Windows XP partition question?

[Daniels2386]

I was wondering when you reformat I know you can create multiple partitions. I wanted to know if I can create just a partition big enough for XP Pro and then have a separate partition for all my files, software, etc. That way when ever I get a virus or have to reformat I wont lose or have to delete my stuff and can just put a fresh XP pro OS back on? Is this possible or make any sense?

 

[red onion]

I was wondering when you reformat I know you can create multiple partitions. I wanted to know if I can create just a partition big enough for XP Pro and then have a separate partition for all my files, software, etc. That way when ever I get a virus or have to reformat I wont lose or have to delete my stuff and can just put a fresh XP pro OS back on? Is this possible or make any sense?

Makes perfect sense and is an excellent idea
Just create the extra partitions during the XP install and you are all set.

 

[PC eye]

You should see the layout here with XP, Vista, and Linux running between two separate drives along with an extra partition for storage on the one where Vista is there along with ubuntu. Plus there's an external drive as well used for storing files for all three OSs.



The "H" drive seen in the Disk Management tool there is the second partition on the Vista drive where you can also see the "root" and "swap" partitions alike used for the Linux distro currently installed. All you need is the partitioning tool found in Windows for an MS type partition or one like the free Linux drive tool GParted for multiple versions of Windows even like going from Fat to NTFS or 9X-ME to 2000, XP, Vista.