Running Vista on a 36 GB Hdd.

[Stardust0124]

Hello !

Curently im using Win XP Pro, and i have a Western Digital Raptor HDD 36 GB
just for Windows and other applications. I want to switch to Win Vista Home
Premium soon, but i read somewhere about the requierments and it said right
there that Vista needs a 40 GB HDD with 10-15 GB free.

So my questions is : Can i install Vista on that 36 gb or not ? ~ im not
quite sure, thats why i'm asking.

Thanks in advance !

~~ Paul

 

[David B.]

That is only a recommendation, it will install just fine.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx
states the the minimum supported requirements are a 20GB drive with 15GB
free.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

While it will install and run I cannot recommend it. Within days of
installation you will see why. Especially once you have added applications.
Over time (a year or so) the side-by-side folder (dll cache) by itself is
growing to as much as 10GB for some users. That's just one example of how
much bigger on a hard disk than any previous version of Windows that Vista
is. I do not have many apps but within days of setting up my newest system
(a week ago) when I did my first Acronis image it came to 57GB (using
default compression). Vista's disk usage is orders of magnitute greater
than XP's ever was.

 

[JW]

My Vista installation only uses 33GB and I have lots of applications on it.
The 15GB extra recommended at install time is only used for temporary file
space during the install itself and is all available for user applications
etc after the installation.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

My Vista installation only uses 33GB and I have lots of applications on
it.
The 15GB extra recommended at install time is only used for temporary file
space during the install itself and is all available for user applications
etc after the installation.

For best HDD performance , you need to look at keeping as close to 25% free
as you can. You should also make provision for the installation of other
applications, service packs, updates, space for shadow copies, restore
points etc.

Anything smaller than 40gb will leave you trying to free up space
continually in a bid to keep performance at a reasonable level. A 60gb
partition will give more freedom and reduce time spent deleting stuff. An
80gb partition will ensure that you don't have to worry about space for a
while.

Ensuring that the OS partition is large enough now will save buying Acronis
TrueImage or similar and running the gauntlet of cloning the OS to a larger
drive at some point in the not so distant future..

 

[BigJim]

If you really need or want vista install it. If you can live without it you
would be better off.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I think a pair of 76GB Raptors is the answer, but OH BOY the sticker shock.

 

[JW]

Since there are reports of users with combo tuners recording 2 NTSC and 2
ATSC programs concurrently while playing back a 5th previously recorded
program disk transfer rate is not an issue. I agree with Mike that a 60GB
partition is a good Vista partition size since that is what I actually have
but as I stated before only 33GB of it is in use even with MC TV and several
applications running concurrently.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

I think a pair of 76GB Raptors is the answer, but OH BOY the sticker shock.

LOL.. I use a 160gb WD SATAII, 80gb for the OS and apps, and two 40gb
partitions for data and installation media. I looked at Raptors, but the
price jumped out and bit me..

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

They did that in Jurassic Park too.

LOL.. I use a 160gb WD SATAII, 80gb for the OS and apps, and two 40gb
partitions for data and installation media. I looked at Raptors, but the
price jumped out and bit me..

 

[Kerry Brown]

Hello !

Curently im using Win XP Pro, and i have a Western Digital Raptor HDD 36
GB
just for Windows and other applications. I want to switch to Win Vista
Home
Premium soon, but i read somewhere about the requierments and it said
right
there that Vista needs a 40 GB HDD with 10-15 GB free.

So my questions is : Can i install Vista on that 36 gb or not ? ~ im not
quite sure, thats why i'm asking.

Thanks in advance !

~~ Paul

During beta testing of Vista I ran Vista and Office 2007 on a 20 GB
partition for several months. It can be done but I would not recommend it.
You want at least 50 - 60 GB.