Windows 7 - about to buy my first SSD drive

I'm looking at the Patriot Pyro 120gb drive.

I have traditionally separated windows and applications and data on to three separate partitions.

So, I'm considering creating 2 partitions on the SSD Drive. An 80gb partition for windows and the rest for applications. Data will stay on my 1TB HDD.

I always do clean fresh installs. When I install windows I have typically backed up all data, deleted the partitions and "CLEANed" the drive, then recreated partitions and reinstalled fresh. But I've never had to worry about blocks, pages and alignment.

From what I've read this is important for SSDs.

If I create the first partition via windows install DVD it creates the 100mb recovery partition at offset 1,048,576. Which is good.

But I want to create an 80gb drive with the resulting offset also being aligned.

So what size should I create the partition? I normally use 82025, as this creates the 100mb partition and a C: partition of exactly 80gb.

If 82025 x 1024 / 4096 is exactly 20506 have I got and aligned partition?

If there are any good links explaining this stuff would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction.

thanks
Tanya

Why bother partitioning the 80GB SSD? What not just use 100% for Windows and put apps on the C drive?

Wow! Fast response

I'm not sure I follow. The drive is 120gb. I'm splitting it into 100mb/80gb/~34gb

100mb is the recovery partition, C: will be windows (80gb), D: will be apps(~34gb), and E:-G: will be the old 1tb HDD.

Do you mean use the whole 120gb for windows, and leave my apps on the old HDD?....

EDIT: sorry, the penny has dropped. I see what you mean. Well, considering Adobe refuses to put alot of it's files on any drive but C: even when selecting D:, perhaps that is worth considering.

I agree. No point keeping the apps seperate from the OS.

I too would just keep them together, and put other DATA on secondary drives.
This will also make Imaging easier with all installed programs together. In case of things that were updated or un-installed breaking things for example.



As far as alignment goes, letting Windows create the partition structure for automatically be correctly aligned.
100MB System reserved + C Partition

By the same token, if you so choose to partition it all off ...
Just in advanced setup at the install screen, create your 1st partition at whatever size you want.
Windows will give a warning that there may be a secondary created for the system. (This is the 100MB system reserved)

Proceed. You can then create the second partition or just go ahead and install Windows.
Everything will be in alignment.

Ok, you guys talked me into it

thanks

Yeah, i used to partition when drivers were large, but with SSD's...I just suggest 1 partition on it. And like Wishmaster says, imaging is a whole lot easier when your OS and apps are all together.