Partitioning external hdd with Windows disk management

[Robert J. Lafayette]

Notebook computer, almost four years old:

1.8Ghz, 512 ram,
XP home, sp2,
internal 40 Gb HDD, NTFS and
Hitachi external NTFS 250 Gb hdd via USB 2.0.

External HDD is currently clean and empty.

From Help and Support in MS Windows I can theoretically
create up to four partitions using disk management tool.

Presumably large partitions.

Is there a benefit to doing this?

Research suggests "Yes."

Guru's please advise.


Want to use 250 GB external HDD (actually 232 GB) with partitions for, i.e.:

1) backups and system files
30GB
2) temp files for DVD, video, etc.
50 Gb
3) My docs ( not my docs and settings) music, my pictures
60GB
4) To be assigned
90 Gb

or balance external hdd with four equal partitions of approx. 60GBB for each
of the above.


Or NONE OF THE ABOVE and simply use directories, with one large partition of
232 GB.

Suggestions, please.


PS:
Then, I want to clean up my 40 Gb hdd (on my notebook),
and reinstall XP home sp2, and the programs I really use and need,
and really clean up my internal hdd.

That is to get rid of useless files and accumulated hidden garbage.

Does this make sense?

Thanks in advance,
Robert

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Robert,

As it's external and not being used for the system files, there is really no
reason to partition it. I would simply set up directories that were
appropriate to the various uses that you are planning. Partitioning is
useful when you want to separate the system file set and data as a
safeguard, or when one multiboots, but other than for organizational
purposes it is not needed in the circumstances you are describing, and that
can easily be accomplished through the use of directories.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Robert J. Lafayette]

Thank you for your fast and clear response.

In NOT Partitioning the external HDD and using directories,
doesn't that tend to slow things down and create
problems in defragging that external and stuff like that?

Or, is that out of my league and I am best to stick to basics as you
suggest?
Robert

 

[Leythos]

Thank you for your fast and clear response.

In NOT Partitioning the external HDD and using directories,
doesn't that tend to slow things down and create
problems in defragging that external and stuff like that?

Or, is that out of my league and I am best to stick to basics as you
suggest?

You partition drives for a couple reasons:

1) To separate data from the OS
2) To decrease cluster size to lessen slack space

If you have an external drive, to be used for backups and off-line
storage, you don't need to partition it, unless you have a business
reason to create separate partitions.

 

[Robert J. Lafayette]

No partition, it is then,

Robert

You partition drives for a couple reasons:

1) To separate data from the OS
2) To decrease cluster size to lessen slack space

If you have an external drive, to be used for backups and off-line
storage, you don't need to partition it, unless you have a business
reason to create separate partitions.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

You partition drives for a couple reasons:

1) To separate data from the OS
2) To decrease cluster size to lessen slack space

When you're talking about NTFS, which most Windows XP users are using,
number 2 isn't an issue, since the default cluster size is 4K regardless of
partition size.

Even if you're talking about FAT32, in these days of very inexpensive hard
drives, in my view it's a mistake to partition to achieve less slack space.
When measured in dollars (substitute your own local currency), the amount of
disk space saved is almost always insignificant. You should choose a
partitioning scheme to maximize your convenience and not worry about slack.

You also left out what is probably the most significant reason for having
multiple partitions:

3) Because you are running more than one operating system.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

No partition, it is then,

A word on the terminology here:

Partitioning is required, not optional.

Partitioning is the act of creating *one or more* partitions on the drive.
Without at least one partition, the drive is unusable.

What you presuambly mean is that you won't have *more than one* partition.