Reinstall Partitoned XP

[harryguy082589]

Hi,

Based on a tip from friend a few months ago i split my hard drive into
many partitions before installing windowsXP to keep it clean. Here is
how i did it:

C:- Windows folder and the documents and setting folder (less my
Apllication data folder for my personal, one and olny, main user name)

d:- The program files folder

e:- The drive with my Application Data folder (for my main user name)

f:- My Documents

g:- Pictures and Music

h:- Temproary Files (and pagefile)

Now its come time that i feel that my OS is getting too bloated and
slow. Which partitions do i delte which do i keep?

thanks in advance for the help,

dan

 

[Donald McDaniel]

Hi,

Based on a tip from friend a few months ago i split my hard drive into
many partitions before installing windowsXP to keep it clean. Here is
how i did it:

C:- Windows folder and the documents and setting folder (less my
Apllication data folder for my personal, one and olny, main user name)

d:- The program files folder

e:- The drive with my Application Data folder (for my main user name)

f:- My Documents

g:- Pictures and Music

h:- Temproary Files (and pagefile)

Now its come time that i feel that my OS is getting too bloated and
slow. Which partitions do i delte which do i keep?

thanks in advance for the help,

dan

Only delete the partition XP is installed on. Then reinstall XP on
the SAME partition. You will have to adjust any Shortcuts anywhere on
any of your partitions placed there during the previous installation
so that they all point to your relocated My Documents, Program Files,
and Temporary files folders. You will also have to change the
Registry to reflect these changes, since the new installation will
point the Registry and Shortcuts to the default folders XP creates
during installation.

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread
so that conversations may be kept in order
=======================================================

 

[Ron Martell]

Hi,

Based on a tip from friend a few months ago i split my hard drive into
many partitions before installing windowsXP to keep it clean. Here is
how i did it:

C:- Windows folder and the documents and setting folder (less my
Apllication data folder for my personal, one and olny, main user name)

d:- The program files folder

e:- The drive with my Application Data folder (for my main user name)

f:- My Documents

g:- Pictures and Music

h:- Temproary Files (and pagefile)

Now its come time that i feel that my OS is getting too bloated and
slow. Which partitions do i delte which do i keep?

thanks in advance for the help,

dan

You would delete and then recreate the C: partition (or just format
from a bootable diskette if it is FAT32).

Your applications partition (D can be left but all of the apps will
have to be reinstalled before they can be used.

And the newly installed Windows will have to be totally reconfigured
to recognize the changed locations for your documents, application,
data, emails, music, etc.


I also strongly suggest that you relocate the pagefile back to the C:
partition. There are a number of specialized functions in Windows XP
that require the presence of a pagefile on the boot partition (system
failure memory dumps being one of these). Also the location of the
pagefile on a different partition, particularly on the last partition,
will adversely affect performance due to increased travel distance for
the drive head mechanism whenever there is any actual usage of the
page file.

Page File fragmentation as a performance factor, which is the reason
most often quoted for moving the pagefile away from the boot drive, is
right up there with Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy -
lots of hype but very little if any substance.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[harryguy082589]

Never thought about that, i always just put it on the last to keep
things organized, i guess having right between windows and the program
files would make more sense.

Two other question poped into my head: Would it make sense to put the
pagefile on its own partition, place right after windows and before
program files forcably leaving it between the two? and secondly, i know
i have heard of a way to make more than one page file(up to 3?), on a
laptop with 1024mb+ ram, 60gb 7200 rpm 8mb buffer HD, with olny limited
battery power am i correct to assume that would not be worth it?

 

[Ron Martell]

Never thought about that, i always just put it on the last to keep
things organized, i guess having right between windows and the program
files would make more sense.

Two other question poped into my head: Would it make sense to put the
pagefile on its own partition, place right after windows and before
program files forcably leaving it between the two? and secondly, i know
i have heard of a way to make more than one page file(up to 3?), on a
laptop with 1024mb+ ram, 60gb 7200 rpm 8mb buffer HD, with olny limited
battery power am i correct to assume that would not be worth it?

One pagefile per physical hard drive is the limit.

With 1024 mb of RAM it is highly unlikely that you are using the
pagefile to any significant extent, if at all, the physical location
of the pagefile within the hard drive is pretty much irrelevant.

The only times that the physical location of the pagefile is really
relevant are when the computer is actively loading something (e.g. a
newly launched program) from the hard drive and is simultaneously
writing inactive RAM content out to the pagefile so as to free up the
rAM required for the new app. In this situation if the pagefile is
adjacent to the new application, or relatively close, then that will
tend to minimize the head travel distance as the mechanism shuttles
back and forth between the two locations.

But predicting where a given application program will be stored on the
hard drive can be tricky, as some applications (e.g. Windows tools and
accessories) will be in the \Windows folder on the boot partition and
others will most likely be in the \Program Files folder which could be
on a different partition.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm