for instance that I'm big into Music files, DVD files, Photo Albums etc, would not all that be better on another partition away from the OS and Applications Partition. I mean if a reinstall is needed because of say a Virus infection, the personal data and such would not be lost in such an undertaking. Also as I mentioned to you before Adobe recommends that Photoshop Elements is installed on a partition seperate to the OS,for increased effciency I believe


Look as you know I have got Partition Magic and by jolly I going to use it, otherwise whats the point of having it   OK, apart from making seperate partitions for different Operating Systems.

Catch

[Sandra]

By all means move or create another My Docs folder on a different partition.You can have the same name/type of folder on all your partitions if you want as the path contains the drive letter so it is seen as a completely different thing anyway.
The main thing is that if something is really important get it backed up on a floppy or a cd before it is too late  
I havent checked the Adobe Elements program yet(recently obtained   ) but I should imagine that it likes to be installed onto a seperate partition is so it canhave its own swap file or cache available to it  

[Tony]

Cheers my little leibfraumilch [yet another term of endearment]  

Catch

[Sandra]

I prefer red wine normally,a Merlot or my favourite Bordeaux.Especially a Pauillac or a Margaux when the cash is available.I enjoy an occassional Liebfraumilch (Black Tower) too as a refreshing summertime drink  

[Tony]

Oppps sorry Sandra, i don't mean to imply your only worth a bottle of Plonk   but when I coined that phrase, that was  everybodies favourite tipple. Remember when the Yougoslavs took the reislings even more down market  

Catch

[Tony]

Right Simon,

Get that Partition Magic out, I merged my C: and D: drives today it was painless [just as an exercise in meddling  ]

The PM 'Drive Mapper' automatically takes care of any Directories that change partitions.

D: Drive was labeld ?System Sav? before I merged the partitions, so now I?m going to make a new D: Drive [ with out the old label ] 20.0GB in size, and move my My Documents Folder over to it, and also move the Photoshop Elements program over as advised by Adobe., and I will put Music and Photo files on that partition. I notice that my E: and F: Drives have not been assigned new drive letters on the removal of D: Drive.

I found out that as well as having to disable Norton Anti Virus, I also had to disable Roxoi GoBack as well, to allow the partitioning to take place. This of course means you lose all previous saves with that particular piece of restore software. But I had made my PM rescue boot disks and I had backed up all my data.

I know you cannot use GoBack on a PC that is already using ? PQ Drive Image? to back up C:  Drive, because I tried to load it on my old Compaq that had PQ Drive Image as the C: Drive backup medium.

But I think I read some where in the PM help files that they advise you back up C: Drive with their ?Drive Image ? utility prior to partition alterations, just in case it goes t*t?s up. Or as in your case if your squeamish     Now  it so happens I also have PQ?s  Drive Image, as Santa?s little helper came early this week, thank you Santa's little helper

Catch

[Sandra]

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[Simon]

To be honest, I really don't need to partition my drive, as everything important I back up onto CDs, and I am confident (not complacent!) that Norton will save me from any virus attacks.

However, it would be a useful excercise, if only to gain some experience, so I may well take up the gauntlet at some point soon.  

Unfortunately (and I know this sounds like a cop out), I have so much to do to prepare for Christmas, I don't really have time for anything much else at the moment, which is why you may even find my time here slightly dimished over the next few days!    

[Tony]

Did she look something like this Catch,you lucky boy  

The very same, uncanny or what, mind you HARD to forget really  

Catch

PS: go on then I'll let you off Simon as it is Xmas  

[Tony]

I settled for a C: Drive 30 GB and D: Drive 10GB with My Docs, Photo Albums and Music etc, with Photoshop Elements on it.

More or less where I started from but it was the exersize of using Partition Magic that it was all about really.

Sandra we shall have V8 shortly, also Duplicate DVD, have you heard of it

[Sandra]

Not heard of the dvd thing but presumably you would need to be as rich as Dave and to be able to buy a DVD writer to use it