HDD partitioning help with 500gb.

Hi,
after reading many good reviews i got a seagate momentus xt 500gb for my laptop which currently runs on win xp, 250 gb 5400 rpm hdd.

Now i would be installing win 7 in this new drive.

are they any tips that i should follow in terms of HDD partitioning etc that would help increase performance of the HDD or should i just have one partition with everything in it.

Please let me know and any tip would be helpful.

thank you

 

There have been a lot of debates about HDD partitioning. In terms of performance there is no much difference between a harddrive with one and multiple partitions. That said I personally always partition my harddrive. I create a minimum of three partitions; one for Windows and programs (this is the C:\ partition), one for my files and documents (D:\ partition), and a 6 to 8GB partition that I use for the paging file.

Keeping Windows and your files separate help if you need to re-install Windows, since you can safely format the C:\ partition knowing that your files are safe in the D:\ partition

 

Partitioning?

Oh yeah!

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-hitachi-7k500-benchmark-setup-specifics.html


Especially when combined with moving the whole Users directory (Win7) like this link hints at:

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...gramdata-folder-separate-drive-partition.html


While you don't have to go all out (with 5 partitions) to get noticeable performance increases from partitioning, I would recommend at least two partitions: C: O/S and programs (max 100GB) and DATA (rest of the drive).

A 'power tip' is that once you have the partitions, the O/S and the programs all setup, simply 'shrink' the C: partition to have just around 20GB free space on C: drive. This will give you the most responsive system possible. The best part is that if you need more capacity later, you can simply 'extend' the O/S partition without having to re-install the O/S again.

Yeah, the 'power tip' may be wasting some HDD capacity, but the increased performance and the ease of giving the O/S or program drive back any needed space in the future so easily more than offsets losing 10% or so of the drive for a 'just in case' scenario.

Hope this helps.

 

thanks for the tip guys

You mentioned in your partitioning post that temp partition should be the first partition, my question is that is the 1st partition suppose to be the fastest partition or fastest part of disk?

Secondly regarding the power tip, you're suggesting that i make the main C:\ partition 100GB and after installing everything "shrink" the partition, How do i do that?

What's the significance of a pagefile and having it on a different drive.

Thanks a lot

 

The first partition you make on a HDD will automatically be on the fastest (outermost part) of the disk.

To 'shrink' a partition on Win7; right click on Computer, select Manage, select Disk Management and right click on the partition you want to shrink.

A pagefile is needed by Windows (period) to ensure that the O/S and/or programs don't run out of RAM (basically; it is 'virtual RAM'). However, with 8GB RAM (or higher), most users with common/average usage patterns could effectively turn off the pagefile to not only save HDD/SSD space, but to also increase their systems performance (slightly).

Having a pagefile on a seperate partition on the same physical drive is not a performance benefit, overall. Putting it on the fastest/first partition of a second, physical HDD is. Having enough RAM to disable the pagefile completely is still the fastest experience though (assuming your usage patterns don't demand more than the maximum amount of physical RAM you have in your system).

Hope this helps too.

 

ok, i have come to the following conclusion and help me out if i am wrong.

I am planning on making 2 partitions:

C: OS and apps (100GB) just like you pointed out.
D: user data including downloads, docs etc. (whatever is left of 500GB)

Now this is what you mentioned in your hitachi post:

I take it that move user folder and programdata folder should be a better alternative than the above method, right?

Also one more thing i am worried about is that if my OS will be on c:\ and data folder is on d:\, that means my temp and download folder would end up on two different drives as you mentioned in you hitachi post:

What i am trying to ask is that i want all user data including download, docs, desktop, fav, music, video, pics etc on D:\ and moving temp folder to this drive should make the system faster as the system won't have to copy files from C:\win\temp to d:\temp right?

How to move temp to D:\ just drag and move or something else?

Thanks

 

Don't move Temp folder to D. Let them stay on C. Right click on My comp. > Properties> Advanced Properties> And the little button on the right bottom of opened Window.

