Multiple partitions: Is it still necessary?

[eldren]

I seem to recall in the good old days, it was best to use multiple partitions to ensure a low cluster size, and thus reduce overall waste due to unused cluster tips. With NTFS, I believe all clusters are 4KB in size. If this is so, it should be perfectly well and good to have a single 148.8GB NTFS partition instead of several smaller ones, correct?

Either way, I expect my two 160GB samsungs any day now (*hyperventilates*), and was wondering as to how I should partition them. Currently, I'm thinking of splitting the boot drive roughly in two (So I don't have to lose anything, should [more like when] I have to format the OS), and leaving the second as one big partition. Any problems with this? Thanks.

[Steve]

I like various partitions - easy to organise, if one partition cocks up you don't lose everything, and the partitions that fragment are quicker to defrag due to their smaller size.

[eldren]

Organizing is not an issue for me, nor is defragmenting, really. (Quickly runs an analyze on C; Total fragmentation = 29 %, File fragmentation = 52 %, most fragmented file has 1253 pieces. However, I can't defragment, for lack of sufficient disk space. Hence the new drives. :>). I would have thought that partitions only really go wonky if your MBR gets nuked. Elaborate, perhaps?

[DeludedGuy]

I like various partitions - easy to organise, if one partition cocks up you don't lose everything, and the partitions that fragment are quicker to defrag due to their smaller size.

I concur, I have 3 partitions, one for music and films, one for games and one for everything else.

[Kumagoro]

I like having mine setup with partitions for the virtual memory page file
for the sake of tidyness and fragmentation rather than speed
Ive read that 2.5 times your sys ram so mines 2.5 GB (could be 1.5 i cant
remember).

Also i like sticking the temp internet files in there own partition so easy to delete I use about 500 for every user there is.

Also this helps with virus scanning and defragging the boot partition.
( i often forget to clean out the temp files)

I have no idea if it makes a speed diff but it feels cleaner to me. I feel so
dirty when my computer feels a mess like i havent washed my hair for a week

hahah

[Jiff Lemon]

Separate partition for paging file not much use - Separate drive is.

I prefer separate partitions - One for the OS, one for programs, one for data.

Keeping the installed program separate from the OS means that Imaging software can usually compress a "recovery install" onto a single CD, although with DVD writers getting cheaper by the day, this isn't that big an issue.

keeping your data separate from the OS is a definate I'd say.

[@if ®afiq]

Separate partition for paging file not much use - Separate drive is.

Is there anyway to measure page file performance? Would it be better to have the page file on my raid setup or on the backup drive?


I would have to agree that is is much better to have partitions esp. if you make images of your drive.

I have three partitions on my raid drive: one for the OS + music; one for games and one for downloads. On my backup drive I have two partitions. One to hold a backup copy of XP just in case I need to do some file retrievals or re-imaging and the other to hold images of my main OS partition.

[directhex]

os on one partition, all your junk (e.g. music, videos) on another, so you can reformat & reinstall os without losing things

[Ethos]

Indeed Hex, same as me.

I used to have one partition for os, one for games, one for music etc... but its just a pain. What happens when u need more space for music, but have plenty left for games etc...

1 for os, 1 for everything else

[@if ®afiq]

You have to plan it carefully. I've got a 34GB partition for the OS, a 50GB partition for games and around 150GB for other data..

I know that I will never fill up the OS partition nor the games one...and if I manage to fill up the data partition then I think I'll be needing a DVD writer!

[Ethos]

How can u plan it carefully not knowing what your gonna put on your pc for ageees?

Wastes space imo, theres no advantage to having different partitions for different things (os is different).

[Ethos]

I got a 120gig drive about a month ago and its already full....

[directhex]

i took another solution - one partition for windows which i can format ahhpily

and another mahicne on the nwteork with all my important stuff on it, accessible via mapped hard disks

[Kezzer]

I see so many people disagree with partitioning. It's a saviour tbh! What if you wanted to ghost and had only one drive with one parition? What if that partition fell over? All hail partitions!

[Steve]

I would have thought that partitions only really go wonky if your MBR gets nuked. Elaborate, perhaps?

Well there's that, or maybe you try to install Linux and mess it up, or partition magic does something it shouldn't, or part of the partition table (right next to the MBR) get's nackered for some reason.

[Howard]

I don't see the point in partitions if you have more than one drive.

When I only had one drive I had it partititioned into two drives... One for Windows/Program Files and the rest for data. That way I could back things up onto the data drive when reformatting, and formatting would only kill Windows and installed stuff.

Now that I have two physical drives, one for Windows/Program Files (60GB) and the other for data (music, videos, downloads, etc) (160GB) I don't see the point in partitioning any of it. My Data drive is all organised nicely into folders

Besides the fact that my drive randomly dissapeared when I reformatted ( ) I don't see what could go wrong if you're not playing about with different Linux distros, etc

But each to his own I guess. You're allowed to set up your computer however you please