Installing OS in seperate partition

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Hi

I'm building a new PC with 1 physical HDD (200 GB). I plan on creating a few
partitions on it...

Question:

Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own partition (used
only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition which would only be
used for XP -- all other software and apps would be installed in a different
partition.

I thought this would make reloading the OS easier later on if I had to
since --theoretically -- the other partitions could remain untouched if I
had to reinstall Windows...

Please advise if this is worth while... If so How big of a partition should
be allocated for XP PRO? Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

There's little or no advantage in terms of the system or how it runs. When
you say you thought this would make reloading the OS easier, I assume you
mean reinstalling after a format as it appears you are trying to avoid
having to reinstall the applications. That won't work. All applications
would need to be reinstalled in such a scenario as the OS after a format and
reinstall would not know where they are.

However, creating and using Images can save you a lot of time.
I have an image of my setup with a clean install of the OS, all drivers
loaded and most settings in place. I have a separate image of the OS with
most of my primary applications installed.

Sometimes, if I know I'm going to be doing something risky, I'll create an
image of my setup with all my data as well. The two best applications for
this are Drive Image from PowerQuest, www.powerquest.com (now owned by
Symantec) and Norton Ghost, also owned by Symantec, www.symantec.com.

You shouldn't use these in place of a backup, rather use your backup as a
supplement to the images which are essentially just the framework of your
system without your data files. Used together, in a system crash, you can
be up and running again in 30 to 45 minutes as opposed to the hours it would
take to first reinstall the OS and then all your applications.

Don't worry if you don't have all the applications installed in the image
because whatever comes later for which you may not have had time to create a
new applications image will take far less time to install than all the work
necessary without the use of images.

I create a specific partition where I store the images and it would also be
advisable to burn the image files to a DVD disk as they will likely be too
large for CD-R. That way, if your hard drive fails, you still have your
images which you can quickly restore after replacing your hard drive.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"MP" <pokjob@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:i2hoc.75252$Ik.5409345@attbi_s53...
> Hi
>
> I'm building a new PC with 1 physical HDD (200 GB). I plan on creating a
> few
> partitions on it...
>
> Question:
>
> Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own partition (used
> only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition which would only be
> used for XP -- all other software and apps would be installed in a
> different
> partition.
>
> I thought this would make reloading the OS easier later on if I had to
> since --theoretically -- the other partitions could remain untouched if I
> had to reinstall Windows...
>
> Please advise if this is worth while... If so How big of a partition
> should
> be allocated for XP PRO? Thanks in advance.
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

MP wrote:
>
> Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own partition (used
> only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition which would only be
> used for XP -- all other software and apps would be installed in a different
> partition.
>
There is an advantage to creating a separate user data partition, if you
want to use the same data in different OS instances. There is no
advantage to separating out the applications since those folders will be
OS-specific.

You can point My Documents and your email and news files to your user
data partition. Details vary by application. Best not to try to move the
entire user profile to the user data partition as much of it is
OS-specific.

--
Kent W. England, Microsoft MVP for Windows Security

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Thanks for the suggestion about the ghost software -- I need to pick some
up.

But about drive size -- Is there a limit to how big of a drive partition XP
can use? Theoretically, could I have just 1 partition of 200GB? Or is there
a limit to what XP can see/use?

Thanks again.



"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in
message news:OswDlF$NEHA.3832@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> There's little or no advantage in terms of the system or how it runs.
When
> you say you thought this would make reloading the OS easier, I assume you
> mean reinstalling after a format as it appears you are trying to avoid
> having to reinstall the applications. That won't work. All applications
> would need to be reinstalled in such a scenario as the OS after a format
and
> reinstall would not know where they are.
>
> However, creating and using Images can save you a lot of time.
> I have an image of my setup with a clean install of the OS, all drivers
> loaded and most settings in place. I have a separate image of the OS with
> most of my primary applications installed.
>
> Sometimes, if I know I'm going to be doing something risky, I'll create an
> image of my setup with all my data as well. The two best applications for
> this are Drive Image from PowerQuest, www.powerquest.com (now owned by
> Symantec) and Norton Ghost, also owned by Symantec, www.symantec.com.
>
> You shouldn't use these in place of a backup, rather use your backup as a
> supplement to the images which are essentially just the framework of your
> system without your data files. Used together, in a system crash, you can
> be up and running again in 30 to 45 minutes as opposed to the hours it
would
> take to first reinstall the OS and then all your applications.
>
> Don't worry if you don't have all the applications installed in the image
> because whatever comes later for which you may not have had time to create
a
> new applications image will take far less time to install than all the
work
> necessary without the use of images.
>
> I create a specific partition where I store the images and it would also
be
> advisable to burn the image files to a DVD disk as they will likely be too
> large for CD-R. That way, if your hard drive fails, you still have your
> images which you can quickly restore after replacing your hard drive.
>
> --
> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
> Windows Shell/User
> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
> "MP" <pokjob@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:i2hoc.75252$Ik.5409345@attbi_s53...
> > Hi
> >
> > I'm building a new PC with 1 physical HDD (200 GB). I plan on creating a
> > few
> > partitions on it...
> >
> > Question:
> >
> > Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own partition (used
> > only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition which would only
be
> > used for XP -- all other software and apps would be installed in a
> > different
> > partition.
> >
> > I thought this would make reloading the OS easier later on if I had to
> > since --theoretically -- the other partitions could remain untouched if
I
> > had to reinstall Windows...
> >
> > Please advise if this is worth while... If so How big of a partition
> > should
> > be allocated for XP PRO? Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
> >
>
>

 

[ms]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

It's also handy to have it by itself at archiving time; much
easier to back up D, E, & F than to have to sort out the os
from the data for backups.
It can also make it easier to ID whether a file is an OS
file or not, and whether an install is putting things where
you think they go.

