[Jepp01]

I'm about to do a clean install of Windows 7 on my computer... So i goes faster and is clean again.

But how many MB should i choose for the installation Partition for Windows on my HDD?

I have 460 GB HDD


Thanks

[IvanV]

I'd say around 100GB. Don't ask me what eats up all that space, but some things inevitably end up on C: and they add up over time. The lower boundary for the system partition size I'd use would be 60GB, any less and you'll get in trouble in the long run.

[Jepp01]

100 is really a lot... Now my windows folder is like 24 gb...

Is there any possibility to change this later?

[IvanV]

Yes, but you'll need a tool such as Paragon Partition Manager (the built in tool in Windows can't do it without deleting the partition after C: first). Also, there is a bit of a risk involved, the program I named is pretty good, but if there's a power failure...

I was in a similar situation as you, I had a 160GB HDD with Vista and I tried to keep the system partition as small as possible, but while lower values worked for a while, from time to time something would happen that would force me to resize the partition (I remember trying to install SP1 for Visual Studio 2005 which was necessary for the thing to work properly on Vista, that operation required several gigs on C: which I didn't have - it was worse than the OS SP was and it drove me nuts!).

So, the most optimistic amount I'd go with would be 40GB. It will be half-empty after you finish the installation, but the free space will soon start to shrink irreversibly. The safer size would be the previously mentioned 60GB.

[Jepp01]

Does it also serve as installation for games (programfiles) and office... and other things? in that case i need 200 GB of installation partition

[IvanV]

No, 95% of the time you have the choice of where you are going to install something (sometimes you have to choose Custom Installation to get this option), but even that way some components of programs and games you install will go to C:. And sometimes, like the VS 2005 SP1 I mentioned, you don't have a choice. Also, program settings, documents, downloads, TV recordings you might make with Windows Media Center etc all go to C: unless you make some Windows tweaks and that eats the free space over time.

So, I'd make the partition 60GB and that should be enough with a little care (making sure that you send all installations you can to D:, not leaving everything you ever downloaded in your Downloads folder, simple stuff like that).

[Jepp01]

So my program files folder will be in? D ? strage.. I'm so used to single C: with (program files/ programfiles (86*)/ users/ati/temp/...)

[Judas]

depending on if you know how to move your games and other major folders around so that the windows partition doesn't get overly full..

i usually make mine NO LESS THAN 50GB in size which leaves about 10GB of space remaining after all necessary programs are installed and running.

this is with my personal files and folders sitting on the other partion (documents~>video~>etc) as well as all games installed to another partition.. only programs are installed to the main drive... like microsoft office or similare.

at most 100GB... but it's up to anyone to figure it out for their own needs.

[Jepp01]

OK thanks, monday i will do it, i'm just making preparations... back ups... and still have 2 days to think about it

[Judas]

also just a fyi..... it's worthwhile after installing everything... checking the temp folders that windows 7 doesn't clear out even after doing a disk cleanup with full admin.

Navigate to C:\Windows\Temp and delete everything inside
Navigate to C:\Users\*your user account*\appdata\Local\Temp and delete everything inside

Those are 2 places that build up with files over time in both windows 7 and windows vista.

[Matth]

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[mkk]

Unless it's a laptop, consider getting a second drive for storage and leave this drive with Windows and programs in one piece. It's simple and works fine as long as you don't fill up the drive with lots of junk.

Or if that's not an option then heed the advice to give it a big chunk of the drive like 100GB, it can become messy to rearrange later. Even with the best of software there's always a risk of data loss when rearranging partitions with data on them, besides the fact that it can take many hours to do it.

[Jepp01]

ok, one more question,
Where will these things be installed?
1. Windows
2. Office
3. Program files (on C or D?)
4. games
5. ati...

Thanks

[mkk]

As long as C: is big enough it all goes there. Which is a good reason to make C: big enough.

[Jepp01]

well istn it beter to have in C just the things that need to go fast and that i wont change.. like windows... office???
Games i change them very often.. mods... updates... all sort of things

[temeteus82]

Perhaps install the games on the another partition and the OS and other stuff to main drive.

[Jepp01]

Will my OS go faster this way? Or what are the advantages of putting it on another partiton?

[temeteus82]

Originally Posted by Jepp01

Will my OS go faster this way? Or what are the advantages of putting it on another partiton?

Not much if the partition is in same drive.

[Jepp01]

hmmm so why do they advice it?

[temeteus82]

To keep the system "clean". You have the games on it's own partition and OS and programs and the others on their own.

[Jepp01]

games on D and other stuff on C?

[IvanV]

The idea is that if your system crashes, you can reinstall Windows without the fear of losing your data (because a re-installation will format C: ). The idea doesn't really work if you save your documents to the Documents folder and leave that folder on C:, though, so either save somewhere else or move the Documents folder to D:.

[temeteus82]

Yeah I agree with IvanV. I got RAID setup and I got OS on it's own drive and documents and pics on their own drive. I do weekly backups on my NAS for all the important files on OS drive and document drive.

