Partion HD before or after installing W2k

[Guest]

Hi All

As you can read in the head of the message, I'm struggling with this
question.
After my first attempt to build a computer with an Asus A7N8X-e as MoBo
every thing went fine.
Now I want to install OS(W2k) and was wandering what is the best way to do
it.
Before or after to part the HD in partions, and how.?
I have done this earlier with PartionMagic,but a know there is a way with
"fdisk" (never done that).
Can anyone give me a clear answere.
gr françois

 

[who]

Does it matter? If you partition with fdisk, then W2K will prompt you to
reformat the primary partition anyway.

Regards,

Michael

 

[rhys]

Hi All

As you can read in the head of the message, I'm struggling with this
question.
After my first attempt to build a computer with an Asus A7N8X-e as MoBo
every thing went fine.
Now I want to install OS(W2k) and was wandering what is the best way to do
it.
Before or after to part the HD in partions, and how.?
I have done this earlier with PartionMagic,but a know there is a way with
"fdisk" (never done that).
Can anyone give me a clear answere.
gr françois

I have done this a few times as I am a big fan of making a clean and
small OS partition, a "programs" partition and a "data" partition.
This makes maintenance, performance and particularly backup better and
easier.

If you are starting with an absolutely clean hard drive of perhaps 80
gigs, I would use FDISK as follows:

1) Create three or more partitions. Format each with NTFS. Make the
first partition (1) your C: drive and call it ROOT or WIN2K or
something like that. Assign it a size of 10 to 20 gigs. Keep in mind
that very few programs MUST be on the same logical drive as the OS,
and if you are smart, you won't load thousands of fonts onto C:.

Your usage and level of expertise will determine whether or not you
wish to have a swapfile/paging file on C: or elsewhere, and what size
to make it. Big is better.

2) Make your second logical partition DROGRAMS. Make it 25 gigs or
so, depending on your situation. Load all mail, browser, newsreader
and antiviral programs on here first. Then, if you have it, load
Partition Magic into a UTILITIES folder. Run Partition Magic to make
all further partitions you wish to create and assign, because PM is
much more pleasant to use and arguably more flexible.

Hope this helps. I still think Windows 2000 is the best choice for the
hobbyist, although XP is arguably better for gaming and so on.

R.

 

[John Doe]

As you can read in the head of the message, I'm struggling with
this question.
After my first attempt to build a computer with an Asus A7N8X-e as
MoBo every thing went fine.
Now I want to install OS(W2k) and was wandering what is the best
way to do it.
Before or after to part the HD in partions, and how.?
I have done this earlier with PartionMagic,but a know there is a
way with "fdisk" (never done that).
Can anyone give me a clear answere.

In my opinion, a disk manager such as PartitionMagic is the only way to
go. Whether before or after doesn't matter if you have a disk manager.
My experience with Windows XP suggests that certain operations are
overly complex, I don't know whether it is that way with Windows 2000.

 

[philo]

Hi All

As you can read in the head of the message, I'm struggling with this
question.
After my first attempt to build a computer with an Asus A7N8X-e as MoBo
every thing went fine.
Now I want to install OS(W2k) and was wandering what is the best way to do
it.
Before or after to part the HD in partions, and how.?
I have done this earlier with PartionMagic,but a know there is a way with
"fdisk" (never done that).
Can anyone give me a clear answere.
gr françois

just boot from your win2k
you may partition and format the drive however you wish
from within the context of the installation...
there is no need to use a 3rp party utility

 

[Frank]

I have done this a few times as I am a big fan of making a clean and
small OS partition, a "programs" partition and a "data" partition.
This makes maintenance, performance and particularly backup better and
easier.

This is a myth. If you reinstall an OS you have to reinstall the software
anyway. I stopped this about 4 years ago. There is just no use.....

 

[JAD]

no one ever uses images? its not a myth...just not within the grasp
of some people

Those who know that their data is important BEFORE a harddrive failure
or OS corruption, know that this is the great way to protect your
stuff.

 

[John Doe]

This is a myth. If you reinstall an OS you have to reinstall the
software anyway. I stopped this about 4 years ago. There is just
no use.....

Some of us make a copy of the Windows partition. So the
reinstallation is just deleting the current corrupt installation and
copying the clean copy back into place. That copy has all of the
installation information which points to HDD partition D
applications. Complications can arise, but usually it went OK for me.

I too have stopped doing so. Doing a pristine configuration
installation is most important and that is before installing big
applications except any I really need. And I have enough disk space
to make backup copies of that.

I do very much enjoy having a separate partition for downloaded files
and for personal files, currently two partitions for that.

<snip>

 

[John Doe]

They are talking about partitions on the same hard disk drive, JAD,
that's not something to protect against hard disk drive failure.

 

[JAD]

They are talking about partitions on the same hard disk drive, JAD,

that's not something to protect against hard disk drive failure.

