Partitioning HD for OS

I seem to be under the impression that it is best, if one will or may in the future use two operating systems, to partition the hard drive. If so how much is a safe amount to set aside for this? 1GB?, 1 1/2GB? 2GB?Thanks (this is for a new system)

 

csnudelman

I am using 2.5 gig for my C: drive which has OS, and all program files. They take up about 1.1 gig with the rest being free for expansion.

If you are going to dual boot you will need another partition of about the same size for the other OS and program files.

While you are at it, you should have your files on another partition for easy backup. Then another partition for storage of stuff you don't use very often.

There are a LOT of ways and reasons for making partitions and it is a very personal thing. What I think is correct may be not so good for others. In other words 'suptoyou.

 

1129, thanks. By all program files are you refering to those used only by the OS? I have a ton of photo and illust programs, easy 5MB.

 

Program files being those you install on your computer.

There is another reason that folks dual and triple boot. One system on one partition is used for gaming only and only games are installed. One system on another partition used for internet stuff. While another yet is used for normal stuff like word processing, photo, audio, etc....

 

Thanks again. I must have 8-9GB all programs considered (several thousand dollars worth). I believe I will put XP Pro on a seperate partition of 2GB (room for adding patches). Set aside another 2GB for another OS if I wish someday. And, use the remaining 76GB for all programs and files. I also have a second 3.2GB hard drive I will be using as my 'strach disc space'.

 

XP-Pro - 2Gb is gonna get tight real quick. I just checked and I'm using 1.25Gb just for the Windows folder. And I have hibernation turned off as well as some other odds and ends that take up significant space.

If you intend to keep a partition just for the OS (and those few things that refuse to load elsewhere), I strongly suggest 4Gb as an absolute minimum. And that is if you put pagefile on another drive (or at least on another partition) and load any programs that will tolerate it on another partition.

I had a dual-boot system with NT4 in a 2Gb partition and 2K in a larger one. Tried XP into the 2Gb where NT4 had been and waged a constant, daily, frustrating battle to keep from filling the darned thing up.

 

I really want stability over anything else. I believe I will just put everything (except the strach disc space) on my 80GB HD. I'm getting this new computer built because I'm tired of not having the resources I need for all these programs. I don't want trouble with my new one.

 

Here is a good place to read about partitioning taht may interest you.

Your 3.2 gig drive is an excellent place to put your page file. Page (swap) files on another disk makes for faster and less fragmented computing.

 

1129, is page (swap) file another name for strach disc?

 

csnudelman
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is page (swap) file another name for strach disc
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Don't know what a strach disk is.

In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, what used to be called a swap file is now called a page file.

If your Page(swap) file is located on another disk, the computer can read and write on both disks at the same time. The speed you gain is probably not noticeable to us mere humans, however, the page file will not get as fragmented if it is on another disk.

 

OK, strach disc space is space used on a hard drive by photo and illus programs temporary. It keeps whatever project one is working on, at the time, saved step-by-step so that one can go back to whatever state of the project one wishes. It auto clears when the program is closed down. By having a seperate disc it not only works faster but one dosen't use another drive's space and possibly run out of room at the time. I have had this happen, but, no more. One can go to 'OPTIONS' of the program and assign the strach to another drive instead of default on drive 'C'.

 

So your 3.2 gig HDD can be made into an extended partition with 3 logical drives.
One for Page file, one for strach file and one for keeping files that you create.

 

I'm really not on top of this Page file stuff. My computer is being put togeather next week (Windows XP Pro). Could you tell me just what it is, how it works and suggest a size? If it dosen't offer any 'real world' advantages I would rather opt for stability and simplesity.

 

This is from CNET Glossary:

"virtual memory
What do you do when you run out of real random access memory (RAM)? Easy. Pass it off to virtual memory. To do this you need a virtual memory manager (usually a function of the operating system) that maps chunks of data and code to storage areas that aren't RAM. Virtual memory is really a part of your hard disk called a swap file, dedicated as a storage area for bits of data in RAM that aren't being used much. By freeing up RAM, you're virtually increasing the amount of working memory available to you. "

With XP and 512 Meg of Ram you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

I'm still on Win98se and plan to stay here until it won't do what I need it to do. "If it ain't broke....... "

 

Actually its 768 MB DDR400 on a DDR333 board. This allows me to set the read latency to CL2.0 instead of the normal CL2.5. Perhaps I should set aside 1GB of the hard drive just in case, I do work with some big files and my computer now (PIII 450MHz, 320MB RAM) can't handle some of them, rare, but it happens.

 

768 Megs of ram is great. In most instances of computing you probably don't even need a page file.

I have 512 mb and I have turned off my swap file and everything worked just fine except when I wanted to use my scanner. It would preview fine but would not scan. The software probably used too much ram and forced it to try to swap some of the running tasks out to swap files.

You have some pretty fancy programs there some of which may need the page file for elbow room.

At any rate, as you say, simple and stable is the way to go.

I stole this site from brett on another thread. Excellent stuff to explain what swap files are for.