Windows 7: How to change HD settings?

How would I go about changing the set up of my second drive (It will have Win 7 clean install on it) from Status "None", Type "Logical" to "System" and "Primary" also
what should the setting be for the balance of the drive that will contain directories and etc?
I have Easeus Partition Master and Partition Wizard but I never did a partition before.



Thanks
John

Hi again John -

I would wipe the HD first to remove any conflicting or factory code, then use booted Windows 7 install DVD Custom>Drive Options to create partition(s) as you wish, format before installing Windows 7 to first partition.
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

It will create Primary partitions with Windows 7 as the System partition.

A recommended method is to create an OS partition of 20-100 gb depending on HD size and number of programs, then a separate Data partition to place your User folders so they are in their own "vault." If Windows 7 ever won't startup or repair, you can reinstall or reimage the OS and programs to first partition and data will be waiting next door.

If you have enough space I'd create a backup partition on each HD to store a System image of the other HD's OS and date so you can easily reimage to a new HD in case of HD failure. This can also be done on an external HD.

I remember from another thread that you are planning to wisely boot separate HD's from the BIOS. Remember to unplug the other HD's during install, then set Windows 7 as first HD to boot in BIOS when you plug it back in, boot the other HD OS using one-time Boot menu key given on first screen.

Hi there
I'd modify the advice slightly here.

Initially create ONE parition using ALL the disk space and then do your initial Windows install.

THEN use something like GPARTED or a partition manager to shrink your Windows partition to say 60 - 90 GB depending on your applications AFTER the initial install and use the rest of the disk for data; music etc. One or 2 partitions as you wish.

The reason I say is create ONE partition initially using THE WHOLE DISK is that if you don't Windows 7 creates a small boot hidden 100 MB partition which makes it very fiddly when imaging your system for backup / restore.

If the WHOLE disk is allocated at the start then this 100 MB poartition is NOT created -- the Boot process is contained in the Windows 7 partition itself.

AFTER the initial install THEN shrink the Windows 7 partition to the size you want.

Cheers
jimbo

That's not correct, the only time the "System Reserved" partition is created is if Windows 7 is installed to a "new" Hard Disk Drive (HDD) one that has no pre-existing partitions, as long as partitions (any number of them) are present the "System Reserved" partition will not be created.




We're also having excellent success with Partition Wizard instead of the old GParted.


Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Hi there
Thanks for the info of Partition Wizard --however I will DISAGREE (Politely of course) about the creation of the "System partition".

Note also that for Windows 2003 / 2008 server this is PAID for software whereas GPARTED is still FREE and works on these OS'es as well.

However the BOOT CD should work always since there might not (probably wont be) an OS to start with in any case. I'll certainly give it a try although I've never had a problem with GPARTED other than it can take a long time to resize / move a large partition.

I have installed windows a number of times on a Disk that has 3 partitions already pre-allocated,. When done this way Windows somehow creates the small 100 MB partition.

However when there is only one partition on the disk (completely allocated so there is no free space on the disk to create any more partitions) then windows doesn't create the partition.


Just my experience --
cheers
jimbo