Partitioning a new HDD - Opinions?

S

Seppie

Active member
Hi all,

I'm awaiting a new machine from PCS and will be installing a fresh copy of Win7 Ultimate x64 on the machine when it arrives (I ordered the inferno without any software). I chose the 750G Seagate Momentus (hybrid) as my HDD as I wanted to spend the cash saved on going for full SSD into having a second monitor.

Awaiting the arrival of a new machine that will have a clean install; I'm wondering if any of your have opinions on a partition strategy? I'm thinking of following this [Note: Before Clicking - It's a tad on the long side, careful it doesn't take up a whole coffee break!]

NotebookReviewer

Not so much as a push for every ounce of performance possible, but more as a service to the new machine as the first thing I do for it.

Thoughts and opinions much appreciated. I know very little about the hybrids apart from the fact that the SSD caching is automatic and should just about cover all of windows - after a number of reboots. What software do you use to partition your drives? How do you like to set your system up, given only one internal HDD?
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Well that sure sounds over-complicated! Lots of partitions is not always a good idea, you still have only one set of heads on the disk remember.

My HHD has two partitons, a small one (64GB) on which Windows and all programs reside, plus the pagefile, and that's the first partition (outer tracks) called C:. My second partition (the rest of the disk) contains all my user data and it's the D: drive. When I setup Windows I move the sub-folders in C:\Users (so My Documents, My Pictures etc. etc.) to a Users folder on the D: drive.

I backup the C: drive using an imaging tool (Macrium Reflect) and I backup the D: drive using a file-by-file synchronizing tool (SyncBackSE from 2brightSparks).

This method allows me to treat my programs (inc Windows) and my data as two separate entities, I can replace one without replacing the other. Most usually, after I've installed some test piece of software that I find I don't want, or if I suspect I might have some sort of viral or trojan infection, I simply restore the most recent disk image of my C: partition. My data is unaffected by this of course.

I even did a clean install of Windows 8 into my C; partition, replacing the Windows 7 system that was there and none of my data was affected. Once I'd moved the C:\Users sub-folders in Windows 8 all my data was completely accessible again.

I also keep a folder on my D: drive that contains the installation files for all the third-party programs I use. SO after installing Windows 8 and moving the C:\Users sub-folders I was easily able to re-install all my software without messing round with CDs or DVDs or even downloads.
 
S

Seppie

Active member
ubuysa said:
Well that sure sounds over-complicated! Lots of partitions is not always a good idea...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply ubuysa. Partition strat in the link reads as though it is a little excessive, I like the fact that (s)he took the time and seemed to have enjoyed going through all the trouble.


ubuysa said:
When I setup Windows I move the sub-folders in C:\Users (so My Documents, My Pictures etc. etc.) to a Users folder on the D: drive.
Click to expand...

This can't be a case of just copy paste can it? I assume there are a few key system paths that need to be changed manually so that all the relevant windows paths point to the right partition?

ruddy hell - had a little look at the size of my current windows+program files+program files (x86) giving me a wonderful 98 GB to ring-fence for the new drive.


kruppsy said:
In all honesty, I wouldnt bother. The only time I've ever found partitioning beneficial is if you want to run two different OS's ie. Windows and Linux.
Click to expand...

Howdy kruppsy - thanks for the reply. The main reason I'm looking at partitioning the drive is because I find it easier to keep my work related documents and personal documents separate and organised. I like going to a specfic drive letter and seeing only two folders inside [Work, Personal], a purely subjective effect.
 
Outerarm

Outerarm

Well-known member
kruppsy said:
In all honesty, I wouldnt bother. The only time I've ever found partitioning beneficial is if you want to run two different OS's ie. Windows and Linux.
Click to expand...
I'd suggest this as well -- in the past I've gone through creating multiple partitions for different data sets (i.e. one for personal work / documents, another for games, another for music, etc.). This started off fine but I soon found that the different partitions were filling up at different rates so one or other partition had little space left while another another was practically empty. This was resolved by contracting partitions and allocating the space to others, but it ended up being far more complicated that needed.

