Partition a hard drive

[t77snapshot]

Ok so I have a new HDD that I would like to partition and I will be installing Win7 (rc) as my OS. I know very little about partitioning so what is the best way to go: Can I create partitions before I install the OS? should I use Win7's partition program or a third-party program?


edit: sorry for posting this in the wrong section

 

[t77snapshot]

Anyone on TPU today I was hoping to get this going tonight, I have google this with great info but no real good advice, can anyone help

 

[Cuzza]

i don't know about win7's partitioning, but if it's anything like XP and vista then it is perfectly adequate, it will give you the option to create the partition during install. you only need to create the system partition at that point because you can partition the rest from within the OS once it is installed (at least you can in vista, i imagine they will carry that capability over)

 

[AsRock]

Plug it in and partition it in the current OS then shut down unplug the other HDDs and install the the OS to the new HDD.. Safest way as i been told that you can have issue's with win 7 bootloader if you delete win 7..

Not 100% sure about it either i guess it might depend on how the OS's and such are installed too. Niether XP x64 or Win 7 gone wrong yet so..

 

[t77snapshot]

OK, so I created 4 partitions or at least I thought I did.... it only shows 3. The 4th one is 363.26 GB - that was going to be drive for pics/music. But it say "Unallocated". How do make this usable storage?

Sorry for the noob questions this is my first day hour using Win7

 

[alexp999]

OK, so I created 4 partitions or at least I thought I did.... it only shows 3. The 4th one is 363.26 GB - that was going to be drive for pics/music. But it say "Unallocated". How do make this usable storage?

Sorry for the noob questions this is my first day hour using Win7
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b10/T77snapshot/partition.png

Right click on it, click create volume and follow the wizzard

 

[t77snapshot]

Thanks alex

 

[Cuzza]

Argh! So many partitions! I never use more than 2 myself.

While you're at it (ie before you load anything onto the drive) you should fool around with the disk management utility, try extending partitions, shrinking volumes and things like that, just so you know how to do it next time. It's pretty handy

 

[t77snapshot]

Argh! So many partitions! I never use more than 2 myself.

Yeah I was originally going to just do 2, one for OS/programs and the other for media storage. The reason I created so many was because a friend told me I could keep my OS on a separate partition from the rest of my programs (and also separate from games). By doing this his said when opening programs /games it would go directly to a partition, rather then travel through the entire hard disk, thus performing faster.

This all made sense in my head, but now it seems much more of a challenge. I can't figure out how to get my "Program Files" to be separate from the OS. How do I go about doing this?

I am currently running Win7 RC 7100 build
(see above pic)

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

Argh! So many partitions! I never use more than 2 myself.

This all made sense in my head, but now it seems much more of a challenge. I can't figure out how to get my "Program Files" to be separate from the OS. How do I go about doing this?

You can't tell windows to put the "program files" on a seperate drive.

You CAN however, install programs TO the drive. Just select a custom directory when installing whatever you want. These programs will NOT be "installed" if you format windows, however.

 

[t77snapshot]

So your saying every time I download a program I have too manually key in the file name/directory? Is there a way to configure the new programs to automatically be placed in the G drive (for example) the why it would normally be with default settings?

I just installed Crysis on my "Game" partition and I had to key in the file commands myself, which is very inconvenient.:shadedshu

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

So your saying every time I download a program I have too manually key in the file name/directory? Is there a way to configure the new programs to automatically be placed in the G drive (for example) the why it would normally be with default settings?

I just installed Crysis on my "Game" partition and I had to key in the file commands myself, which is very inconvenient.:shadedshu

There should be a button next to the directory input box labeled "browse".

AFAIK, NO. there is no way to set it as "default".

Information also added with the installer, such as registry entries, drivers, and save files (may or may not) will most likely be defaulted to the C drive, and things like registry will be (windows) install specific, while game saves will sometimes be reconfigurable, be stored in the games directory, or be defaulted to the current users 'my documents' directory.

Some games require registry information, other games (Such as WoW, and warcraft III), do not and will run with just the folder stored somewhere.

 

[Cuzza]

I guess that the setting that makes programs install by default to C:\Program Files is actually part of the installer program itself, not part of windows, because some installers still default to C:\

I wouldn't install a program anywhere but C: drive unless C: was getting full. Sure you have to reinstall after formatting, but that's half the fun

 

[Mussels]

I install windows and programs to C: (whats the point of installing elsewhere, they wont work after a format?)

I have games drive seperate, some need to be reinstalled after a format, some (steam games for example) dont. Main bonus is that since i dont install games often, my D: drive never fragments.

 

[vbx]

Don't use partition magic. It's ruins or destroys your partition causing you to reinstall your OS more often than not.

If you have vista, just use the Vista disk manager. I had xp and tired out Partition magic. Long story short, I had to reinstall XP.

After partition with Partition Magic, the computer kept ranning Disk Checker upon bootup, and every time, after it was done, I received a BSOD.

I then tried to install Win7 on the 2nd partition, and same thing. it ran Disk checker, and Win7 couldn't complete its installation.

Had to format both partition and reinstall everything.

 

[Polarman]

When i purchased my WD 640 Black, i used WD's Data Lifeguard Tools 11.2 for DOS (CD) to prepare and partition my HDD.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

I install windows and programs to C: (whats the point of installing elsewhere, they wont work after a format?)

Depends on the games.

90% of my games will play fine not being "installed". And I prefer to keep it that way, instead of toting around 2 CD cases full of CD's I never use. (They are also all accompanied by No-CD's for convenience.)

 

[Mussels]

Depends on the games.

90% of my games will play fine not being "installed". And I prefer to keep it that way, instead of toting around 2 CD cases full of CD's I never use. (They are also all accompanied by No-CD's for convenience.)

way to screw up a quote! the part you quoted doesnt talk about games, the paragraph AFTER does!