Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 74

Thread: To Partition or not?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    2,435
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    4 times in 2 posts
    • BenW's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock Dual SATA2
      • CPU:
      • AMD64 3500+
      • Memory:
      • 1GB Crucial DDR
      • Storage:
      • 160GB Samsung 8MB Cache
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Radeon HD 3850
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic S12 600W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ-04
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 17" Ultrasharp
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 8Mb

    To Partition or not?

    Got a new 160GB hard drive on the way and i have tried partitioned setups and non partitioned setups before and found no real performance differences

    So does partitioning improve/decrease performance?

    Thanks
    Ben

  2. #2
    lazy student nvening's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4,656
    Thanks
    196
    Thanked
    31 times in 30 posts
    i dont think so
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  3. #3
    HEXUS webmaster Steve's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    14,283
    Thanks
    293
    Thanked
    841 times in 476 posts
    Partitioning helps defragging.

    Smaller partitions take less time to defrag, and if you use each partition for different roles then some will need defraging more than others.
    PHP Code:
    $s = new signature();
    $s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display(); 

  4. #4
    lazy student nvening's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4,656
    Thanks
    196
    Thanked
    31 times in 30 posts
    but if yo umake a partition for xp and you progrmas the a virus is unlikely to attack your personal files
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  5. #5
    System Suspect
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Kingston Upon Thames
    Posts
    427
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    If you create a 10 Gig Xp partition you can then re-install Xp without worrying about losing all your apps at the same time, if you export the reg keys for most important stuff like office, doom 3 etc you can do a quick re-install of them, to add the dll files back, and then add the reg key and be back to normal without losing your settings

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    86
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Olly1234
    If you create a 10 Gig Xp partition you can then re-install Xp without worrying about losing all your apps at the same time, if you export the reg keys for most important stuff like office, doom 3 etc you can do a quick re-install of them, to add the dll files back, and then add the reg key and be back to normal without losing your settings


    hmmmmm can u please explain in more detail??
    i usually separate my windows+programs from my games folders [on other partitions], i figured that if u only format the windows partition the next time u install windows the games wont work so smoothly... so i normally start from fresh...

  7. #7
    lazy student nvening's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4,656
    Thanks
    196
    Thanked
    31 times in 30 posts
    well you would have to copy your registry and then put it back on the new installation, but just reinstall it all
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  8. #8
    System Suspect
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Kingston Upon Thames
    Posts
    427
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Yep thats what I mean, you still have to re-install the game/app but if you have exported your HKCU/HKLM reg key for the software you can then re-apply this post install and all your settings are back to exactly how they were before, nothing worse than having to setup everything each time.

    *edit*
    Also you need to modify the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\"ProgramFilesDir"="X:\\Program Files" (Where x is your prefered partition for installing everything apart from XP) so as it any program install you run will default to x:\Program Files
    Last edited by Olly1234; 16-01-2005 at 02:50 PM.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    2,435
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    4 times in 2 posts
    • BenW's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock Dual SATA2
      • CPU:
      • AMD64 3500+
      • Memory:
      • 1GB Crucial DDR
      • Storage:
      • 160GB Samsung 8MB Cache
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Radeon HD 3850
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic S12 600W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ-04
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 17" Ultrasharp
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 8Mb
    Not to keen on the idea of copying the registry etc. Thought this was what made the need for a reinstall - a messed up registry

    So if i had 5GB for Windows and 155GB for Programs/files would there be a difference except defragmenting and the option of reinstalling windows and copying resgistry etc which i dont like the sound of?

    No performance gains?

  10. #10
    System Suspect
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Kingston Upon Thames
    Posts
    427
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Well the thing is your not copying the whole reg, like system state backup does, just the individual keys for each program. Your still re-installing XP a-fresh so that part is taken care of. And because your re-installing the games/apps your still adding the fresh dll's to the system32 folder. The reason Xp generally becomes slow is that it gets bloated with old reg keys and old/corrupt dll's which are still all wiped on a fresh install.

