Setting up a new computer

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

I need some advice on the best way to set up XP on a new machine.
I intend to split the 750GB HDD into 3 partitions, one consisting of
20GB for the OS, one of about 100GB for programs and the remaining
680GB for data - does that sound reasonable?

Having done that, is there an easy way of taking regular backups of
the OS partition and either storing them in data partition or on
external storage? Later on I will probably add another HDD for the
purpose. Anything else I should consider?

Dirk

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I need some advice on the best way to set up XP on a new machine.
I intend to split the 750GB HDD into 3 partitions, one consisting of
20GB for the OS, one of about 100GB for programs and the remaining
680GB for data - does that sound reasonable?

I'd set aside more for the OS. 40GB or more. No reason to limit it so
much - you aren't gaining much of anything out of this partitioning other
than backup/recovery capability anyway.

Having done that, is there an easy way of taking regular backups of
the OS partition and either storing them in data partition or on
external storage? Later on I will probably add another HDD for the
purpose. Anything else I should consider?

Backing up to the same hard disk drive really serves little purpose other
than correcting user mistakes on files. For a system - if you have messed
it up to a point you are considering a restore of the system - you probably
cannot boot. ;-) External storage should always be your backup solution.
Internal storage - only ifg you are desperate and it is short term (even
another hard disk drive.)

The built in backup utility and/or some third party imaging utility would
work.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I need some advice on the best way to set up XP on a new machine.
I intend to split the 750GB HDD into 3 partitions, one consisting of
20GB for the OS, one of about 100GB for programs and the remaining
680GB for data - does that sound reasonable?

No, it doesn't. There's normally no advantage to separating programs
on a separate partition from the operating system. There can be a good
plan to separate data, if your backup practice is to backup just data.

I recommend that you read this article I wrote, "Understanding Disk
Partitioning" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

Having done that, is there an easy way of taking regular backups of
the OS partition and either storing them in data partition or on
external storage? Later on I will probably add another HDD for the
purpose. Anything else I should consider?

Storing a backup on a local partition is looking for trouble. Backup
should always be kept on an external device.

 

[JS]

20GB is way too small for the Windows OS.
If you are going to format as FAT32 then create a 32GB partition.
If you are going to format as NTFS then create a 32GB or larger partition.

Even though you will be installing your programs
on the D: partition in most cases applications still end up
placing some files on the C: partition so you would run out of
space quickly on a 20GB C: partition if you plan to install a
lot of applications.

A 100GB partition for applications is fine. Since applications don't get
updated nearly as often a the Windows partition you will find
that you will rarely need to defragment the D: partition.

As for Backups, they are best created on a second internal
drive or an external drive. Why, because if your primary hard
drive should fail you have lost all your backups.

Backup Software:
Norton Ghost - has a 30 day trial available
(Trial does not allow you to create a Bootable Restore CD AFAK)
http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost14
Product Review "Symantec's 14th Ghost":
http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Norton-Ghost--Review-78775.shtml

True Image - has a 15 day trial version available,
(Trial version can create a Restore CD, but I have not verified this yet)
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

JS
www.pagestart.com

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

Thanks. Having read the replies I will modify my plans.
c: XP + programs - 200G
d: Linux partition - 100G
e: Data - 450G

I've added the Linux partition because I'd like to play around with
Ubuntu at some point, though not necessarily now.
Can I add in dual boot stuff at a later date with this scheme?
Anything else?

Dirk

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped>
To see the conversation in its entirety:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...44771/d329d7b6c403ff6a?tvc=1#d329d7b6c403ff6a

Thanks. Having read the replies I will modify my plans.
c: XP + programs - 200G
d: Linux partition - 100G
e: Data - 450G

I've added the Linux partition because I'd like to play around with
Ubuntu at some point, though not necessarily now.
Can I add in dual boot stuff at a later date with this scheme?
Anything else?

You are about to be disappointed if you think that 750GB drive you are
speaking of is going to actually provide you with 750GB usable space. ;-)

Marketing...

Advertised --- Actual Capacity
10GB --- ~9.31 GB
20GB --- ~18.63 GB
30GB --- ~27.94 GB
40GB --- ~37.25 GB
60GB --- ~55.88 GB
80GB --- ~74.51 GB
100GB --- ~93.13 GB
120GB --- ~111.76 GB
160GB --- ~149.01 GB
180GB --- ~167.64 GB
200GB --- ~186.26 GB
250GB --- ~232.83 GB
320GB --- ~298.02 GB
400GB --- ~372.53 GB
500GB --- ~465.66 GB
750GB --- ~698.49 GB
1TB --- ~931.32GB

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

<snipped>
To see the conversation in its entirety:http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics/brow...



You are about to be disappointed if you think that 750GB drive you are
speaking of is going to actually provide you with 750GB usable space. ;-)

Marketing...

Advertised --- Actual Capacity
10GB --- ~9.31 GB
20GB --- ~18.63 GB
30GB --- ~27.94 GB
40GB --- ~37.25 GB
60GB --- ~55.88 GB
80GB --- ~74.51 GB
100GB --- ~93.13 GB
120GB --- ~111.76 GB
160GB --- ~149.01 GB
180GB --- ~167.64 GB
200GB --- ~186.26 GB
250GB --- ~232.83 GB
320GB --- ~298.02 GB
400GB --- ~372.53 GB
500GB --- ~465.66 GB
750GB --- ~698.49 GB
1TB  --- ~931.32GB

Well, considering my actual requirements at present are around 100GB
total I don't see that being a problem, esp as the total programs size
is under 20GB

Dirk

 

[Anthony Buckland]

No, it doesn't. There's normally no advantage to separating programs
on a separate partition from the operating system. There can be a good
plan to separate data, if your backup practice is to backup just data.
...

I agree, and I've elected a "virtual partitioning" by
keeping all my data in My Documents and backing
up that folder much more frequently than my True
Image backup of the whole C: partition.

To make this effective, you need to move your
mail and address book files to My Documents.
And, of course, to save from your applications to
folders in My Documents. All my downloads
are to places in My Documents, too.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I need some advice on the best way to set up XP on a new machine.
I intend to split the 750GB HDD into 3 partitions, one consisting of
20GB for the OS, one of about 100GB for programs and the remaining
680GB for data - does that sound reasonable?

Reasonable? No, not really. I'm not sure I'd even call it
particularly sensible, to be blunt - and without meaning to give offense.

Granted, placing data files on a partition or physical hard drive
separate from the operating system and applications can greatly simplify
system repairs/recoveries and data back-up.

There's virtually no point, however, in having a separate partition
for just applications. Should you ever have to reinstall the OS, you'll
still also have to reinstall each and every application anyway, in order
to recreate the hundreds (possibly thousands) of registry entries and to
replace the dozens (possibly hundreds) of essential system files back
into the appropriate Windows folders and sub-folders.

I'd suggest that you use no more than 2 partitions; one for the OS and
applications, and the second for data. Set the size of your
System/Applications partition to somewhere in the neighborhood of 100
Gb, to allow for future growth and the virtual memory. Set the rest
aside for the data.

Having done that, is there an easy way of taking regular backups of
the OS partition and either storing them in data partition or on
external storage?

If you're not going to back up to an entirely separate physical drive
(preferably external), there's only a limited point in bothering, at
all. Besides, it's the data the you most especially want to back up;
the OS and applications can always be re-installed from the original
media. However, even being able to restore just the OS/application
partition can sometimes save time, so any backup is better than none.




--

Bruce Chambers

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