Best way to install Vista

[YorkieBen]

Im getting a new PC soon (well building it) and I was wondering what the best way to install Windows Vista will be - Im concerned regarding partitions etc, I will be having a 500GB hard drive, is it okay to just have one partition or should I parition it up - would this give me any extra performace?

ta

[Fraz]

I'd say at least:
- make an OS partition (the first partition - maybe 100 gigs or so)
- then make data partition(s)

The OS will have the advantage of being on the fastest spinning cylinders of the hard disk then; and for your docs, in general it's easier to recover data from a non-os partition (Well, I certainly found that with XP at anyrate).

The other advantage is that you can separate defragmentation of your OS disk (common) and your data (not very common). Also, it's easier to backup you data or OS individually rather than as one huge mess.

[YorkieBen]

thanks for that - how would I go about partitioning the drive, can this be done before I install Vista/as part of the install? Thanks

oh and what is okay to put into the OS partition? codecs etc? Or just leave it for the OS only? What about my documents etc?

Stuff like games etc go into the data partition I assume?

thanks again

[Dreaming]

Hey Yorkie.

I have an overly complicated set-up for fast performance:

Two 250gb hard disks striped together into one 500gb array.

First 35gb of this '500gb disk' is Windows and drivers only. Some other apps have snuck in because they're stupid.

Next 80gb is games, because I like fast games. And have lots of them.

Next 120gb is apps etc.

After that I have 25gb which is mirrored for documents. In Vista all you need to do is go to C:\Users\Username, drag everything there to another folder / directory and it automatically resets all your default directories. Brilliant for me.

What I would recommend you do actually, for a first run, is just to keep it simple. Split it into two partitions, say of 200gb and 300gb. This can be done with the Vista install CD IIRC. Have the first partition, install Windows and your games and your applications and everything on there. On the second partition, save all your films, .isos, documents and so on. This means if worst comes to worst and your windows partition dies and you need to reformat and reinstall - you don't need to either try to recover all your documents with a linux live cd (which aren't all that fun if you're used to windows), just can just obliterate the C: drive and start from fresh, sound in the knowledge that everything on your data partition is safe.

The reason I have lots of partitions is to overcomplicate matters for myself, well actually it's so it's organised in my mind and I'm reducing fragmentation.

I'd strongly recommend you grab a copy of diskeeper pro if you're concerned about fragmentation - Purchase Diskeeper 2008 for £15 it stays open in the background and will automatically defragment everything to keep things running fast! There's a free trial so get that anyway, it's spyware free (I've got it on my PC and I'm very anal about letting malware on). Edit: seems the UK price is double. :|

[peterb]

Certainly recommend having separate partitions for the OS and data. You may want to create a third one for applications to - just keeps the OS away in its own area. I usually create a fourth one for multimedia type files, but the problem then is how to split the disk up so you avoid resizing later, although one way round that is to use dynamic disks for data storage, with a fixed partition for the OS. (I haven't used dynamic disks on a windows system so can't advise about reliability or how to set up)

But certainly keep data in a separate partition.

[Lucio]

Personally I keep a simple system, first 100GB for OS and applications, remainder of the disc for data. It should put the files that are changed and accessed reguarly near the edge of the disc for faster access and the static documents near the middle.

[b0redom]

After that I have 25gb which is mirrored for documents. In Vista all you need to do is go to C:\Users\Username, drag everything there to another folder / directory and it automatically resets all your default directories. Brilliant for me.

You're mirroring on a RAID-0 stripe?

[Dreaming]

You're mirroring on a RAID-0 stripe?

No sorry I oversimplified it, the last partition is a raid1 mirror, the first 3 are raid0, the same 2 hard disks though.