Partitions Question

sniperchang

sniperchang

New Member
Hello,

I'm going to reformat my computer. I use the Windows XP CD to reformat (By deleting and recreating a partion). But people have been making 2 or more partions. Usaly one for windows OS and other patition for the rest. I though it might be a good ideal. Can you tell me the Pros And Cons about putting OS on seperate partitions.

And can someone tell me about how much space windows XP needs with all the current updates and such.

Thanks :)
 
XP will take as much as 800-900 MB, so 1.5 GB should be enough considering any future updates.

The big disadvantage is that the temporary folder for burning disks will be on the same partition. DVD burning takes 4 GB easily. Now, wait until blue ray DVDs come out. Probably 20 GB will be needed. No, this temporary folder doesn't appear to be movable, as much as I already tried. Not all CD/DVD burning software uses temporary folders, but many do.

It does seem like a nice idea at first, but the limitations are not obvious right away.
 
The bare minimum for an XP installation is 1.8gb. That allows Windows enough space to create swap files used for virtual memory. Dvd burning only takes a large amount of drive space when two things are present. The source file itself depending on type varies in size. Mpeg IIs average a ratio of 60mb per one minute of video playing time.

The amount of space needed for a primary/secondary split depends on how many programs will be installed as well as the size and volume of files kept on either partition. Mst softwares install to the default boot partition which would be the C drive there. The idea of creating a second partition is to store files or duplicates of files in case the need for reformatting or wiping the primary arises due to a some type of infection or change of OS. If a drive fails you still lose everything.

For backing a large amount of data and other things a secondary partition or second drive is often used as the temporary storage medium there. Permanent backups by cd-r or data dvd are then used.
 
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(what you thinking saying 1.5? you thinking linux floppy again? ooops! :confused: me forget tell sniperchang about 1,8gb recommendation specially for windows disk protection requirement. :eek: will edit.)

Windows Disk Protection Requirements

Windows Disk Protection requires a minimum of 1 GB of unallocated disk space. This unallocated disk space will become the protection partition—for storing disk changes temporarily when Windows Disk Protection is turned on. Some computer uses—such as burning CDs and DVDs—require large amounts of disk space (double the size of the project being written to disk). Keep this in mind and ensure that sufficient unallocated disk space exists when you configure computers that will be used for this purpose.
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Note
An alternative to increasing the size of the protection partition for burning CDs and DVDs is to configure your disk-burning software to place its temporary files off the Windows partition.
To turn on Windows Disk Protection, you must fulfill the following requirements:
•Ensure that at least 1 GB or approximately 10 percent of the Windows partition (whichever is greater) is available as unallocated disk space.
•The unallocated disk space must follow a primary partition; it cannot be at the beginning of the disk.
•The disk that contains unallocated disk space may have no more than three primary partitions.
•The Windows partition must be a basic disk. Dynamic disks are not supported by Windows Disk Protection.
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Note
The protection partition can also be created in free space in an extended partition, or you can use unallocated disk space on a second physical disk. For more information about each of these techniques, see the “Manage the Protection Partition” at the end of this chapter.

You can use the Disk Management utility to view the current partitions on the hard disk. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sct/scthch02.mspx
 
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