Partition Question

[kyle2020]

Quick question - how many partitions can a Hard Drive have? Im having a 500GB Samsung Spinpoint arrive tomorrow and i wanted to create 3 partitions on it - 1 for the OS, around 30GB, probably 50GB just to make the numbers even, and then split the remaining space, one for programs and the other for storage - is that possible? i have never partitioned this hard drive so i dont know

thanks!

 

[erocker]

I'm pretty sure you can make as many partitions as you want and are only limited by the amout of storage you have.

 

[pagalms]

Of course you can. Thre's almost no limit for number of partitions, except your HDD space
P.S. I don't think you want 100000 partitions 5MB each

 

[Deleted member 3]

Four primary partitions, of which a single can be an extended partition. No more. Extended partitions contain logical partitions, no clue if there is a limit for these. I'm pretty sure you won't hit this limit though.

 

[kyle2020]

cheers guys, just wanted to know

 

[lemonadesoda]

The extended partition causes a lot of confusion for people setting up new PCs/HDDs. The extended partition really functions as a "container" that holds additional logical partitions except for the first (primary) volume. The reason that this structure was used is that the original design, with its limit of four partitions, was too restrictive. The extended partition system allows you to have up to 24 logical partitions in a single system.

Why "only" 24? Well with A and B for floppy, you only have 24 letters left. DOS and Windows are limited are limited to single letter drive designators, like "C" or "D". I dont know of any, but there *might* be filiing systems that allow a different system.

So long as the master boot record is not damaged, all PRIMARY partitions are independent. If one gets damaged the others are safe.

Within the extended partition, the logical drives are stored in a linked structure. The extended partition's information is contained in the master partition table (since the extended partition is one of the four partitions stored in the master boot record). It contains a link to an extended partition table that describes the first logical partition for the disk. That table contains information about that first logical partition, and a link to the next extended partition table which describes the second logical partition on the disk, and so on. The extended partition tables are linked in a chain starting from the master partition table.

Extendend partitions are NOT independent. If the boot record of one of the partitions gets damaged ALL partitions in the chained link will go down and data will be lost.

Always use primary partitions, UNLESS you desperately need more than 4. But in such a case, backups become more important.


Summary

HDD
---> Primary
---> Primary
---> Primary
---> Extended ("container")
.......>> Logical
.......>> Logical
.......>> ...

 

[pagalms]

Thanks for info. Before i thought that after Z: there will be AA: AB: AC: bla bla bla partitions

 

[kyle2020]

The extended partition causes a lot of confusion for people setting up new PCs/HDDs. The extended partition really functions as a "container" that holds additional logical partitions except for the first (primary) volume. The reason that this structure was used is that the original design, with its limit of four partitions, was too restrictive. The extended partition system allows you to have up to 24 logical partitions in a single system.

Why "only" 24? Well with A and B for floppy, you only have 24 letters left. DOS and Windows are limited are limited to single letter drive designators, like "C" or "D". I dont know of any, but there *might* be filiing systems that allow a different system.

So long as the master boot record is not damaged, all PRIMARY partitions are independent. If one gets damaged the others are safe.

Within the extended partition, the logical drives are stored in a linked structure. The extended partition's information is contained in the master partition table (since the extended partition is one of the four partitions stored in the master boot record). It contains a link to an extended partition table that describes the first logical partition for the disk. That table contains information about that first logical partition, and a link to the next extended partition table which describes the second logical partition on the disk, and so on. The extended partition tables are linked in a chain starting from the master partition table.

Extendend partitions are NOT independent. If the boot record of one of the partitions gets damaged ALL partitions in the chained link will go down and data will be lost.

Always use primary partitions, UNLESS you desperately need more than 4. But in such a case, backups become more important.


Summary

HDD
---> Primary
---> Primary
---> Primary
---> Extended ("container")
.......>> Logical
.......>> Logical
.......>> ...

so i should do all primary partitions? that kinda confused me a bit

 

[lemonadesoda]

All primary

 

[kyle2020]

All primary

3 primary partitions it is then. Thanks Lemonadesoda!

 

[Deleted member 3]

Why "only" 24? Well with A and B for floppy, you only have 24 letters left. DOS and Windows are limited are limited to single letter drive designators, like "C" or "D". I dont know of any, but there *might* be filiing systems that allow a different system.

Solution: NTFS folders. Partitions don't require a drive letter. Most OSes don't even use drive letters in the first place.
Additionally you can also not mount them at all.

 

[Hayder_Master]

am think better go for 4 or 5 partition , cuz programs , games , movies today take more space, for example if you have a 10 partition two of them have 8g free, and you know new games take more than 7g so we say you can install a game with 10gb in any of this two partition, now you lose 16 gb , and for primary partition c give 50gb for sure, i know you don;t need it now but later am sure cuz windows vista and office take more than 10gb and don't forget update, there is too many internet and tools programs you need also it better if you have 10g free for virtual memory and widows extension

 

[smig]

thanks lemonadesoda

I never knew this info about the linking of partitions.
I have 4 partitions, and always used to have them as primery + 3 logigical, since the old days of DOS
guess I should change it now.

 

[Deleted member 3]

am think better go for 4 or 5 partition , cuz programs , games , movies today take more space, for example if you have a 10 partition two of them have 8g free, and you know new games take more than 7g so we say you can install a game with 10gb in any of this two partition, now you lose 16 gb , and for primary partition c give 50gb for sure, i know you don;t need it now but later am sure cuz windows vista and office take more than 10gb and don't forget update, there is too many internet and tools programs you need also it better if you have 10g free for virtual memory and widows extension

For exactly the reason you give I prefer not making partitions. Directories work just as fine.