Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
Hi R.C. White:
I agree with you that I probably don't need a boot partition (D: drive) of
14GB. Ideally, I would like to leave this partition at 5GB. But if ithe
partition should grow due to updates and applications adding files to it,
then this partition might outgrow the allotted space.
1- In general, how much space does the complete Win XP installation need?
Furthermore, after installation how large can the OS partition (Win XP) grow?
2- If I install my applications on the E: drive, how can applications that
need XP files (or that need to add files to Win XP) be able to locate Win XP
on the D: drive?
3- Have you ever created a separate partition for virtual memory? I was
considering creating a 3GB partition and directing Windows to use it for all
virtual memory requests. Is this too much or too little?
Another thought about formatting. Please let me know if this is feasible.
It occurred to me that I can purchase a 2.5" usb hard drive enclosure, attach
it to my desktop's usb port, and use XP's Disk Management console to
partition and format the laptop drive. Then I can insert the drive into my
laptop, boot into Win XP setup from the CD, and direct the CD setup to
install Win XP on the D: drive. I know it's an extra expense, but using this
method I can get around the discomfort of partitioning and formatting my
drive during Win XP setup.
Thanks for all your help.
"R. C. White" wrote:
> Hi, Enrique.
>
> I mostly agree with Ken's latest comments. I'd just like to add a couple of
> thoughts.
>
> > Do you have any thoughts on which file system - FAT or NTFS - should be
> > used?
>
> NTFS all the way - except MAYBE for the System Partition. IF you choose to
> use FAT here, you can install MS-DOS. As Ken says, there's little reason
> for that these days. I set my system up that way, but I did that about 7
> years ago for reasons that probably are not valid anymore. It was my first
> venture into NT-type Windows and I wanted a fallback position. WinNT4 could
> not read FAT32; neither could Win95 until OSR2. I still used the DOS
> versions of Norton Utilities, especially DiskEdit, because HDDs and file
> systems had many more problems then than now. If I were starting over
> today, I MIGHT still use FAT on the small System Partition, but maybe not.
>
> But MS-DOS can't read, write, boot from or even SEE an NTFS partition, so if
> you plan to install MS-DOS or Win9x/ME anywhere on your computer, then C:
> MUST be formatted FAT. But that's the only reason to use FAT at all.
>
> I do still like the idea of having the small System Partition separate from
> the Boot Volume(s), especially since I multi-boot several Windows versions.
> I can delete or reformat one boot volume without affecting others. And I
> like to keep apps and data out of the system and boot volumes, for similar
> reasons. Keeping data separate from apps is not really important, but if I
> had a large database, I probably would try to isolate that. Since I have
> more disk capacity than I need at the moment (3 HDDs totaling 160 GB), I
> like to keep a large chunk of space in an extended partition, but
> unallocated; this way, I can create a new logical drive and format it if I
> want to try a new Windows version, like Longhorn. Also, it came in handy
> when a volume got damaged and had to be rescued; I created a new volume to
> hold the recovered files while I reformatted the original volume. But that
> probably is not feasible with 40 GB.
>
> > C: drive - 1GB (Sytem files)NTFS
> > D: drive - 14GB (OS)NTFS
> > E: drive - 12.5 (Apps/Utilities)NTFS
> > F: drive - 12.5 (Data)NTFS
>
> I probably would reduce D: to about 8 GB (the size I have now), leaving more
> room for apps and data. But I don't know what kind of apps and what
> quantity of data you have. Perhaps 1 GB and 9 GB would be good for C: and
> D:, leaving 30 GB for apps and data. Only you should make the final
> decision, of course, based on what you know about your situation and plans.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc@corridor.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
>
> "Enrique" <Enrique@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:ABA937A3-DF20-4569-9CD7-30AD69C0ACF5@microsoft.com...
> > Hi Harry and R.C. White:
> >
> > Thanks for all the useful information. Your thoughts are truly
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Do you have any thoughts on which file system - FAT or NTFS - should be
> > used?
> >
> > Since I will partition and format a 40GB hdd for my laptop, this is the
> > configuration I envision:
> > C: drive - 1GB (Sytem files)NTFS
> > D: drive - 14GB (OS)NTFS
> > E: drive - 12.5 (Apps/Utilities)NTFS
> > F: drive - 12.5 (Data)NTFS
> >
> > I am separating my system partition from the boot partition for two
> > reasons.
> > Firstly, as an added security measure should someone access my C: drive
> > they
> > won't find my OS and data there - making it a little more difficult to
> > wreak
> > havoc on my system. Secondly, I hope that I can run MS-DOS from the C:
> > drive, in the event that the OS fails, I can at least obtain a C:> prompt
> > to
> > begin repairs or retreive data.
> >
> > All my system files will be on the C: drive in my configuration.
> > 1- Can I also add MS-DOS system files to the C: drive as well? Will MS-DOS
> > operate in NTFS? I won't have enough space for a double OS installation,
> > and
> > would like to be able to boot back to a C:\> prompt should the OS become
> > corrupt.
> >
> > I've heard that over time the OS will tend to grow and consume more space
> > on
> > the hard drive.
> > 2- Is this due to Microsoft updates and service packs? Or is it due to
> > applications depositing their files in the OS?
> >
> > 3-If, applications do rely on the OS that heavily (both using OS dll's and
> > adding their own shared files to the OS), then shouldn't applications
> > coexist
> > in the same partition as the OS?
> >
> > Thanks again for all your help.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "R. C. White" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi, again, Enrique.
> >>
> >> Whoops! My previous post needs to be changed just a little...
