Solved Partitions?

[OnTheRopes]

Hi
Im just starting a new install of Windows 7 Prox64, I was wondering if it was de-rigeur these days to partition the drive?
For instance t seperate windows from other stuff or programs from data etc
Or do most folk put it all on the one partition these days?

 

[mickey megabyte]

hi OnTheRopes, and welcome to sevenforums,

i would definitely partition especially with today's huge drives- keep your data and your os separate.

that way, if anything were to go wrong with your windows system, you could safely reformat and reinstall/image without worrying about losing your data.

here's a tutorial on how to change your user folders, to ensure that your data gets saved where you want.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Thanks Mickey
Would you suggest 2 partitions then? Or 3 partitions so 1 for OS one for progams and one for data or is tha getting a bit OTT?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Worldwide: pretty sure you see everything on one partition most of the time. I wouldn't be surprised if the single partition group was 90% of the total.

Among enthusiasts and among forum members, more people tend to use C and D. C for Windows and apps; D for data. You don't often see C for Windows, with apps on some other partition, though it does happen.

If I had to speculate, I'd guess over half of members of this forum separate data. Readers as opposed to members is still probably over half on C alone.

I don't know of a poll, so it's guesswork.

It's mostly personal preference and habit and not really a big deal---assuming you are properly backed up and can install Windows at will when required.

Using a bunch of partitions can easily lead to space issues on at least one of them.

 

[mickey megabyte]

it's up to you really on how many, but two is a very good way to go in my opinion.

one for the os/programs, and one for the data is a good start.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Okay, you reckon 30Gb minimum for OS?

 

[mickey megabyte]

do you play games?

sometimes a single game can take 15 gigs!

it seems that you've got a terrabyte drive. why not give windows a bit more than 30?

you can always safely resize later.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'd be a little antsy about 30 unless I had a real small drive.

I use 60. My C now has 22 GB occupied and has never been above 25.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Well I have new 1TB so space is not an issue

 

[mickey megabyte]

everyone's usage will differ.

i've got a 60 gig ssd as my main system/apps drive, and it's half full already after less than a month.

i've got my data and a lot of my games installed on my terrabyte spinner.

 

[xarden]

Lets start a poll out of curiosity.

I have C: for the OS and programs, and D: for UserProfiles
I have all other attached drives for storage not relating to the above.

Edit: Is this a thread, or a chat room? There were 5 new posts since I was writing that
Also, my C: D: are 200gb and 120gb partitions.

 

[OnTheRopes]

I use a fair few big programs so I guess a big partition then

 

[OnTheRopes]

I just have the one drive at the moment but I also have a 1TB usb3 external and a smaller usb 2 external, I was planning on ghosting an image to one of these once I have all my main software loaded and before data starts accumulating

 

[mickey megabyte]

a very good idea to 'ghost' your os drive, that way you don't have to activate it everytime you 'reinstall'.

i'm a recent convert to the free version of macrium reflect, which does a similar imaging job.

a bare bones install (with page and hibernation file removed) takes about five gigs to store with macrium reflect.

 

[OnTheRopes]

I think thats the way forward then, I'll probably make a bigish say 100Gb OS partition and leave the rest for data, then if i ever get a second HD I can stick all the data on there and ghost the OS drive to another external drive.
How does that sound?

 

[mickey megabyte]

 

[OnTheRopes]

Oh just spotted your tutorial link, thanks for that.
When you said you can adjust partition size later, is that from inside windows?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I think thats the way forward then, I'll probably make a bigish say 100Gb OS partition and leave the rest for data, then if i ever get a second HD I can stick all the data on there and ghost the OS drive to another external drive.
How does that sound?

It's a good idea to put images on another physical drive as you say----but it's better than nothing to still make images and put them on a second partition on the same drive as the OS.

Do you plan to immediately begin backing up your new 900 GB D drive?? If yes, then I'd make sure my original images got saved to D and then backed up to whatever your backup drive happens to be.

Partitions can usually be shrunk from within Windows, but there can be complications depending on your specific partition layout---you may have to use a third party tool.

 

[OnTheRopes]

Ignats
Yes I was intending to install and update windows and all drivers, install software etc and do a burn in then before i start importing or creating any data I was going to take an image. Then I would start using the software and start the backup startegy. Im new to this so that was the plan as I want to get it right on this new machine

 

[mickey megabyte]

Oh just spotted your tutorial link, thanks for that.
When you said you can adjust partition size later, is that from inside windows?

yes you can resize within windows without needing extra software, but it's a bit fiddly. i much prefer the free partition wizard software.

you can run it within windows or without.