Partition etc for clean install of Win 7 pro

I am new to re partitioning drives and reinstalling OS over existing OS so I need some advise:

Currently I have a fairly new computer running Win Vista 32 bit. I have 2 HDD. 400G C drive and 1T E drive. I would like to install win 7 Pro 64 bit on my C drive. Before installing Win 7 ,There is not much user data in this computer. ( ex no mail , a few favorites etc) I can easily redo it again but I will migrate my personal data /settings etc to E drive using the Vista Easy Transfer program just as a backup .

a) I would like to repartiton C : into 3 parts C drive: Win7 OS + program files , D drive: User Data E drive: Linux .

Should I use the Vista Disk Management tool for this? ie shrink the partition to free up space , then reshrink the free space again to make the 3rd partition or should I use a 3rd party s/w ? Would the freed up partitions still be NTFS formatted?

How much HDD space should I allocate to c drive for Win 7 Pro OS and Programs files ? I know that Windows Vista uses up a lot of HDD space for Restore ! I would probably need no more than 30G for Linux . Anyway what would be a appropriate division of the 400G HDD for the above?

b) Do I need to reformat the reduced space C drive ie cleanout Vista before installing Win 7 or does the installation process automatically do it.

Thanks

I would do the job with Disk management. I had too many troubles with those other wonder programs. I made a 12 minute video tutorial on how to do that. I allocated 40GB for my Win7 partition, but even with a good selection of programs it takes only 15GBs right now. I have, however, system restore disabled (because C is an SSD). I do frequent imaging with Macrium because windows restore does not always work anyhow. My data is on a seperate partition.

On my HDD (as opposed to the SSD) I run Vista. But I installed Win7 with the HDD disconnected. That way I have a completely independent OS on each disk that I switch with the BIOS boot sequence (which is just as fast as dual booting but without the headaches).

The migration of the data to a data partition is also covered in the video. I keep only one data partition for both Vista and Win7. It has the advantage that I never need to sync my data. But you have to move it from Vista to the data partition (as described in the video). From the Win7 side it's easy - you just include it into the libraries (right click on the folder(s)).

PS: If you have to format, do a quick format, else you are busy for hours. Disk management gives you only the quick format option anyhow when you build your partition.

Easiest way to do this is from the Windows 7 install disc itself.

Get your data backed up to the 1 TB drive or somewhere OTHER THAN the 400 gig drive. As a safety measure, I would then disconnect the 1 TB drive.

Boot from the Win 7 disc.

Choose "custom install".

A few screens later you will see the partitioning screen. Choose "drive options/advanced" on the lower part of that screen.

Next screen will show all partitions on the 400 gig drive. I assume you want to wipe it clean. If so, delete all partitions.

You make new partitions right there on the same screen. Most people allow at least 40 for Win 7. I used 60 gigs for a C partition about 3 months ago for Home Premium and now have only 21 of that occupied.

You can also create and format the remaining 300 plus gigs then and there also. Or you can do it later in Window 7 after the install. Doesn't matter.

Make the C partition active at this same screen and tell the installer to install on the newly created C.

If I recall correctly, there is no choice to format after you create the new partitions--it is done by default to NTFS.

Let the install finish.

Get Windows updates, install antivirus, then go to Windows 7 disk management and confirm C is there and healthy. Create D for data and E for Linux here if you didn't do it earlier at the same time you made C.

Note: using the above method, I think you will end up with a default 100 mb "system reserved" partition at the beginning of the 400 gig drive. It is used to assist Windows in recovery if you have a system failure. You DON"T need that partition if you have a Windows 7 install disc.

If you want to avoid that 100 mb partition, advise. There is a way to omit it using diskpart.

OK I understand what to do. Disconnecting the 1T drive is a good precaution . I also like the idea of installing the OS on both HDD . Would Windows allow it seeing that it's on the same computer. Does Win 7 limit the number of partitions you can make on the HDD to 2?during install ? I assume the first is Primary and the subsequent ones are logical? I probably need to install the latest drivers for Video card , DVD drive etc. besides windows updates.

I have windows 7 installation disk . Is it less of a bother for restore function with the 100 meg system restore partition?
Tks

You can have 4 primary partitions on the system. No overriding reason to use logicals.

Windows 7 is excellent for drivers. With any luck at all, you won't have to find any on your own.

The 100 meg partition is a matter of preference. Some people don't like to see it leering at them from disk management. Others don't care about that. I think it may also have some functions (Bitlocker?) for advanced versions of Windows 7 (Pro and Ultimate)?? I avoided it personally because I have a legit Win 7 install disk.

I have never used the recovery capabilities so can't speak to convenience issues.

I don't follow you about "installing the OS on both HDD".

I thought you were trying to put Win 7 on the 400 gig drive only.

Maybe you mean Win 7 on one disk and Linux on the other?

I don't follow you about "installing the OS on both HDD".

Click to expand...

I thought to have understood that he wanted to keep Vista. But maybe it is for Linux - that would work too.

Sportflyer, You can see and access all partitions from either system. Have a look at my setup. C is Win7, N is the common data partition, E is Vista, G is the recovery partition for Vista and F is an extra partition that I use for all kinds of purposes. H is an external disk. This is a view from Windows7.

Sorry, for confusing everyone.

All I wanted to do is to install a clean Win 7 64 bit version in C drive and not keep Vista at all. (I do have Legit copy of Win 7 Pro so the extra 100meg for system restore is not necessary but perhaps convenient?) In summary I would like to repartition my current 400G C drive into 3 parts , install Win7 pro in the C partition , User Data in D partition and Linux in E .( ie no Win Vista at all) . Leave the 1T drive alone . I
assume that windows will assign it to F or G when I reconnect it back to the mobo?

In that case, I guess I had guessed right about your intentions--so use my method.

I did a nearly identical thing myself in October, going from Vista on C partition, Data on D partition on Drive A, with another separate Drive B for backup, to Win 7 on C, Data on D, new 1.5 TB drive for backup.

Windows will reassign letters as needed. I ended up with C and D on primary drive; F is my DVD; E is my 1.5 TB backup.

Shouldn't take over a half hour or so to install. Took me over 5 hours to do a full format of E.

Just an aside: I don't dual boot, but I think most here would tell you to put Linux on a separate drive if possible--not just on a separate partition on the same drive. Not mandatory, but ideal. Don't know what your plans are for the 1.5 TB drive, but you might make a new thread to dope out the advantages/disadvantages.

The 1T drive will be mostly used to store movies/photos etc for streaming to my media player.

So maybe I should a ) partition drive #1 into C (60G for Win7 and program files ) and D ( the rest of the HDD). I dont think I will need a 3rd partition if I install Linux in Drive #2 . If ever I need space in drive #1 , I can always free up space from partition D using the disk manager of Win 7
b) in drive #2 free up 20G space for Linux . This way I don't need to make the drive # 1 dual boot . When I want to play with Linux, I change the boot order of the drives from bios.

I have a new question:

I was planning to change my mobo later on in the summer because the current mobo I have cannot be overclocked. I thought maybe its better to this right now so I dont have to go thru the process of messing around with Win 7 again when changing mobo . What would be the simplest way to accomplish this?

Tks

Could you clarify?

Do you simply mean what is the best way to change motherboards at the same time as the OS?

Or do you mean something else?

If you install 7 now and swap boards in six months, most would tell you that you should plan on reinstalling Windows--though there are some workarounds.

Yes , I mean change mobo and install win7 at the same time and so save another reinstallation of windows later with potential problems of losing data etc .

Generally:

Choose new mobo compatible with current RAM, video card, and processor assuming you don't want to change them.

Get all personal data backed up, preferably to a distinct hard drive such as your 1 TB. Include bookmarks and email.

Install new mobo, RAM, processor, video card

Attach hard drive. I would leave the backup location (1 TB drive??) disconnected.

Attach DVD drive.

Boot from the Win 7 disc in the DVD drive, go to custom install, go to partition screen, choose "drive options/advanced, delete all partitions, make new C, set it to active, install to new C.

Boot from Win 7 on C, get Windows updates, get antivirus, make needed partitions on that same drive as needed.

Shut down, connect the 1 TB drive, reboot. It should be seen immediately. Transfer your stuff back as needed. Reinstall programs.

That's pretty close, probably left something out without proofreading.

The best advise is to install a clean version of Windows 7 on the hardware you intend to use for a long time.

That being said, you clearly know how to keep your files in place so don't worry about it if you want to upgrade later, so do so.

And, very importantly, simply wanting to change motherboards will not likely get you a new PID when you have to call for activation, replacing a failed one should, will be noted and most likley not be allowed again with the same key at least not within a long period of time - sometimes hardware does fail is not noticeable until an OS is installed.

Changing, for example, a new HDD or PCI card or adding more hardware will not force a new activation when done one at a time, but a new mobo always does and there are legitimate reasons to change a mobo (like it died or never worked properly) and legitimately get a new PID, but simple desire is not one of them. That would allow for rampant piracy.

OK understand . I need to ask the proverbial one question

Drive #1....I should really make only one Primary Partition ( windows OS) and the rest extended with 2 logical logical drives ? I mean if I make all 3 primary I would not be able to see the other 2 drives if C is made active?

I assume that since I can see the 1T drive now it must be an extended partition ?

Tks

You can see the drives whichever they are formatted, but it is always best to make data drives logical so they cannot become marked active and derail your boot. Happens a lot.

Sportflyer:

What Greg says about logical partitons not being active is true, but you can use all primaries and see all partitions on all drives.

Here is mine. E is a separate drive. C, D, and E are primary.

The reason I ask is that I read in an article about differences between Primary and Logical drives is that only one primary drive can be seen by the computer at one time. ie if I make all partitions c, d , e in drive #1 primary and make c active, then the computer wont show drives d & e in Windows Explorer even thought they are shown in the disk manager . Is this true or did I misread the article .

I also understand gregrockers point.

If I understand your question, you misread the article. See the pic below. But maybe I don't understand your question. To borrow from a former president, it depends on what the definition of "see" is.

Then I must have misread the article. So really besides the point Gregrocker made above , making all partitions primary makes good sense because the drive letters will be fixed ie if adding a new drive # 3 , the drive letter will then be the next one in sequence . If using logical logical drives then those drive letters will be bumped when a new physical Drive with a primary partition is added .

My definition of "See "is that the drives show up in windows explorer and can be accessed.

Is it a convention in Windows Disk manager that all primary partitions are shown as blue and extended partitions in another color ?Tks

Disk Manager has default colors for different types, but you can control them to some degree with menu choices.