What's the point of a partition?

[CommonTater]

I believe Dell still supply a reinstallation dvd. I have one from a while back.

Given that I generally avoid Dell computers ... I wouldn't know. But many new machines these days are coming with a hidden partition and software to make your own reinstall disks... basically the hidden partition has an image of the factory installed garbage software and the restore disk software merely copies the image to DVD.

 

[SIW2]

Thanks,

I know what a recovery partition is - I never had a Dell ( or any other oem ) machine either.

installed garbage software

LOL.

"Unwantedware"

I do know one or two with Dells - they got a proper installation dvd with their machines.

( I don't know if that applies to all ranges/countries.)

Interestingly, they have no trouble reinstalling with any proper install dvd and using the Dell key off the machine sticker - activates starightaway.

 

[Joan Archer]

I've never owned a Dell, my restore partition is just over 6 GB and wont contain garbage as it didn't come with any when bought, but this was Vista originally.

Didn't get any CD's with it or the means to create any just a sheet of paper with instructions on how to restore back to factory settings, so that small partition is left well alone.

 

[motc7]

Hello Mitchell.



Here in the US it is a part of a big brick and mortar store chain, but I wouldn't put much stock in their advise as most of them are, shall we say, not very knowledgeable.

There was an article about them in the Dallas Morning News the other day. They make it sound like they know what they are doing. Yet, 90% of the time you come into the store with a computer problem, these are the responses you'll get:

1. You have a virus - Need to Format HD.
2. You have a corrupt system file - Need to Format HD.
3. Your rig is too old - Need to format then burn the HD.

 

[motc7]

"Unwantedware"

Ahem...the official technical term is "Crapware".

 

[SIW2]

I was being polite.

 

[Valor D]

how come?

Alright, some of u are making it sound like this partition is somehow necessary, although I'm still not convinced. Why is it, then, if they're so vital, that I've seen other laptops with Win 7 (including lesser Dells, i.e. the 4400's), that have no partition?

 

[CommonTater]

Alright, some of u are making it sound like this partition is somehow necessary, although I'm still not convinced. Why is it, then, if they're so vital, that I've seen other laptops with Win 7 (including lesser Dells, i.e. the 4400's), that have no partition?

It's not necessary... it's just a darned good idea.

Ask if you want to lose your entire collection of music or your family photos because your OS crashed... THAT is why we keep OS and programs on one partition and Data on another... a system crash won't likely cross partition boundaries.

 

[Valor D]

It's not necessary... it's just a darned good idea.

Ask if you want to lose your entire collection of music or your family photos because your OS crashed... THAT is why we keep OS and programs on one partition and Data on another... a system crash won't likely cross partition boundaries.

I understand that, which is why I back up all my data to disk, as I think everyone would be wise to do. 16GB Flashdrives are very handy, and pretty cheap these days.

 

[CommonTater]

It's not necessary... it's just a darned good idea.

Ask if you want to lose your entire collection of music or your family photos because your OS crashed... THAT is why we keep OS and programs on one partition and Data on another... a system crash won't likely cross partition boundaries.

I understand that, which is why I back up all my data to disk, as I think everyone would be wise to do. 16GB Flashdrives are very handy, and pretty cheap these days.

Yes they are... but also not much good if you're looking at 2.5tb of data.

Backup is very important... I can't stress that enough! But it's still far better to not lose the data in the first place....

 

[peter7348]

moving files/folders

Hi
not sure I fully understand your explaination -
anyway-
my preinstalled system has a C and and a D partition. I understand the value of putting data and music and pictures etc., on the D partition and leaving C for OS and programs(Ithink that's right)
I seem to have some same files on both partitions! If I try to delete them from C they also go from D,
I guess I'm not doing it right
Advice please
I have windows 7

 

[Mike Connor]

Hi
not sure I fully understand your explaination -
anyway-
my preinstalled system has a C and and a D partition. I understand the value of putting data and music and pictures etc., on the D partition and leaving C for OS and programs(Ithink that's right)
I seem to have some same files on both partitions! If I try to delete them from C they also go from D,
I guess I'm not doing it right
Advice please
I have windows 7

Windows 7 uses virtual default folders which do not contain data, only point to where the data is. If you have these pointers in several places, ( although the data they point to is only in one physical place), and you delete one, then all are deleted. If virtual folders have been "redirected" the data stays in the same place, but the virtual folders pointing to it appear somewhere else.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[peter7348]

partitions

Thanks for your reply
I sort of half understand it
I have basicalyl used the Library on C drive for all my stuff and also somehow put some on D drive - not really knowing what I was doing
If I look on C drive I get 36GB used whilst D has only 1 Gb used
when I look at D drive in my docs folder, for example, the contents are not the same as the Library docs folder on C
If I look at the library doc folder on D they are the same
does that make sense? cause it confuses the hell out of me!
I suppose I want to have the files on D and not on C - somehow- although windows will find them from the start menuu

 

[Mike Connor]

I have basicalyl used the Library on C drive for all my stuff and also somehow put some on D drive - not really knowing what I was doing

Unfortunately, it can be rather confusing. You need to learn how libraries work, and where your data actually is.

Have a read through this;

Understanding Windows 7 Libraries


Regards....Mike Connor

 

[peter7348]

libraries

We are obviously on different time streams. It was 1am when I was last talking with you.

I looked at the link you gave me - not too much wiser I'm afraid.

Can't I just save files to D partition, as I would have done in xp, and then access via the libraries "system".

The "helpful" videos proved by MS seem to indicate that it can be done (even accessing an external drive, which is like another partition) though I'm not completely clear how to do what they say.

I could start fresh by backing up my current data and then deleting it from the libraries

OR is MS overcomplicating a simple issue, or are libraries a waste of time and space if they won't do what the user wants?

 

[severedsolo]

OR is MS overcomplicating a simple issue, or are libraries a waste of time and space if they won't do what the user wants?

Not at all. Libraries are (in my opinion) a godsend. The thing you have to understand about libraries, is that in a real data sense, they do not exist. They are simply "pointers" to where the data actually is.

In order to get the libaries doing what you want to do, IE savin everything to D, rather than some programs automatically writing to C:\Users\<whatever username>\<whatever folder> then take a look at this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html

Thanks to some marvelous techno wizardry, it will also automatically direct the Libraries to the right place too, thus killing two birds with one stone.

 

[Layback Bear]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. To me libraries are used to find information or what ever. They don't store the information, doc, photo, ect. They just get you there through indexing. Windows 7 knows where it is and libraries is a method of you finding it.

 

[Mike Connor]

Can't I just save files to D partition, as I would have done in xp, and then access via the libraries "system".

Yes, you can do that if you want. Once you have saved the files wherever you want them to be, then you can "Add" them to a library. A library is basically just a data index.

If you are really having serious trouble with libraries, then you can turn the function off until you know what is happening;

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/938-libraries-desktop-icon-add-remove.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/35627-libraries-folder-add-remove-navigation-pane.html

This affects search and other functions so consider carefully before you disable libraries.

If you know exactly where your data is, and you keep it organised, then you don't need the library function anyway.

Microsoft introduced libraries in Win 7 to help people who had trouble organising data and were storing stuff all over the place and then not being able to find it.

Before loads of people start flaming me on this, read what Microsoft has to say about it;:

Inside Windows 7:Introducing Libraries

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Mike Connor]

Also, if you want more of an "XP-Style" system, then you can use things like this to set up your system as you want it;

• Welcome to Classic Shell
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/35627-libraries-folder-add-remove-navigation-pane.html
• How to Add or Remove "Favorites" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Homegroup" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Computer" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Network" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Control Panel" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove your "User Folder" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove the "Recycle Bin" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane

There are lots more tweaks and customisations available for this.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[peter7348]

Vista vs W7 libraries

to SEVEREDSOLO

thanks for the reply

I've looked in the link you sent me and the properties tabs shown in the screen shot do not appear when I do it . In particular the" location" tab, nor do I seem to have a" move" choice if I right click on my folder (in Library-Documents) and select "open folder properties".

Is this related to administrator privileges?

As I said in earlier post I considered removing all my file(perhaps to disk) reloading them to D partition and linking them through the Library.

I suppose it is true that being used to XP I could forego the use of libraries and find my own files but I think a single access point could be a good thing, so I am definitely leaning towards the libraries method of "storage"