How is Dell "delivering" hard drives - one huge partition?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause <piedtypecase@yahoo.com> wrote:

>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?
>
>Thanks!

Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Jack Mac

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Jack Mac wrote:

> On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause <piedtypecase@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
>>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?
>>
>>Thanks!
>
> Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.
>
> Jack Mac
>


Thanks, Jack...all in one partition, too?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Yep, I too have an XPS Gen 2 and it came with a 120GB SATA drive which has a
single partition on it...

"Harry Krause" <piedtypecase@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2jdg65F10caieU4@uni-berlin.de...
> Jack Mac wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause
<piedtypecase@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
> >>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
What?
> >>
> >>Thanks!
> >
> > Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.
> >
> > Jack Mac
> >
>
>
> Thanks, Jack...all in one partition, too?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Jack Mac <camkcaj@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause <piedtypecase@yahoo.com> wrote:

>>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
>>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?
>>
>>Thanks!

>Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
partition? ;->
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Ogden Johnson III wrote:

<snip>

> Agree with your basic points. I have, since early in the DOS
> days when partitioning became feasible and easy [all hail
> Partition Magic ;->], and in anticipation of Bill Gates' Windoze
> with it's "File Folders", partitioned my HD into logical drives
> to use as "File Cabinets" to separate data files by client
> directories and project subdirectories [oops, Folders]. Also in
> the DOS days, wanting to keep app programs separate in the
> pre-Windows and pre-install/uninstall program era, I always put
> major apps on a D: drive, and utilities, newsreaders, email, etc,
> on E, reserving C: for DOS and the myriad of drivers it required.
>
> I still prefer that organization over stuffing everything into a
> C: partition, and getting lost in the directory structure. But
> that's just me. Others don't. Fine. Computers are just tools,
> to be used, within their capabilities, in whatever way the user
> finds most comfortable and sensible for them [or, in the case of
> rigid corporationdom, for the IT gurus of the company]. If
> that's one drive partition fine. If it's a lot of drive
> partitions, that's fine too.

No issues with Ogden's post; however, as I retired IT professional I
would urge everyone with anything on their HDD to make backups!!! So few
people do and it's a shame when the inevitable happens.

Also keep your anti virus definitions up to date. If your definitions
are 6 months old, your computer is vulnerable to all viruses, worms,
etc., developed in the last 6 months.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Yes, there's a 39MB partition also...

"Ogden Johnson III" <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:vpi3d0lrr839mu1pjat9dnt1u86ih4kads@4ax.com...
> Jack Mac <camkcaj@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause <piedtypecase@yahoo.com>
wrote:
>
> >>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
> >>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
What?
> >>
> >>Thanks!
>
> >Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.
>
> Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
> 37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
> Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
> partition? ;->
> --
> OJ III
> [Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
> Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 22:30:31 -0400, "Lang Murphy" <langmurf@bellsouth.net>
wrote:

>Yes, there's a 39MB partition also...
>
>"Ogden Johnson III" <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:vpi3d0lrr839mu1pjat9dnt1u86ih4kads@4ax.com...
>> Jack Mac <camkcaj@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>
>> >On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause <piedtypecase@yahoo.com>
>wrote:
>>
>> >>How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
>> >>drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
>What?
>> >>
>> >>Thanks!
>>
>> >Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.
>>
>> Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
>> 37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
>> Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
>> partition? ;->
>> --
>> OJ III
>> [Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
>> Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]
You may be right about the small FAT partition however if it is
there it is hidden. It doesn't show up under any System Information
display I have available. Fdisk doesn't work with NTFS, I don't think.
Actually the only partition on that hard drive (NTFS) and size of
C: drive is shown as 119.965.708.288 bytes, so there must be a
34 MB partition somewhere.
I've never used any of the Dell programs installed on this computer.
When I first got this computer my instincts were to format the HD
and set it up like I wanted rather than Dell. I should have followed
my instincts!