    I'd make the xp part 10gb though as I found 5 a touch too small if you use system restore points.

    If you have two seperate drives and you put you Xp on one and your page file on the other it's quicker (as long as they are on seperate IDE channels, with no optical devices sharing them) Yes you will get a speed boost as it can access programs from one drive and write to page on other simultaniously. Even if you have a gig of ram page file still gets used by XP
    Last edited by Olly1234; 16-01-2005 at 02:58 PM.

  11. #11
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    2,435
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    4 times in 2 posts
    • BenW's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock Dual SATA2
      • CPU:
      • AMD64 3500+
      • Memory:
      • 1GB Crucial DDR
      • Storage:
      • 160GB Samsung 8MB Cache
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Radeon HD 3850
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic S12 600W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ-04
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 17" Ultrasharp
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 8Mb
    Still not convinced. Not that familiar with the registry really, only go in there and delete some keys from programs i dont have anymore every month or so and i know its not something to play around with

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    85
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    I partition to have a dual windows setup whereby i use one for work and one for gaming. This means i can have the gaming OS stripped down with the bare minimum i need and tweaks enabled etc. for faster performance.

    I'd say yes to partitioning

  13. #13
    System Suspect
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Kingston Upon Thames
    Posts
    427
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    I can see your point, but it really is not as bad as it looks. Take something like Paint shop pro. It hasn't got masses of settings but still it takes a while to set back up after install. All I'd do is go into regedit > HKCU > Software > Highlight Jasc goto File and click export. That then writes the xxx.reg file. Do you fresh install of XP and then re-install PSP, run the xxx.reg and all your settings are restored

    Obviously you wouldn't fdo this for XP itself as generally the reson you re-installing is that somthing is badly wrong and this would just bring it back

  14. #14
    Destroyer of worlds Destroyer^'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Kingston
    Posts
    969
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked
    7 times in 4 posts
    • Destroyer^'s system
      • CPU:
      • Core 2 Duo E6750 @ 2.6ghz
      • Memory:
      • 2 X 1gb geil low latence 800 mhz and 2x2Gb Black Dragon
      • Storage:
      • 250 gb WD 7,200 rpm, 60gb raptor
      • Graphics card(s):
      • BFG GTX 260 maxcore 216 core
      • PSU:
      • Tagan 530W
      • Case:
      • Antec p182
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7
      • Monitor(s):
      • 22" Neovo and 24" LG HD
      • Internet:
      • 50 mb Virgin
    bit of a nub question but how do u make particions on ur hdd?
    I5 sandybridge (stock speed atm) - Titan Fehnrir Evo Cooler - 4 GB Corsair XMS3 1600 Mhz - Asus P8P67 Mobo - ASUS GTX480 - 2 x 24" Dual Monitor - NZXT Phantom Case (Sexy as!!) - Coolmaster 700w PSU



  15. #15
    System Suspect
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Kingston Upon Thames
    Posts
    427
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Well you can do it during install of XP or if your not up for re-install get yourself something like partition magic which is very good.

  16. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    2,435
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    4 times in 2 posts
    • BenW's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASRock Dual SATA2
      • CPU:
      • AMD64 3500+
      • Memory:
      • 1GB Crucial DDR
      • Storage:
      • 160GB Samsung 8MB Cache
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire Radeon HD 3850
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic S12 600W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ-04
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 17" Ultrasharp
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 8Mb
    Can be done during the xp install or using a program like partition magic

Page 1 of 5 1234 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. partition magic help please
    By philip41 in forum Software
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 18-01-2005, 06:58 PM
  2. Boot sector and partition table
    By littlewill in forum Software
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 20-07-2004, 07:49 PM
  3. oops forgot to partition - any ideas?
    By Romanov in forum Help! Quick Relief From Tech Headaches
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 18-06-2004, 09:07 PM
  4. How to move Program files folder to new partition?
    By Siven in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 28-05-2004, 11:38 AM
  5. 120GB SATA HD - should I partition?
    By Iam in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 09-12-2003, 02:20 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •