Masterpjz9
Technical User
I have a 20GB hard drive. What is the best way to organize the data on it using partitions?
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hard drive partitioning
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Masterpjz9
Technical User
also, if I want a seperate partition for backups, how much space should it be? and what format should it be in (NTFS or FAT32?
It really depends on how you use your computer.
For instance..
If it were my 20GB Drive, I would:
Format 25% (05GB) of the drive for the OS (WinXP) - (c
NTFS/Fat32*
Format 75% (15GB) of the drive for the Storage&Backup - (D Fat32
Note on Partitions*:
NTFS is NOT accessable with a normal 9x (95, 98, 98se, ME) Sartup Disk.
It is accessable through the CD-Bootup "Repair Console" -=as long as you know the password!!=- -(If requested)
Fat32 IS accessable from a normal 9X Startup Disk and also the Repair Console. Making it easier to recover data and make 'needed' repairs. (That is why Storage&Backup data should also be this file type.
Note on space usage:
In my opinion, if windows grows larger then 5GB. I should probably re-install anyway
Also, I like to "install" programs to a drive/partition other than my boot drive/partition. Thus cutting down the ussage of C: for program installs.
But it is really your preference. Try to plan for what you think you'll need in the future.
Hope some insight.
James
For instance..
If it were my 20GB Drive, I would:
Format 25% (05GB) of the drive for the OS (WinXP) - (c
NTFS/Fat32*Format 75% (15GB) of the drive for the Storage&Backup - (D
Fat32Note on Partitions*:
NTFS is NOT accessable with a normal 9x (95, 98, 98se, ME) Sartup Disk.
It is accessable through the CD-Bootup "Repair Console" -=as long as you know the password!!=- -(If requested)
Fat32 IS accessable from a normal 9X Startup Disk and also the Repair Console. Making it easier to recover data and make 'needed' repairs. (That is why Storage&Backup data should also be this file type.
Note on space usage:
In my opinion, if windows grows larger then 5GB. I should probably re-install anyway
Also, I like to "install" programs to a drive/partition other than my boot drive/partition. Thus cutting down the ussage of C: for program installs.
But it is really your preference. Try to plan for what you think you'll need in the future.
Hope some insight.
James
dilettante
MIS
A "backup" partition isn't much of a backup in itself, but here is what I used to do:
With 20GB...
6GB System partition
12GB Working partition
2GB "To be backed up" partition
The System partition has the OS, swap file, most program files, etc.
The Working partition has folders I use for my documents, music, projects in progress, big stuff (like MSDN Library, clipart galleries), downloads, etc.
"To be backed up" is where I dumped a copy of anything I wanted to be sure to back up. Once in a while I'd burn this to one or two (or three!) CDs - then wipe it. Bigger than that and I can't face a backup to CD. Do you have a 10+GB tape drive on your end? Not me.
Right now my main desktop has a 30GB drive, and I use 10 for the System and 20 for Working.
I found that the "To be" partition didn't save me as much "think time" as I had hoped when it came time to burn backups.
I'd go back to a single partition if I really didn't expect to reinstall the OS every few months.
Moving the swap file is almost pointless unless you move it to another physical drive.
Anything I really want to keep I still burn to CDs. I have all my Working stuff besides the large programs and data (which are already on CDs) and music in directories under one D:\Work directory. When the mood strikes me (2 or 3 times each week?) I'll copy my big Work folder as Work{date} to a separate file server machine with two 40GB drives in the basement (80GB drive on order). I clean up the old copies of Work{date} every month or so.
D:\Work is seldom over 10GB, but I clean things up a lot as I go. Right now it is only at 4.5GB and about 1GB or so is ready to be burned to CD and removed.
If I lose this 30GB drive it is still a pain to recover (mostly application reinstallation). Organizing the CDs is the biggest pain - I just date 'em with a marker now.
NTFS vs. FAT? Gee, is FAT still supported? ;-) NTFS all the way here.
With 20GB...
6GB System partition
12GB Working partition
2GB "To be backed up" partition
The System partition has the OS, swap file, most program files, etc.
The Working partition has folders I use for my documents, music, projects in progress, big stuff (like MSDN Library, clipart galleries), downloads, etc.
"To be backed up" is where I dumped a copy of anything I wanted to be sure to back up. Once in a while I'd burn this to one or two (or three!) CDs - then wipe it. Bigger than that and I can't face a backup to CD. Do you have a 10+GB tape drive on your end? Not me.
Right now my main desktop has a 30GB drive, and I use 10 for the System and 20 for Working.
I found that the "To be" partition didn't save me as much "think time" as I had hoped when it came time to burn backups.
I'd go back to a single partition if I really didn't expect to reinstall the OS every few months.
Moving the swap file is almost pointless unless you move it to another physical drive.
Anything I really want to keep I still burn to CDs. I have all my Working stuff besides the large programs and data (which are already on CDs) and music in directories under one D:\Work directory. When the mood strikes me (2 or 3 times each week?) I'll copy my big Work folder as Work{date} to a separate file server machine with two 40GB drives in the basement (80GB drive on order). I clean up the old copies of Work{date} every month or so.
D:\Work is seldom over 10GB, but I clean things up a lot as I go. Right now it is only at 4.5GB and about 1GB or so is ready to be burned to CD and removed.
If I lose this 30GB drive it is still a pain to recover (mostly application reinstallation). Organizing the CDs is the biggest pain - I just date 'em with a marker now.
NTFS vs. FAT? Gee, is FAT still supported? ;-) NTFS all the way here.
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Masterpjz9
Technical User
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Masterpjz9
Technical User
If I had the D: drive on my computer set up as NTFS and stored backups on it, then reinstalled windows xp, would I be able to view the hard drive with the newly installed os (xp)?
dilettante
MIS
The only concern I would have is in the area of file/folder permissions.
If your D: drive had files secured by users or groups that no longer existed after your fresh install of WinXP, only admin users could see them.
Of course if those original users are gone nobody else SHOULD be able to see them.
Even if a user ("Joe"
had created/secured a folder originally it might be possible that a newly created "Joe" (after reinstallation of WinXP) might not be able to see the "old Joe's" files on D:, due to differences in the SIDs and such (low-level security tokens).
Hmm... I'll have to try that. Though I haven't run into it in the past perhaps I just didn't cause that situation myself.
Very good question.
If your D: drive had files secured by users or groups that no longer existed after your fresh install of WinXP, only admin users could see them.
Of course if those original users are gone nobody else SHOULD be able to see them.
Even if a user ("Joe"
had created/secured a folder originally it might be possible that a newly created "Joe" (after reinstallation of WinXP) might not be able to see the "old Joe's" files on D:, due to differences in the SIDs and such (low-level security tokens).Hmm... I'll have to try that. Though I haven't run into it in the past perhaps I just didn't cause that situation myself.
Very good question.
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