> >>
> >> The System Partition does NOT need to be 5-10 GB. In fact, it need not
> >> be
> >> larger than 8 MB, which is the smallest partition WinXP can create. The
> >> only things that MUST be in this partition are the boot sector (which is
> >> not
> >> a file at all) and the few "system files" (NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM and
> >> Boot.ini), which total well under 1 MB.
> >>
> >> It is the Boot Volume which should be at least 5 to 10 GB in size. This
> >> volume will hold the Boot Folder (named \Windows by default), with its
> >> dozens of subfolders and thousands of files, totaling around 1 GB to
> >> start,
> >> and growing from there.
> >>
> >> My own Drive C: is 715 MB (for legacy reasons) and holds a number of old
> >> DOS
> >> utilities, BIOS binary files, etc., in addition to the system files. It
> >> is
> >> formatted FAT(16) for maximum compatibility, and can be read from an
> >> MS-DOS
> >> boot disk if need be. I established partition this back in about 1998,
> >> when
> >> I first dual-booted using Win95 and WinNT4; FAT(16) was the only format
> >> that
> >> both those OSes could read.
> >>
> >> I like having the System Partition separate. Then I create an extended
> >> partition using the rest of the HD, in which I create and delete logical
> >> drives as needed from time to time. WinXP is in D:, applications in E:,
> >> and
> >> data in F:. Other logical drives (on multiple HDs) hold (or held) other
> >> Windows versions, such as Win98, Win2K3, a parallel installation of WinXP
> >> (for troubleshooting and repair of my main WinXP), and the preview
> >> version
> >> of Longhorn. (That's not exactly the way my system is set up now, but
> >> it's
> >> close enough for this discussion.) With this partition arrangement, I
> >> can
> >> add or remove volumes, or reformat them, without disturbing all the
> >> others.
> >>
> >> RC
> >> --
> >> R. C. White, CPA
> >> San Marcos, TX
> >> rc@corridor.net
> >> Microsoft Windows MVP
> >>
> >> "R. C. White" <rc@corridor.net> wrote in message
> >> news:uYPx6074EHA.1392@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> >> > Hi, Enrique.
> >> >
> >> > First, throw away that MS-DOS boot disk, or at least hide it so that
> >> > you
> >> > won't be tempted to use it again. You should not need it - or FDISK or
> >> > Format.com - again. WinXP has all the tools you need to manage HDs and
> >> > partitions. (Having said, that, let me back up and say that there are
> >> > a
> >> > few jobs where you might need the old MS-DOS tools, but only a few,
> >> > such
> >> > as formatting large volumes (over 32 GB) as FAT32 - but there's no need
> >> > for FAT32 unless you'll be installing Win9x/ME on this computer, as a
> >> > dual-boot system, for example.) One of the hardest things for many
> >> > users
> >> > to do, but one of the most important, is to shake off the MS-DOS/Win9x
> >> > mindset; WinXP looks like Win9x on the surface, but it's built quite
> >> > differently underneath and many things must be done differently,
> >> > especially in managing HDs and other hardware.
> >> >
> >> > To format a new HD as the System and Boot Volumes with WinXP, just
> >> > physically install the HD as primary Master (and it's best to not have
> >> > any
> >> > other HD connected until after WinXP is installed). Then set your
> >> > computer to boot from CD. Insert the WinXP CD-ROM and boot. Follow
> >> > the
> >> > prompts, including the early one that asks if you want to partition and
> >> > format the HD. Say yes, but pay close attention; if you're not
> >> > careful,
> >> > you'll get the default, which is to format the entire HD as a single
> >> > partition. You want to limit this first partition to the size you want
> >> > for your System Partition (Drive C
; for WinXP. This should be at
> >> > least
> >> > 5 GB; 10 GB would be better if you have plenty of HD space, since WinXP
> >> > has a habit of growing faster than we expect, even if we try hard to
> >> > convince all our applications to put their files somewhere besides C:.
> >> >
> >> > Once the System Partition is created and formatted, you can tell Setup
> >> > to
> >> > create an extended partition using the rest of the HD, then create a
> >> > logical drive (D
in that space, format it, and install WinXP there.
> >> >
> >> > After WinXP is up and running, you should use Disk Management
> >> > (diskmgmt.msc from the Run prompt) to handle the rest of your disk and
> >> > partition functions. DM can create partitions and logical drives,
> >> > delete
> >> > them, format them, and reassign drive letters. DM's ability to manage
> >> > the
> >> > System and Boot volumes is limited, but it can manage all the others.
> >> >
> >> > You might want to read these pages from the online version of the WinXP
> >> > Pro Resource Kit:
> >> > Creating Volumes During Windows XP Professional Setup
> >> >
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prork_overview.asp
> >> >
> >> > RC
> >> >
> >> > "Enrique" <Enrique@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> > news
B0C83DE-9FEC-4867-B784-0B0E00B768FF@microsoft.com...
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I wish to format a new harddrive. I will probably format and
> >> >> partition
> >> >> it
> >> >> through Setup during the Win XP installation. I have several
> >> >> questions
> >> >> that
> >> >> I hope someone could help me with:
> >> >>
> >> >> 1) Is partitionning and formatting a blank HDD through Win XP setup as
> >> >> effective as partitionning and formatting a drive using FDisk.exe and
> >> >> FORMAT.exe commands?
> >> >>
> >> >> 2) I want to seperate my system partition (C:\) from my boot partion (
> >> >> D:\ -
> >> >> where I will install Win XP). Will I need to setup the C: drive as
> >> >> the
> >> >> Primary and Active partition before installing Win XP to D: ? Will
> >> >> Win
> >> >> XP
> >> >> setup automatically place the system files on the C: drive when I
> >> >> install
> >> >> the
> >> >> OS to D: drive?
> >>
> >>
>
>
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