What is the MINIMUM size a Windows OS partition should be? (On a multi-boot system)

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

I've heard huge sizes and tiny ones. I am not looking for an extreme answer; "you need at least 180GB to run windows!" because that's BS...

I need to know the minimum/recommended *healthy (usable)* size for a Windows Partition because I'm planning to triple boot.

say the drive is 240gb.

SBargisen · Oct 6, 2015

What are you going to triple boot? 3x windows?

I'd say atleast 60gb for each, so 180 in total.

Usually I like to have atleast 120gb for windows partition, but that's for programs etc. aswell, just to have a bit of headroom.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

SBargisen :

Planning to triple boot Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux (probably Arch). Storage space for, say, Skyrim, would be great as well if possible.

Rogue Leader · Oct 6, 2015

I with windows 7 used to run it on a 64GB SSD, and I had a few programs on the drive as well (Firefox, MS Office), and I was always perpetually close to being full, like somewhere around 10 GB free. Right now with Windows 10 I am on a 120gb SSD and I'm usually around 45 GB free, with the same programs and maybe a few more on there. If I had to guess I would say 80 gb would be more than enough, 64 is fine if you don't have a lot installed.

SBargisen · Oct 6, 2015

Feliks :

I don't know about ARCH, but I have Ubuntu on my laptop, and I use 12 gb with Python, LaTeX and programs like that installed.

USAFRet · Oct 6, 2015

Which OS?

Win 7 - 60GB
Win 8.1 - 40GB
Win 10 - 35GB

8.1 and 10 will need more later.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

USAFRet :

Okay so keeping in mind it will need more later what is a REASONABLE partition size leaving space for the others?

USAFRet · Oct 6, 2015

Feliks :

What OS's are you putting on it? Win XX, Linux, OSX?
Given a 240GB SSD:
For each Windows OS, 60GB minimum. Preferably more.
For the others, it depends.

Lord_Permafrost · Oct 6, 2015

It will also depend on how long you plan to run it before reinstalling, remember that windows updates will start to take up more space on the disk as time goes past.
also are you planing to run mostly in windows or one of the others?

giantbucket · Oct 6, 2015

a fresh install of Win7 without a single update or extra set of drivers is around 16G
doing just updates and drivers puts you at around 45G (yeah)

i have no idea how it swells up so quickly, but it does. maybe there's a whackload of restore points, or copies of the updates that can be cleaned out, but still, it's there.

60G for Win7 would be a nice compact size. i wouldn't risk 45G.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

USAFRet :

Scroll up

Windows, Yosemite, & Arch.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

If I have 225 GiB and don't want to use beyond 80% space how should I partition it is my question

I know it's up to me but I want some general guidelines

On it I will have Windows 10, Mac OSX Yosemite, Linux, and storage space (Games like skyrim, maybe a program or two)

USAFRet · Oct 6, 2015

240GB SSD
3 x OS's

80GB for the Windows OS and Windows applications
50GB each for the other two
Leaving ~20GB for a game.
And leaving sufficient free space for TRIM to do its thing.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

Lord_Permafrost :

I don't really plan to reinstall? And yes (mostly in Windows).

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

Lord_Permafrost :

I don't really plan to reinstall? And yes (mostly in Windows).

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

USAFRet :

Can games count as applications?

For the "leave 20GB" should I create another partition in to that?

And that adds up to 200GB, I need it to add up to 220GB so if it does involve creating another partition can I make that 40GB (more games; not that I intend to use all of that space because like we both agree, I need at least 20% free but I think that's still included in a partition not just left out in the open or it goes to waste)

USAFRet · Oct 6, 2015

IMHO, you are overstressing over what size things should be.

The "80GB for the Windows OS and Windows applications" does not include games.
Applications like your antivirus, other browsers, etc, etc, etc.

80+50+50+20 = 200
Leaving sufficient space for Windows to do the TRIM thing.
Overall, you need to not go over 200GB used space on that drive.

Me personally? I wouldn't try to squish 3 OS's AND games on a single 240GB SSD.
But that's just me.

Feliks · Oct 6, 2015

USAFRet :

Understood but what I mean is 20 GB outside of a partition randomly doesn't the space just get wasted (treated as if it isn't there)? I heard if you make partition(s) to make sure you're not leaving space outside of it/them

Feliks · Oct 9, 2015

*bump* Okay so right now I'm looking at my very-much-used laptop and it's C:\Windows is just 21 GB, but the Users (just 1) is at 52GB* (a lot of that will probably be managed better on new desktop). Do you think 80GB is good for a Windows Partition or no? And any idea why my Users is so High?