I gonna have SSD soon. I didn't even know that I won't be able to move USER folders on another HDD. I will have to read all in that link. Ohhhhhh. I wish it was in English.

 

Geronemo,

You're correct: moving the Users folder with the link I provided is superior to the old tutorial I wrote (too long ago).

Not only will it move ALL the users folders to a different partition, it will also move the temp folders too - in addition to the Public folders which in my experience are impossible to move/redirect in any other way.

So, in the end, you will have your O/S and program partition and all your data will be saved in your second partition.

Hope this clears that up for you.

 

Ok, I read it. I can say that don't how it was in the past but at this moment Windows easily lets me to choose every location I want, even another computer on netwok. Don't know anything about Public folders though

 

thanks for clarifying.
I Haven't installed Win on any machine for a good 7-8 yrs now.
Yesterday got stuck on "cannot boot from cd code 5 error"

Finally ran disk part and copied all files to a usb drive.
Hope all goes well with the installation

 

This is the tool I used to install Win7x64 from an USB drive.

See:
Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com


The 'diskpart' method seems way too prone to mistakes.

 

Thanks for ruining my day
What do you suggest should i go ahead with diskpart or start over with the usb-dvd tool( i am at initial stage of installing where i have to do disk partition within Win 7 installer.

Right now it says 3 partitions:

system partition of 100MB
partition 2 99.9GB primary
partition 3 365.8GB primary

let me know, waiting on your reply.

thanks

 

Geronemo,

that depends on how meticulous you are.

If the Win7 installer is working (as it apparently is...) then I guess you're all right with the diskpart method.

Hope I righted your day now?

 

When everything is done an installed, you can easily manage your partitions using EASEUS Partition Manager. It's got a free version and has saved me quite some hassles. I used to go the Disk Management (diskpart) route, but it has its limitations. EASEUSpm allows resizing. So, when working on a friend's HDD, I can create partitions, and then change the size w/o making a lifelong commitment to it.

 

So i've entered the auditmode and disk management shows the following:




Please let me know everything looks right,

Also do i need to change this line:
<cpi fflineImage cpi:source="wim:h:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE"
to win:f:/sources because i am installing win from usb drive F: or no?

Brianwilder also mentions the following in his post:
You need to know what drive letter (or folder location) is going to be assigned to your Datadrive disk. So, this would be the time, in audit mode, to figure that out. If you need to partition or format the datadrive, do it now. On the Start Menu, right-click on "Computer" and choose Manage from the context menu, to get to the Computer Management console. In the Computer Management console, under Storage/Disk Management, you will find the tools to change drive letters, partition, etc.

Should do i need to format any drive now or no, as the HDD i am using is brand new out of the box momentus XT?

Thanks again

 

@tilleroftheearth

Where have you disappeared too
I am stuck at the above stage in the pic. in the auditmode.

C:\ drive shows 365GB so i need to change drive letter from C:\ to D:\ and vice-versa.

Is that all i need to change before going ahead with folders.xml or sysprep.exe command or other stuff too?

Also pls. read my above post and advise.

awaiting on your reply and thanks.

 

C: should definitely be where D: is.

 

When i am trying to change C:\ to another drive letter, it isn't letting me.
It says "parameter is incorrect"

I am guessing it's because C:\ has boot, page file etc. in it.
How do i get around that?

Thanks.

 

Ok, so I came in really late into this conversation and I'm not quite sure what you've done and what you're aiming for. I assume it is this:

You want to have a partition for OS/programs (C:\) and a partition for data (D .

This is how I would go about this process, because it seems you've taken the complicated route. Install your OS onto the hard drive. If it asks you if you want to create partitions, do it from there. If it does not, then let it simply install the OS. Once that is done, use EASEUS Partition Manager to shrink C: to 100GB (or whatever you want it to be) and to create D:\.

