Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
In news:m9ednVjlxpMwRtTfRVn-uQ@comcast.com,
Bonnie <me@comcast.net> typed:
> Since I am kind of a beginner, would someone tell me why
> someone
> would want to partition their hard drive?
First, a word on the terminology. To "partition" a drive is to
create one or more partitions on it. You *must* partition a
drive, since you can't use it unless it has at least one
partition (usually C
on it.
So I assume you mean to ask why someone would want to create
*multiple* partitions on the drive.
> What would be the purpose
> of this? I am assuming it means to somehow separate a certain
> amount
> of gigabytes from the rest of the HD.
When you create multiple partitions, you subdivide your drive
into two or more logical drives (usually C:, D:, etc). Each of
these logical drives then appears to you almost exactly as if it
were a completely separate physical drive.
Why would you do this? There are several reasons; I'll mention
what are probably the three most common:
1. If you have a situation where you need to boot more than one
operating system, you need to separate those operating systems on
different partitions. otherwise things meant for one of them are
likely to end up in the other.
2. Depending on your backup strategy, if you place your data
files in a partition separate from the operating system, it can
make it much easier to backup that data alone.
3. A common reason, but a poor one: some people use a second
partition as their means of backing up the first one. I think
this practice is only slightly better than no backup at all, and
I don't recommend it because it leaves you susceptible to
simultaneous loss of the original and backup to many of the most
common dangers: head crashes, severe power glitches, nearby
lightning strikes, virus attacks, even theft of the computer.
--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
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