XP Clean Install, Partition A New Hard Drive..

[JD]

I'm going to do a clean install of Windows XP on a new Hard Drive and
I'd like to set up the new HD with four partitions, C, D, E and F.

I've never done this before. From what I have read, I want to make the C
drive the Primary drive and then make the remaining space an extended
drive and then make three logical drives D, E and F, there?

Will XP let me do this?

 

[Patti MacLeod]

Hi JD,

Yes, XP will let you do that, unless your install disk for XP is a Recovery
or Restore CD provided by the computer manufacturer.
You can set up all the partitions, primary and extended/logicals, via Setup,
or you can opt to just do the primary partition at Setup and do the
extended/logicals after XP is installed using the Disk Management utility.

Have a look at these MSKB articles:

How to partition and format a hard disk in Windows XP
*How to partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup
program*
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348#4
(in the above, at step #9, I believe it should say "Repeat Steps 7 and 8 to
create additional partitions if you want them instead of Repeat Steps 4 and
5.......)

How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000/



Regards,

 

[Malke]

I'm going to do a clean install of Windows XP on a new Hard Drive and
I'd like to set up the new HD with four partitions, C, D, E and F.

I've never done this before. From what I have read, I want to make the
C
drive the Primary drive and then make the remaining space an
extended
drive and then make three logical drives D, E and F, there?

Will XP let me do this?

Yes. Create and format the partitions during setup.

Malke

 

[JD]

Hello Patti..

Please see my reply, in line:

Hi JD,

Yes, XP will let you do that, unless your install disk for XP is a Recovery
or Restore CD provided by the computer manufacturer.
You can set up all the partitions, primary and extended/logicals, via Setup,
or you can opt to just do the primary partition at Setup and do the
extended/logicals after XP is installed using the Disk Management utility.

Have a look at these MSKB articles:

How to partition and format a hard disk in Windows XP
*How to partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup
program*
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348#4
(in the above, at step #9, I believe it should say "Repeat Steps 7 and 8 to
create additional partitions if you want them instead of Repeat Steps 4 and
5.......)

I found the above article before I posted my question and I see that the
steps to repeat are incorrect.

As I create the partitions, is there going to be a place to set the
first as the primary and then the remaining space as the extended and
then be able to set the extended into three logical drives? That's what
has me a little confused.

 

[Patti MacLeod]

If you are accustomed to using the FDisk utility, where you explicitly state
the type of partition you are wanting to create (Primary DOS, Extended,
etc.), partitioning during XP Setup may seem a bit confusing in that it does
not explicitly state the type of partition that you are wanting to create.
Once you have created the first partition, it is "deemed" the Primary
partition. After having created the first partition, all subsequent
partitions that you create will be automatically placed within an extended
partition and created as logical partitions.

Myself, I prefer to create just the first partition, install XP, then use
Disk Management within XP to create the other partitions.



Regards,

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I'm going to do a clean install of Windows XP on a new Hard Drive and
I'd like to set up the new HD with four partitions, C, D, E and F.

I've never done this before. From what I have read, I want to make
the C drive the Primary drive and then make the remaining space an
extended drive and then make three logical drives D, E and F, there?

Will XP let me do this?

I see that Patti and Malke have already told you how. I'd like to add
another comment about your plan to have four partitions, and ask what you
plan to use each partition for.

How to organize your drive is of course a personal decision, but sometimes
people make decisions based on a misunderstanding. For example, many people
have an operating system system partition, a a programs partition, and a
data partition. They separate Windows from programs on different partitions
because they believe that if they ever have to reinstall Windows, at least
they can keep their installed programs.

However that's not correct. Since all programs (except for tiny ones, and
rarely) have components and pointers to them within Windows (in the registry
and elsewhere), if Windows gets reinstalled, all programs cease to work, and
the programs have to be reinstalled too. So the advantage of having programs
on a separate partition goes away.

My view is that most people's partitioning scheme should be based on their
backup scheme. If, for example, you backup by creating a clone or image on
the entire drive, then a single partition might be best. If, on the other
hand, you backup only your data, then the backup process is facilitated by
having all data in a separate partition. Except for those running multiple
operating systems, only seldom does it make sense to have more than two
partitions

 

[JD]

JD wrote:





I see that Patti and Malke have already told you how. I'd like to add
another comment about your plan to have four partitions, and ask what you
plan to use each partition for.

How to organize your drive is of course a personal decision, but sometimes
people make decisions based on a misunderstanding. For example, many people
have an operating system system partition, a a programs partition, and a
data partition. They separate Windows from programs on different partitions
because they believe that if they ever have to reinstall Windows, at least
they can keep their installed programs.

However that's not correct. Since all programs (except for tiny ones, and
rarely) have components and pointers to them within Windows (in the registry
and elsewhere), if Windows gets reinstalled, all programs cease to work, and
the programs have to be reinstalled too. So the advantage of having programs
on a separate partition goes away.

My view is that most people's partitioning scheme should be based on their
backup scheme. If, for example, you backup by creating a clone or image on
the entire drive, then a single partition might be best. If, on the other
hand, you backup only your data, then the backup process is facilitated by
having all data in a separate partition. Except for those running multiple
operating systems, only seldom does it make sense to have more than two
partitions

I install programs on the D drive, use E and F for pictures and other
storage. I'm aware I'll have to reinstall the programs if I do a OS
repair but since the data files for the programs are on the D drive the
data files should be OK.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I install programs on the D drive, use E and F for pictures and other
storage. I'm aware I'll have to reinstall the programs if I do a OS
repair but since the data files for the programs are on the D drive
the data files should be OK.

OK. Your choice, of course, as I said. Such a partitioning scheme doesn't
make sense to me, but it's a personal choice.