Jack Mac

>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Jack Mac <camkcaj@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>>"Ogden Johnson III" <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote

>>> Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
>>> 37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
>>> Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
>>> partition? ;->

>You may be right about the small FAT partition however if it is
>there it is hidden. It doesn't show up under any System Information
>display I have available. Fdisk doesn't work with NTFS, I don't think.
>Actually the only partition on that hard drive (NTFS) and size of
>C: drive is shown as 119.965.708.288 bytes, so there must be a
>34 MB partition somewhere.
>I've never used any of the Dell programs installed on this computer.
>When I first got this computer my instincts were to format the HD
>and set it up like I wanted rather than Dell. I should have followed
>my instincts!

Oh, it's there all right, on your machine as supplied by Dell. I
was just pulling a chain a bit. The programs on it are only a
couple of megs, but the partition is the minimum size that can be
set on the drive, typical somewhere in the 30-40MB range. The
progs are also on the Dell CDs, so there's no loss in ditching it
if you're in the habit of wiping a new machine and loading from
scratch after a reinitialization. Many, maybe most, here do
that. If not, well, 40MB is a pittance when you're talking
today's HD sizes, it's hidden, not likely to be activated by
accident, so doesn't hurt anything by its presence.

But I thought, for accuracy's sake, the OP who was talking
partitions should know about that teeny-tiny hidden one. ;->
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

In article <kr8cd0l49dhot679b3bomp98ua1tk6bg9n@4ax.com>,
Ogden Johnson III <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Jack Mac <camkcaj@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>"Ogden Johnson III" <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote
>>>> Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
>>>> 37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
>>>> Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
>>>> partition? ;->
>
>>You may be right about the small FAT partition however if it is
>>there it is hidden. It doesn't show up under any System Information
>>display I have available. Fdisk doesn't work with NTFS, I don't think.
>>Actually the only partition on that hard drive (NTFS) and size of
>>C: drive is shown as 119.965.708.288 bytes, so there must be a
>>34 MB partition somewhere.
>>I've never used any of the Dell programs installed on this computer.
>>When I first got this computer my instincts were to format the HD
>>and set it up like I wanted rather than Dell. I should have followed
>>my instincts!
>
>Oh, it's there all right, on your machine as supplied by Dell. I
>was just pulling a chain a bit. The programs on it are only a
>couple of megs, but the partition is the minimum size that can be
>set on the drive, typical somewhere in the 30-40MB range. The
>progs are also on the Dell CDs, so there's no loss in ditching it
>if you're in the habit of wiping a new machine and loading from
>scratch after a reinitialization. Many, maybe most, here do
>that. If not, well, 40MB is a pittance when you're talking

Amazing isn't it? My first PC "clone" was a Logi 8088 and I lashed
out on a "giant" 30 MB HDD when normal was 10 MB and "big" was 20.
(Actually, I think that 30 was really a standard 20 with RLL
encoding to crib the extra space. Worked well anyway.)

>today's HD sizes, it's hidden, not likely to be activated by
>accident, so doesn't hurt anything by its presence.
>
>But I thought, for accuracy's sake, the OP who was talking
>partitions should know about that teeny-tiny hidden one. ;->


Cheers, Phred.

--
ppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

ppnerkDELETETHIS@yahoo.com (Phred) wrote:

>Ogden Johnson III <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote:

>>that. If not, well, 40MB is a pittance when you're talking

>Amazing isn't it? My first PC "clone" was a Logi 8088 and I lashed
>out on a "giant" 30 MB HDD when normal was 10 MB and "big" was 20.
>(Actually, I think that 30 was really a standard 20 with RLL
>encoding to crib the extra space. Worked well anyway.)

HeeHee. Getting old is a bitch with all those "Who'd have thunk
it?"s you get to look back on with embarrassment. Our company's
[my first post-USMC retirement job] first was like yours, an 8088
clone. but we didn't "trust" that new-fangled RLL stuff, so went
with the 20MB non-RLL [1]. After all, that was more than we
would ever use anyway. ;->

Yeah, The Good Old Days [TM].


[1 - hell, the boss didn't trust the whole PC thing at all - he
swore by his Philips Micom dedicated word processor, and I didn't
manage to get a PC into his office until the 386s came out. We
had to do a lot of fancy null-cable/modem work to transfer stuff
between the two. In fairness, the Philips WP program was
versatile as hell, as was the computer behind it, 256K RAM, CPM,
27 MB [18MB formatted] HD. 8" SSSD floppies, proprietary
formatting. We ran three workstations off it, and it had an
excellent macro program built in to the WP program that allowed
us to run huge flat-file DBs When they were moved over to dBase
III on the PCs, I found there was little more that dBase III
could do that I needed done with the data bases than I had
already been doing on the Philips. It was just faster, easier,
and didn't aggravate people who were just writing a report on the
other two terminals that slowed to a crawl when I was running the
macros on a data base. Boy did they used to yell at me. ;->]
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[jr]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

FYI,

The partition is not used for reinstallation. I had totally reformated
my hard drive to delete the partition and have reinstalled since with no
problems.

Jon

>
> IIRC, I believe that partition is used for re-installs of the OS
> and/or reformats, but I could be wrong. <g>
> --
> Be seeing you,
>
> Louie
> Gainesville, FL, USA
> SETI Stats: 1928WU/3.88yrs
> louiethelizard@flies.hotmail.com
> eat the flies to email
>
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 6/7/04
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

In article <jv2ed0huaj65cdlieml0l4r3inj72utn4r@4ax.com>,
Ogden Johnson III <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote:
>ppnerkDELETETHIS@yahoo.com (Phred) wrote:
>
>>Ogden Johnson III <oj3usmc@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>>that. If not, well, 40MB is a pittance when you're talking
>
>>Amazing isn't it? My first PC "clone" was a Logi 8088 and I lashed
>>out on a "giant" 30 MB HDD when normal was 10 MB and "big" was 20.
>>(Actually, I think that 30 was really a standard 20 with RLL
>>encoding to crib the extra space. Worked well anyway.)
>
>HeeHee. Getting old is a bitch with all those "Who'd have thunk
>it?"s you get to look back on with embarrassment. Our company's
>[my first post-USMC retirement job] first was like yours, an 8088
>clone. but we didn't "trust" that new-fangled RLL stuff, so went
>with the 20MB non-RLL [1]. After all, that was more than we
>would ever use anyway. ;->

My new Dell, due to arrive in the next day or two as it has apparently
now cleared Customs, will have a 160 GB HDD. The frightening thing
is, given modern software and the sorts of things one now expects to
do on a PC, filling it up will barely be a challenge. (Backing up the
bloody thing will be though!)

>Yeah, The Good Old Days [TM].
>
>[1 - hell, the boss didn't trust the whole PC thing at all - he
>swore by his Philips Micom dedicated word processor, and I didn't
>manage to get a PC into his office until the 386s came out. We

The first "PCs" in the place I worked were actually owned by a couple
of progressive farmers who had progressed beyond their competence in
such things, so they brought them in for the staff to play with in the
hope that someone would come up with something useful to do with them.
One was an Apple II and the other a TRS-80 Model I.

Our economist came up with a bunch of quite useful stuff written in
Applesoft BASIC. (And, notably, one of the chemists became an expert
in Pacman.

>had to do a lot of fancy null-cable/modem work to transfer stuff
>between the two. In fairness, the Philips WP program was
>versatile as hell, as was the computer behind it, 256K RAM, CPM,
>27 MB [18MB formatted] HD. 8" SSSD floppies, proprietary
>formatting. We ran three workstations off it, and it had an
>excellent macro program built in to the WP program that allowed
>us to run huge flat-file DBs When they were moved over to dBase
>III on the PCs, I found there was little more that dBase III
>could do that I needed done with the data bases than I had
>already been doing on the Philips. It was just faster, easier,
>and didn't aggravate people who were just writing a report on the
>other two terminals that slowed to a crawl when I was running the
>macros on a data base. Boy did they used to yell at me. ;->]


Cheers, Phred.

--
ppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID