Partitoning questions and concerns

[Parallax]

Hi all
I'm finally upgrading from 98 to XP Pro soon but I have some concerns....

I have a 14 GB HD that I recently repartitioned. It is now split into 4 FAT32 partitions as follows:

drive - size - cluster size - primary usage
C: - 3.0 GB - 4k - OS
D: - 500 MB - 2k - Swap
E: - 500 MB - 2k - Temporary files, Temp. Internet Files for IE and Cache from Firefox
F: - 9.7 GB - 8k - MP3's, downloads, personal files, basically everything else

When I created the two small partitions, I somehow got the idea that it would be better to have smaller cluster sizes, however I'm thinking maybe not. At least not for the swap. I read here (under Dedicated Swap File Partition) that the swap should have the largest cluster size possible, which seems to make sense to me.

I am using Partitionmagic 6.0, by the way.
And the only drive with anything on it is C. Everything else has been backed up to disk so I can play with the partitions.

While reading up on general partitioning rules concerning XP, I found where Train said this here:

There is one hangup with PM8.0 and XP. The primary partition will be formatted wrong and needs to be reformatted using the XP cd. Other than that, it is one nice program to have.

DrMDJ said he didn't have a problem with it, but there wasn't much more discussion about it in that thread. My thinking is that if I do all my partitioning before there is an OS or any data on the HD then is it a big deal? I realize that I am using 6.0 and Train quotes the issues coming from using 8.0, but seeing that I am using a version older than what was posted I would think the problems may be even greater. Or maybe not?

Also, would I notice a performance difference if I reduced the size of F in order to drop the cluster size to 4k? Then I would just take the extra space after F: and create another partition for backups and whatnot.


So in summary
What cluster size should I use for my partition that is dedicated to the swap? Actually, now that I think of it, every partition. Considering what I want to do with each partition, what cluster size would everyone suggest?
With the size of F being what it is, I realize I have to have 8k clusters, but should I shrink F to get smaller clusters then create another partition?
Are there issues with using an older(or any) version of PM and XP?

I don't do any video, audio, or image editing and I don't have a mega-huge MP3 collection. I would rather have smaller clusters on F but if not, no big deal.

Thanks

[Steve R Jones]

The Default Cluster Size for the NTFS and FAT File Systems

Most human beings could tell any difference in cluster size if they had too. I always just go with the defaults that Windows wants to use.

XP needs more disk space than 98 does, so your 3 gig C drive is a bit small.

If you want to see a performance increase, get a newer drive. Your current one is probably a 5400 rpm drive. Going to a newer 7200 rpm drive would help..

PM 6 that you have probably won't work with XP and NTFS which the prefered file system.

[Ridgerunr]

XP is a whole different animal. My C: partition is 10.7GB with just normal programs installed(NTFS). I'd go for a larger HDD first off. And there is no need for a third party partitioning utility. XP install disk will offer to let you designate the number and size of partitions during setup. You'll have to format all but the OS partition after the install,but that's a no brainer. Just right click and choose 'format' from the menu. You can also choose the allocation unit size when doing this. But,,as Steve says...

[dunedin]

Hello Parallax

I agree with Ridge. Get a bigger hard drive first.
If you read the tutorials below you will see how easy it is to make a partition for the OS during installation. Make it at least 10GB if you are putting programs on it too. You can make other partitions here too if you wish.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_pro_i..._-_graphic.htm

Or you can make other partitions and format them from within XP once you are up and running.

Elaine

[jremillard]

You could also get a second larger hard drive and slave it to the first drive. Then install XP on the second drive on a partition other than C at thiat point you'll have a dual boot machine, and can boot into either OS at will.

BTW you will have access to all the other files on all the old partitions. Use NTFS for the XP OS. It will read the FAT files on the first disk just fine.

[Parallax]

Thanks for the help people. I don't have much time today to say much, but I'll be back tomorrow and read all of the links

This hard drive is on it's last legs anyay. I've had it since late 99 and it's starting to make noise while it's running. I've been looking for a small hard drive because as it is I'm only usiing half of this one and it's 14 GB. So even if I get a 20 GB I'd end up with several gigs not used but paid for. BUT, I didn't know that XP would be so large after install. I read a few places that people had theirs set at 3 gigs and it was just fine for them.

And I never thought I would have to switch to NTFS. Not that it's an issue, I just never considered it. Research, I must

So after install XP will be several gigs? What are we talking here, 4, 5, 6? More? I'm not going to need everything XP has to offer, I'm going to do a custom install and pick and choose what I need.

[SuperSparks]

An absolute, bare bones minimum install of WinXP will be 1.5 GB. By the time you've got a few apps installed (especially more recent ones) you'll be up to 5GB in no time. For example, I just reinstalled WinXP myself last weekend, and with just ZA Security Suite, Office, Acrobat, Photoshop, Nero, Power DVD & Ghost installed I'm over 6GB already. And I haven't installed VCisual Studio yet, that's another 5GB on its own

Believe me, you won't have any problem filling disk space with XP

[ProfessorU]

You can still buy 20GB drives? You could buy a 140GB HDD for what you paid for the 14GB HD in 1999.
The bigger drives, being newer and more dense, generally have significant performance bonuses, too.

[SuperSparks]

Indeed. I bought a 250GB SATA drive for £75 the other week

And they're probably even cheaper on that side of the pond.

[Nix]

But make sure that your BIOS and / or Motherboard can handle the bigger hard drives.

[Parallax]

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I've decided on a game plan. Keeping in mind that having a computer at home is not the highest priority, I have one at work so if I do something major to this one it's no loss. All I have on this now is pretty much the OS, nothing important.

Because of the holidays, buying a new hard drive, regardless of the steal I can get them for, is not an option for several weeks. So I'm going to install XP on what I've got and see how much space is left over. If it isn't enough then I'll resize my partitions and try again. I'm not going to be installing programs that are too big. Acrobat reader, Irfanview, Winamp, Quicktime (basic), Firefox, Canon camera/photo software, Trillian, whatever AV I decide to get, and all the video, mobo, and other software drivers that I need.

And I'm assuming that NTFS is better than FAT32?

And my older drive is 7200 RPM http://support.ap.dell.com/support/e...8957/Specs.htm . The link is for Dell computers but my system is not a Dell, it's all home-built.

I just upgraded last year and got a newer Gigabyte mobo, so I'm good in that dept.

Out of time again......

[lgbpop]

14GB is way too small for XP, no matter how stripped-down you get. With a similar complement of programs such as you propose, as well as M$ Office and Works, my 20GB partition is already more than half-used. The problem isn't going "stripped-down," but staying that way. I'll be using my overflow space sooner than I thought!

A decent price guideline here in the States is $.50/GB; Newegg is usually as good as you'll find--but Staples recently had a WD 80GB HDD (ATA100, 7200 rpm) for $28.99! (Real price, no rebates.) I bought one just 'cause the price was too good to pass up; I'll slave it to our old eMachines, give it an "attic."

[Parallax]

I forgot that I just got a new system with XP here at work. This has XP and some other small things, nothing major, and it's a little over 4 GB. One thing I forgot about was System Restore. That's going to take up a good chunk of space too, I would think anyway.

$30.... That's the best steal I've seen for a HD anywhere. Maybe I can get myself one for Christmas after all. If I can find one that cheap.

Thing is, with what I use the computer for, the partition with my current OS (98 FE) never got any higher than 1 GB. So I'm thinking that after I install everything it won't inflate too much. Or maybe it will. I don't know XP like I do 98. I'm sure there are plenty of things to learn and re-learn that I got used to with 98. But I'm looking forward to it.

[lgbpop]

$30.... That's the best steal I've seen for a HD anywhere. Maybe I can get myself one for Christmas after all. If I can find one that cheap.

Watch the ads this coming weekend for next week. The big retailers will be dumping inventory for year-end so they don't have to count it all.

[ProfessorU]

You could wait to install programs until you get a new drive. Then keep your 14Gigger for just the OS and swap file and keep your program files directory on D:.
Good luck and merry Christmas!