Re: Advice needed on partioning HD for XPPro

From: Jim (null_at_null.com)
Date: 03/28/04

  • Next message: Jeff Lawrie: "Clean XP install--files currupt & unreadable on 2nd hard drive" 
    Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 18:05:04 -0800

    RE: FAT32 being limited to 32GB

    You can't create a FAT32 >32GB in XP, but you can use other utilities, such
    as BootIt NG, Partition Magic, etc., to create >32GB, and XP will happily
    read and write to it.

    Jim

    "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
    news:uO%23GrhEFEHA.4080@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
    >
    > "A Colwood" <ac@nbco.nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
    > news:OQyXWcDFEHA.580@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
    > > Hi,
    > >
    > > I am about to install Win XP Pro on a system presently running Win ME. I
    > > would appreciate if anyone can advise me about partioning a large HD in
    > XP.
    > >
    > > My current arrangement is as follows:
    > >
    > > Drive 0: Maxtor 120GB
    > >
    > > C: 18GB Windows and application programs
    > > D: 2GB Windows swap file
    > > E: 50GB Data
    > > F: 50GB Data
    > >
    > > Drive 1: Seagate 20GB
    > >
    > > G: 20GB Backup files
    > >
    > > (The swap file is on a partition on drive 0 because I figured it is
    still
    > > faster than putting it on drive 1 which is older and slower.)
    > >
    > > All partitions are FAT32. The system has 512MB of memory and the swap
    file
    > > is set to a minimum size of 512MB. (It only really uses much swap file
    > when
    > > I'm really pushing the system with PhotoShop and GoLive.)
    > >
    > > The Microsoft site recommends partitioning as one huge NTFS volume which
    I
    > > don't really like the idea of. MS also suggests that the paging file in
    XP
    > > should be on the same partition as the OS for efficiency.
    > >
    > > Would a sensible compromise be to combine the C: & D: partitions as a
    > single
    > > NTFS volume for the OS and page/swap file and application programs and
    > keep
    > > my separate Data partitions?
    > >
    > > Also, should E: & F: be converted to NTFS or can they be left as FAT32?
    > >
    > > I hope I haven't been too long winded with this query.
    > >
    > > TIA
    > >
    > >
    > > --
    > > Antony Colwood
    > >
    > >
    >
    > I would never run a system with just one single partition.
    > At the very least I would do this:
    > - Drive C: Operating system, Applications
    > - Drive D: Data
    >
    > In some cases, extra partitions may be required.
    >
    > WinXP will happily run with FAT32 and NTFS partitions.
    > The differences are:
    > - FAT32: No security, easier to access when things go wrong.
    > - NTFS: Good security, hard to deal with when problems arise.
    >
    > I seem to recall that FAT32 partitions are limited to 32 GBytes
    > but I'm no sure if this applies to WinXP.
    >
    > In spite of what other posters say, NTFS is slower than FAT32.
    > For folders up to around 2000 files, the difference is barely
    > noticeable. When accessing large folders (10,000 files), NTFS
    > runs at around half the speed of FAT32.
    >
    >

  • Next message: Jeff Lawrie: "Clean XP install--files currupt & unreadable on 2nd hard drive"

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