[mkk]

The beginning of the drive is also a bit faster than the middle and especially the end, so having a first and second partition ensures that the important stuff stays on the faster part of the drive. However in situations where the drive is going to work with files on both the first and second partition at the same time like if you play a game from partition 2 and the operating system or program does something on partition 1 then the performance isn't helped at all. What can really boost a system beyond what partitioning can do is to have separate harddrives, as two harddrives can do two different jobs simultaneously.

I'd lean towards having just one partition on your system unless you feel really compelled to split the drive for reasons that may or may not be clear to you. It's just much more simple. If it's a laptop, get an external drive for backups and less often used or important media storage.

[Jepp01]

Well if i take partition of 150 GB and put all my games and OS on this partiton... and the other things like files, pictures, fotos on other partiton... will this help or is 150 GB to big for a partition?
Thanks

P.S. hdd is 460 GB

[Judas]

personally i would split the hardrive up into 3 partitions..

Primary first partition for OS and program files
secondary for Games only
tertiary for Documents/files/torrents/downloads/pictures/video

As already stated, the start of the drive (outside part of the disk) is the fastest and always will be due to more surface area passing by the head. As you move into the center it gets slower... therefore the end of the drive is the slowest.

So making the primary partition for OS/Programs guarantees a fast boot time and quick access to necessary programs.... and keeps things neat and tidy without fragmenting all over the drive (making it a mess)

Making the 2nd partition for games only keeps the big game files organized enough to remain in the balanced part of the drive and without infesting the OS partition or mingling a great deal with the other files such as pictures and such..

And obviously opening pictures and videos isn't really a very demanding thing in transfer rate so keeping them at the end won't really impact anything much.

The whole idea is the keep good structure and reduce Fragmentation from occuring frequently and in huge amounts. Organization is key to this and in creating a 3 partition scheme.. will work great, will shorten the Defragmentation time greatly and will keep you running at peak speed unlike those that tend to just make one huge partition for all the files to frolic in the choas of free space known as great expanses requireing the drive to seek all the bits and bytes throughout that realm.

Lets for starters...... make your primary partion exactly 75gb (if your loading windows freshly and doing the install, when you get to the point where you pick your drive, select "drive options" and then create individual partitions by click "new", at which point it'll ask you to input the desired size in MB, so for 75gb exactly, punch in 76800MB)

Then create another partition of a desired size for your games, lets take lets say, 200GB so punch in 204800MB

Then create the third and last parittion for the remaining amount (should automatically input the maximum)

Then select the first partition of 75gb and click next and proceed with the installation.

If your installing windows 7.. it'll create a 100MB ish sized partition .. don't worry... just leave it alone

[Jepp01]

Thanks a very very very very lot!!! I will do it that way... I really wanna rep u but cant (need to rep other person first) will rep u in future.

Really thanks for the excellent explanation

Also all other users thanks for their explanation (all reped )

EDIT: I instal things like adobe, ati, office, other programs all in this first partition? I hope the 2nd partition will still be fast enough... Else i take 50 or 60 gb for the first or is this to less?

thanks

[Jepp01]

Originally Posted by mkk

However in situations where the drive is going to work with files on both the first and second partition at the same time like if you play a game from partition 2 and the operating system or program does something on partition 1 then the performance isn't helped at all. What can really boost a system beyond what partitioning can do is to have separate harddrives, as two harddrives can do two different jobs simultaneously.

I'd lean towards having just one partition on your system unless you feel really compelled to split the drive for reasons that may or may not be clear to you. It's just much more simple. If it's a laptop, get an external drive for backups and less often used or important media storage.

OH one more thing..
if i take 3 partitions like you advice will i encounter this problem more than working with one partition?

Thanks

[Judas]

Yes adobe.. ati.... office.... any program that isn't a game lets say is installed in the default program files and such..

any game.. just make sure you select CUSTOM and/or when it gives you a location to install to... change it to the game partition of choice..

Steam for example you have to install to the game partition when you install it... that way all games following automatically install to the right place.

It's quite easy... just one extra step for the games.. and the results are much nicer in the end... you'll be fine..

As for splitting the the drive and then different workloads requireing different files from different location "causing" the drive to work more slowly... isn't exactly accurate because this would happen more frequently and take longer on a single drive still.

Think of it as having file cabinets in a big room..

If you didn't seperate and more organize those cabinents in some way or another.. finding things would be quite difficult for even those that generally have a good record of finding things easily.....

Splitting the cabinents up into those say 3 seperate groups.... keeping them from mingling and having files from every place in the entire room..... sure it'll take longer to walk from one side to the other.. however there is less work involved reading page one from cabinent 60, then walking over to cabinent 2300 for page 2, then 85000 for page 3...

never mind the searching involved between to determine where that is.

On papper it should present faster results.... and in the real world.... from the slew of things i've worked on and tested ... it's clearly obvious. There is really NO cons to do it.

and the nice thing.

if you don't like it.. or want to try something different.... short of backing up your information.... you can wipe it all.. and try a different approach..

like i said, try what you like.. and then adjust to what you think best suits your needs.

[Jepp01]

great, i'll use the 3 partitions...

What u mean with There is really NO cons to do it.

Thanks