And hitting back at my last question, I agree no more than 200GB should be used on that drive; but all 220 should still be put into partitions, right?

USAFRet · Oct 9, 2015

A Windows install is not just what lives in C:/Windows/
/AppData/, /Users/, /Temp/, etc, etc, etc.

A carefully managed Windows 10 32bit system, with a teeny bit of RAM, with almost no applications installed and little use....can work in a 32GB drive. For instance a low end Asus Transformer. 32GB drive, but a 64GB SD where actual data lives.
A system that is actually used day to day? 80GB might work. For you.....wouldn't work for me.
My current C drive is approx 105GB. Of course, 6GB of that is taken up by the pending Win 10 Upgrade.

Feliks · Oct 9, 2015

USAFRet :

Okay wait so what else is there to a Windows install then? because I'm looking at it in WinDirStat and actually yeah, it does seem to be just what lives in Users (Appdata is part of Users, or at least on my laptop), Windows, & Pagefile/Hiberfil.

USAFRet · Oct 9, 2015

Feliks :

I have a 2 month old Asus Transformer, with a 32GB drive.
The OS and a very few tiny applications installed.
Win 10 32bit, 2GB RAM...It is right in the edge of being unusable.

And I have the Doc/Download/Music/etc directed to the 64GB SD card that plugs in the side.
If all it has was the 32GB drive...I'd be screwed.

My main PC?
3 year old Win 8.1 Pro, 16GB RAM, minimal page file, no hibernation file, all applications besides games....Approx 90GB used. This is discounting the space that the pending Win 10 Upgrade takes.

All I'm saying is...what do you want to use that space for?
You can squeeze a brand new Win 10 install, with no applications, into a 32GB space. Mostly.
If you want space that the OS can actually make use of....you want more.

Feliks · Oct 9, 2015

USAFRet :

How many applications is "All applications" and how minimal is the "minimal page file"? (I don't mean these questions to sound sarcastic by the way, they are serious questions and I'm glad you are responding)

Again all I want (NOT documents, etc) is the Windows OS's partition but stable. I don't mean shrinking anything but I certainly don't mean putting all my apps on there too though.

What I mean is having my OS, the way I'd normally run it, minus the programs and stuff because I'm putting that on my 3 TB HDD. I have plenty of space for programs but wanted to put my OSs on the 240GB SSD. 1) If you could get it in 32GB, judging by my pagefile that'd be bigger and a 64bit OS shouldn't it still be able to fit into 80GB? (And I don't mean with everything shrunk down I mean comfortably)

2) I guess it depends on how big your page file and the size of your applications together are

USAFRet · Oct 9, 2015

On my main PC, page file of 1GB MIN/MAX. It has always been thus. No hibernation file.

OS and Applications in that 90GB? Quite a few. MS Office, Adobe Lightroom, Corel VideoStudio, Paintshop Pro, A bunch of other utilities.
Now....could I have installed those things elsewhere? Sure. Thereby giving up a LOT of the benefit of having an SSD.

But....for the bare install of the OS (all 64bit), and after all current updates are run:
Win 7 SP1 - ~40-45GB
Win 8.1 - ~35GB
Win 10 - ~25GB

All carefully managed for space, and no applications installed.

The question is...what do you want to use this OS and drive for?
Given a 240GB drive....80GB (as you mentioned), would be the smallest for a current Windows OS.
Can you do it in a bit smaller? Sure. If you want to toss away most of the benefit of an SSD, and if you want to spend a lot of time managing that space, instead of using the device.

Feliks · Oct 10, 2015

USAFRet :

I'm not saying to do any smaller than 80 (However I'm still kind of confused why you mention 80 is minimum/SMALLEST when you said your Windows 8.1 is at 90GB and that is WITH programs and 3 years of use; I would think it should be 80 recommended then)

My plans for the drive have been mentioned. 3 OSs and Skyrim.

Planning it out I would say
30GB minimum for OSX (a fresh install of OSX is about 15 GB)
80GB (Will this be enough or do I need more? I need a straight answer but it looks like it will be enough) for Windows 8
30GB for Arch Linux
80 GB for Storage/Games (NOT many)/Programs
(20GB of that^ will be empty space so that I don't use >80% of the SSD's space).

^^Feel free to adjust that how you would to fit everything. And actually please do. I know you said you wouldn't do this on this SSD but frankly I'm not you and having your input is helpful and I do think it is certainly doable just fine.

What is the MINIMUM size a Windows OS partition should be? (On a multi-boot system)

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