1 drive C/ D/ E/ C=OS D=software E=data

right, that would be a instance of protection from OS corruption.
not having to format over/image over new data. Point was 'its not a
myth'. and the worst thing about it was never said. if you do add
another drive, all hell breaks loose as the drive assignments change.
Third party solutions are needed, that can lead to bigger problems.

2 x 120gs over 1 x 250g any day------ ;^)

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From: "JAD" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
References: <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Partion HD before or after installing W2k
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no one ever uses images? its not a myth...just not within the grasp
of some people

Those who know that their data is important BEFORE a harddrive failure
or OS corruption, know that this is the great way to protect your
stuff.

 

[David Maynard]

Does it matter? If you partition with fdisk, then W2K will prompt you to
reformat the primary partition anyway.

Regards,

Michael

Partition and format are not the same thing.

 

[rhys]

This is a myth. If you reinstall an OS you have to reinstall the software
anyway. I stopped this about 4 years ago. There is just no use.....

No, this is a reality. Last year, I had a "program" partition fail on
me on the physical side. I was able to back up all data and get the
verging-on-dead HD mirrored on the same model of HD, which cost me
about $70 from my local builder.

I reformatted the D: drive (programs) on the mirrored HD and
reinstalled all programs. Ultimately, I ended up tossing about 50% of
the crap programs I rarely used, so it was a positive experience and
definitely less traumatic and time-consuming than if I had had a
single partition with a bad sector. I use the older HD with the "bad
sectors" clearly marked for redudant archives and gaming. If it blows
up, it's no real loss at this stage.

Just a few weeks ago I had a corruption in my C: drive (OS) due to a
power outage, and yes, a decent UPS is on my Christmas list. While I
had to reformat and reinstall W2K, and then had to go through a fairly
tedious round of updating service packs and restarts, I only had to
reinstall a few of my usual programs (I'm a graphics design/desktop
publisher). Most worked by shortcuts to the .exe file being created in
the Start menu.

If I had had one big partition and the data management habits of most
PC users, there would have hell to pay instead of a morning's
inconvenience. Once again, I made a lot of space on my programs
partition by critically looking at the dozens of programs I had
installed that I rarely used...and deleting them!

R.

 

[rhys]

They are talking about partitions on the same hard disk drive, JAD,
that's not something to protect against hard disk drive failure.

Actually, what I didn't mention because it wasn't part of the OP's
query was that I image my first HD's data partition on a second HD in
the same machine, and also onto a networked second "legacy" PC that
contains all my current programs, but which is a slower, less tricked
out model. This means a complete failure of my main box is again
inconvenient, but not tragic. This also means that if I hire another
designer or writer on a sub-contract, we can work on different parts
of the same job in the same home office.

As a final safeguard, I have almost all my business data on my laptop,
which is kept handy so I can grab it if the house burnt down <G>

About the only other rhing I could do beyond this is off-site data
warehousing, but frankly, what I do isn't that important or crucial.

I don't image the whole drive (OS, programs, data), because I haven't
felt the need as long as I have original CD-ROMs for reinstallations.

R.

 

[Kill Bill]

No, this is a reality. Last year, I had a "program" partition fail on
me on the physical side. I was able to back up all data and get the
verging-on-dead HD mirrored on the same model of HD, which cost me
about $70 from my local builder.

I reformatted the D: drive (programs) on the mirrored HD and
reinstalled all programs. Ultimately, I ended up tossing about 50% of
the crap programs I rarely used, so it was a positive experience and
definitely less traumatic and time-consuming than if I had had a
single partition with a bad sector. I use the older HD with the "bad
sectors" clearly marked for redudant archives and gaming. If it blows
up, it's no real loss at this stage.

Just a few weeks ago I had a corruption in my C: drive (OS) due to a
power outage, and yes, a decent UPS is on my Christmas list. While I
had to reformat and reinstall W2K, and then had to go through a fairly
tedious round of updating service packs and restarts, I only had to
reinstall a few of my usual programs (I'm a graphics design/desktop
publisher). Most worked by shortcuts to the .exe file being created in
the Start menu.

If I had had one big partition and the data management habits of most
PC users, there would have hell to pay instead of a morning's
inconvenience. Once again, I made a lot of space on my programs
partition by critically looking at the dozens of programs I had
installed that I rarely used...and deleting them!

R.

Ever heard of a repair installation?
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Ralph Wade Phillips]

Howdy!

Hi All

As you can read in the head of the message, I'm struggling with this
question.
After my first attempt to build a computer with an Asus A7N8X-e as MoBo
every thing went fine.
Now I want to install OS(W2k) and was wandering what is the best way to do
it.
Before or after to part the HD in partions, and how.?
I have done this earlier with PartionMagic,but a know there is a way with
"fdisk" (never done that).
Can anyone give me a clear answere.
gr françois

During.

One of the options during install is to create the partition, then
it formats it.

RwP