Re: Help! - Need Partitioning Advice

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"contrapositive" <contrapositive@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote...

C: Windows XP, Program Files (19 GB)
D: Temporary system/internet files (1 GB, disposable)

Superfluous. Incorporate it as a folder on C.


E: Essential data (30 GB, to be backed up regularly)

Make it bigger. My 35 GB drive is reaching its comfortable limits, and I'm
conservative.


F: Non-essential data (200 GB, mostly disposable multimedia files such as my
iTunes library)

Your "backup" partition should not be bigger than 2X the active data partition
(accommodates recently archived data) + data you want to save from your boot
partition.

Make a separate "iTunes" partition, no bigger than your iPod..

Give yourself more room on your primary data partition.


Some questions:
1. Any thoughts on a dedicated partition for the swap file? I decided against
it, as I read it only makes sense if you have more than one physical drive.

Good plan.


2. I decided to keep Windows and program files on the same partition. Again, I
read that the cost outweighs the benefit for most of us. Any thoughts?

Individual preference. Your scheme works.

However, I'd consider 20 GB a MINIMUM for that scheme. Give it 30-40 GB for OS
+ apps.


3. Should I use FAT32 on C and NTFS on the others?

NO! Use NTFS for all! You no longer need to boot from a DOS floppy -- you can
boot from a Windows install CD that reads NTFS!


4. When designating partition sizes, should the sizes be a multiple of some
magic number, or is there some other means for calculating efficient partition
sizes? Or is it completely arbitrary?

The partitioning software deals with the nits. Don't worry about it.



.

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