Imaging is important, IMO, esp with a 200G drive; if I were
you I'd use all 4 partitions or get Partition Magic if you
want even more. Make good use of the partitions for
housekeeping.

There IS a limit on parition size but I don't recall what it
is. Check that out because 180G comes to mind for some
reason. I'm pretty sure I was at MS when I read it; can't
find it now though.

HTH
Pop

Pop

"Kent W. England [MVP]" <kwe@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:e5am75IOEHA.4036@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> MP wrote:
> >
> > Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own
partition (used
> > only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition
which would only be
> > used for XP -- all other software and apps would be
installed in a different
> > partition.
> >
> There is an advantage to creating a separate user data
partition, if you
> want to use the same data in different OS instances. There
is no
> advantage to separating out the applications since those
folders will be
> OS-specific.
>
> You can point My Documents and your email and news files
to your user
> data partition. Details vary by application. Best not to
try to move the
> entire user profile to the user data partition as much
of it is
> OS-specific.
>
> --
> Kent W. England, Microsoft MVP for Windows Security

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

MS wrote:
>
> There IS a limit on parition size but I don't recall what it
> is. Check that out because 180G comes to mind for some
> reason. I'm pretty sure I was at MS when I read it; can't
> find it now though.
>

You recall correctly, but that limit is removed in XP SP1. You really
want a slipstreamed (SP1 integral to XP setup) CD in case you need to
repair or do a clean re-install of XP, but if your computer came with XP
SP1 included, then you don't have the partition size limit.

As you say, still best practice to partition large disks into more
easily imaged/copied user and OS partitions.

--
Kent W. England, Microsoft MVP for Windows Security

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage (More info?)

Kent W. England in this thread has given you a response with regard to
advantages of using separate partitions. Windows XP with SP-1 installed and
using NTFS as opposed to FAT32 can support drives as large as 2 terabytes.
The limiting factor would be what your motherboard and BIOS support.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"MP" <pokjob@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:tnzoc.35861$z06.5636381@attbi_s01...
> Thanks for the suggestion about the ghost software -- I need to pick some
> up.
>
> But about drive size -- Is there a limit to how big of a drive partition
> XP
> can use? Theoretically, could I have just 1 partition of 200GB? Or is
> there
> a limit to what XP can see/use?
>
> Thanks again.
>
>
>
> "Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User)" <user@#notme.com> wrote in
> message news:OswDlF$NEHA.3832@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> There's little or no advantage in terms of the system or how it runs.
> When
>> you say you thought this would make reloading the OS easier, I assume you
>> mean reinstalling after a format as it appears you are trying to avoid
>> having to reinstall the applications. That won't work. All applications
>> would need to be reinstalled in such a scenario as the OS after a format
> and
>> reinstall would not know where they are.
>>
>> However, creating and using Images can save you a lot of time.
>> I have an image of my setup with a clean install of the OS, all drivers
>> loaded and most settings in place. I have a separate image of the OS
>> with
>> most of my primary applications installed.
>>
>> Sometimes, if I know I'm going to be doing something risky, I'll create
>> an
>> image of my setup with all my data as well. The two best applications
>> for
>> this are Drive Image from PowerQuest, www.powerquest.com (now owned by
>> Symantec) and Norton Ghost, also owned by Symantec, www.symantec.com.
>>
>> You shouldn't use these in place of a backup, rather use your backup as a
>> supplement to the images which are essentially just the framework of your
>> system without your data files. Used together, in a system crash, you
>> can
>> be up and running again in 30 to 45 minutes as opposed to the hours it
> would
>> take to first reinstall the OS and then all your applications.
>>
>> Don't worry if you don't have all the applications installed in the image
>> because whatever comes later for which you may not have had time to
>> create
> a
>> new applications image will take far less time to install than all the
> work
>> necessary without the use of images.
>>
>> I create a specific partition where I store the images and it would also
> be
>> advisable to burn the image files to a DVD disk as they will likely be
>> too
>> large for CD-R. That way, if your hard drive fails, you still have your
>> images which you can quickly restore after replacing your hard drive.
>>
>> --
>> Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>> Windows Shell/User
>> Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>> DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>>
>> "MP" <pokjob@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:i2hoc.75252$Ik.5409345@attbi_s53...
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > I'm building a new PC with 1 physical HDD (200 GB). I plan on creating
>> > a
>> > few
>> > partitions on it...
>> >
>> > Question:
>> >
>> > Is there an advantage to installing WinXP PRO in its own partition
>> > (used
>> > only for the OS)? Example -- create a 30GB partition which would only
> be
>> > used for XP -- all other software and apps would be installed in a
>> > different
>> > partition.
>> >
>> > I thought this would make reloading the OS easier later on if I had to
>> > since --theoretically -- the other partitions could remain untouched if
> I
>> > had to reinstall Windows...
>> >
>> > Please advise if this is worth while... If so How big of a partition
>> > should
>> > be allocated for XP PRO? Thanks in advance.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>