 

Here's what the problem is, i am trying to install OS and programs on C:\ with it having a total capacity of 100GB.

Userdata including accounts, downloads, docs, videos, music on D:\, with D:\ having rest of the space.

So when i was on the stage of installation where it ask me to partition, i created 2 partition:
1) with 99.GB
2) with remaining 365GB
3) windows made it's own 100MB partition

So right now i have 2 primary partitions.
C:\ should be D:\ and vice-versa. Now should i just continue or start all over again etc?

Thanks

 

The 100MB partition is what Win7 does. Just let it be.

C and D should be swapped, but you can't just change drive letters and move files. Your OS seems to have been installed to C, as it's listed as the boot volume.

I think that when you created the partitions in the Windows installer you may have selected the wrong partition to actually install on.

In any case, it should not be much effort at all to simply start over. Let Win7 do what it wants. Don't worry about creating partitions. When the installation/setup is done, use the tool I recommended to shrink C and create D. It's painfree, really.

 

that makes sense, i just have one more question:

Let's say i start over and this time choose simple installation instead of advance, after installation completes.

How will i move the userdata and accounts to D:\ ?
I will try installing from beginning again.

 

I don't mess with moving user accounts to other drives. It's beyond my interest. Instead, I move the individual subfolders (docs, music...) by right clicking the folder, properties > Location tab > define new home.

 

After reading countless post over Microsoft's website i've come to the conclusion that what i am trying to accomplish is quite difficult even for a lot of advanced users out there.

Unless and until Microsoft release a simple solution in Win 8 hopefully, your method of changing location from C:\ to D:\ seems to be the most reasonable and simplest without messing with the OS installation in anyway.

I've tried sysrpep.exe method during installation as well and it give me "Fatal error", so for Win 7 i will just change location of almost all folders in C:\users to D:\users.

I will only be making 2 user accounts on this laptop so changing location manually shouldn't be time consuming at all.

 

Geronemo,

Sorry I had to disappear on you - too busy - but to answer your questions in the most direct way:

No matter what partition you install (and boot...) Windows from, it will always be the C: drive (this is not changeable at all).

Using the sysprep route is prone to mistakes, like I hinted at before - try the following file (attached) to move your Users and ProgramData to the D: drive (which will simply be the next formatted partition that Windows will see... make sure you not only create the partition, but that you format it too...).

There are some things to keep in mind when using this method:

This method requires that the destination drive be available and formatted (you can change the D: to E: or F: or any other available and valid drive designation to move the ProgramData and Users folders to).

It also requires that the ProgramData and Users folders are not already on the drive.

So, if you have installed once with this method, then to re-install, you need to either;

1) Format that partition (fastest, easiest method),

2) Rename the folders (needing you to first take 'ownership' and setting the permissions properly first on a separate, fully running Windows 7 system), or

3) Simply deleting the folders (again, you will need to set the permissions and ownership properly first, to do this).


In all cases, make sure you have moved your data to a safe (external) location first!!! before you attempt to re-install with this method.

If you have been doing your backups religously (as you should be doing anyways...) then I would recommend to simply format the partition as this will save you considerable time (with taking ownership of folders, setting permissions etc.).

Okay, with all the 'warnings' out of the way:

To move your ProgramData and Users folder to the D: drive (this file is specific for Windows 7 x64 Ultimate), simply put the attached file into the root directory of your Windows 7 USB Install key.

Install Win7 and create your two partitions that you want:

The first (Windows) partition will be 100GB and the second partition will be the remaining space of the HDD or SSD in question.

The 'trick' here is to format the second 'Data' partition with the Win7 install tools before you start the install.

Once it finishes formatting (it does a quick format, btw...), select the 100GB partition and select 'Install'.

Windows will now install normally and will do one extra reboot before it comes to the desktop for the first time (this is where it moves the ProgramData and Users folders for us) - but, it will do this all automatically with this file in the root directory of our install media.