For my drives now I use a single partition and a series of high-level folders which are the equivalent of the different partitions I'd used previously. With this approach I can still back up my important documents from a single folder and have a good separation of various data types, but none of the hassle and potential wasted space of juggling multiple partitions.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Seppie said:
This can't be a case of just copy paste can it? I assume there are a few key system paths that need to be changed manually so that all the relevant windows paths point to the right partition?
Click to expand...

Nope, it's easier than that :)

Open up C:\Users\your_name in Windows Explorer, right-click on the relevant sub-folder (My Documents for example) and select Properties. Select the Location tab and click the Move button. Select the folder where you want to move it to (in my case it would be D:\Users\My Documents) and click Ok. Reply Yes to the confirmation message and you're done. The My Documents folder (or whichever one you moved) is now located on the D: drive and Windows remembers that.

Two partitions, one for programs and one for data, is a very sensible organisation for a single HDD because it separates your irreplaceable data from the easily replaceable programs. Each benefit from different backup strategies (image vs file-by-file) and the ease with which the program partition can be backed-up and later restored without affecting your user data is a massive benefit.

To make this foolproof I also have SyncBack (my file-by-file backup tool) run on a schedule every evening to back up browser bookmarks and the like (which generally must exist in C:\Users\your_name\AppData) to a folder on the D: drive. This allows me to scrap and restore the programs partition at any time without loosing valuable program data.
 
Last edited:
P

PokerFace

Banned
NotebookReviewer

Phew :sweatdrop: that was a hard read after a day's work, 5 hours of poker and a bottle of red wine!

I'll have to revisit that link for sure :)

I partitioned my 1TB HDD 100/900 (C: & D: ). I try to put most things on the D drive, but still ended up with loads of spare D and C filling rapidly. So I kind of regret partitioning now.

I have been contemplating a reinstall, or trying to nick some of the D drive back and add it to C drive (I believe there is a way as long as you have plenty of free space - which I have)....feel free to jump in with solutions anyone :)

That link was interesting with regards to fragmenting (or not) of the drive etc., and it sounds like it really helps the speed of the drive.

As he says in the post, it seems (and probably is) a lot of work, but considering how often you'd need to do it, compared to how many hours you spend on the machine, it's no time at all....at least that's what I'm trying to convince myself of :)

Have some rep for getting me thinking!
 
S

Seppie

Active member
PokerFace said:
and it sounds like it really helps the speed of the drive.
Click to expand...

From later in the discussion on those pages,

This being on a Momentus XT (500GB I think). Quite a large difference between the speeds on outer and inner parts of the drive.

(Where the suggested T:/ partition is (Temp/pagefiles)
On the outer 30GB partition, I got:
100MB sequential - 107.6MB/s read, 104MB/s write
4K Random - .690MB/s and 1.129/MB/s

In the Primary OS drive (134GB, 2nd partition), I got:
100MB sequential - 98.83MB/s read, 93.64MB/s write
4K Random - .58MB/s and 1.035/MB/s

On the innermost 64GB partition I got:
100MB sequential - 65.12MB/s read, 63.89MB/s write
4K Random - .701MB/s and .850/MB/s
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Seppie said:
From later in the discussion on those pages,

This being on a Momentus XT (500GB I think). Quite a large difference between the speeds on outer and inner parts of the drive.

(Where the suggested T:/ partition is (Temp/pagefiles)
On the outer 30GB partition, I got:
100MB sequential - 107.6MB/s read, 104MB/s write
4K Random - .690MB/s and 1.129/MB/s

In the Primary OS drive (134GB, 2nd partition), I got:
100MB sequential - 98.83MB/s read, 93.64MB/s write
4K Random - .58MB/s and 1.035/MB/s

On the innermost 64GB partition I got:
100MB sequential - 65.12MB/s read, 63.89MB/s write
4K Random - .701MB/s and .850/MB/s
Click to expand...

Data transfer time isn't really the issue with data placement on HDDs, the real problem is seek time (that's why file fragmentation is such an issue). Rather than go for multiple small partitions a proper optimising defrag tool will give you much greater benefits on one (or two) larger partitions. Optimising defrag tools allow you to place little used data on the slower inner tracks and the highly active data on the faster outer tracks. Many tools also allow you to place the system area (MFT, pagefile etc.) wherever you like and putting it in the middle of the highly active area gives the best HDD response times. I use Ultimate Defrag from disktix.com for exactly this purpose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top