If you forgot to select the 100GB partition when you hit Install, Windows will make the Data partition the C: drive and will make the 100GB partition the Data 'D:' drive - the easiest thing to do then is simply install Win7 over again and pay attention to which partition is selected when you hit Install.

Not a problem to do a re-install (if we got it wrong)... installing from a quality USB key is amazing when we can do a complete Win7x64 SP1 install in 6 minutes or less.

Just remember to format all partitions before you select the right one and hit that Install button.

Couple of more things to know about this file: if you want to do a normal install with your USB key, simply rename the file to dunattend.xml (or any name other than unattend.xml, which is a special file name that Windows Install looks for when installing itself).

The most important thing to know about this method?

Using Windows Recovery tools will not work. This is not a problem for me; if my Windows installation gets to the point where I need to use a recovery tool, I would rather save the time and headaches and simply re-install anyways. But, you may feel otherwise.


(So far, I have done over 100 installs using this method (since April, 2011), with no downsides except as stated above. I have also found my systems to be stable and very responsive - more importantly; I can also use as little as 12GB for the C: partition in my 'light' systems - even though they are still using a 750GB Scorpio Black HDD).


I'm probably gonna have to disappear again soon, but I think this method is very straightforward and foolproof (tilleroftheearth 'proof'? ).

Good luck and please let me know how this works for you (if you decide to try it).

See:

 

Geronemo!

Have you given up on this (previous post) method?

 

Just read your thread was busy yesterday copy all my files and arranging them from my previous 250GB HDD to my external one.

Now my sony vaio only support x86 files system not the x64, although i am installing Win 7 ultimate.

Do you have a x86 file, if yes i am willing to give it a try

And yes you're right installing win 7 from a USB doesn't take all that long

 

Try this:

See:
Windows 7 unattend.xml Generator


And make sure to add the relevant parts to move the ProgramData and Users folders over.


Actually, just had a look at the generated file - maybe it will be easier to modify the file I sent you rather than the one that is generated.


This link may prove useful too (make sure you read it fully, to the end...):

See:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ifferent/565f16a5-e5ed-43c9-8422-4f56aebb296e


Good luck.

 

I approve. Why to find SUPER complicated ways of nothing? While you really can just change the location of what you want to be changed. In my case it is:
- Download
- Music
- Pictures
- Video
- Desktop. And ALL folders above are situated in folder My Documents! While My documents folder is on the drive D. That is how I did it.

 

Part of the limitation to our approach is that you cannot relocate AppData. No matter how big it gets, it's stuck on C:

Tiller's option will have that folder be on the other partition. Some people are willing to do the work to make that actually happen. I'm not. Besides... I'd rather keep my AppData on my SSD, where it's accessed more quickly.

 

SUPER complicated? lol...

A single file, capable of being modified to any drive letter you want (have successfully moved Users to D:, E:, F: and G: drives...) and using the method Microsoft themselves approves of.

Seems simple to me.

Things are complicated until they're made simple - this is moving the Users folder made simple. A 12GB Win7x64 SP1 complete install partition size is one benefit of this approach (with a complete Office 2010 install too) - having the SSD more than 50% free for performance (sustained performance, I should say...) is a better and for me a bigger reason.

The biggest setback to simply moving the folders suggested (as I was doing too, btw...) is that you are still able to save to other nooks and crannies and have to manually search and include those nooks and crannies for backup purposes.

Nooks and crannies like:

The desktop,
The download folder,
The public folders (all of them),
All folders that get automatically made into the Documents folder (most are useless, but some contain some useful config data that is a pain to setup over and over again).

There are more, but you get the idea.

With a single folder 'Users\X' pointed to - I can backup all saved/generated/modified data at any point in the day/night (where 'X' is my specific user name for the system in question) without needing to think if I may have put some data elsewhere since the last backup.


Yeah, download file, unzip, put file onto your install media (change D: to your specific data drive if necessary...) and install Windows 7 x64 Ultimate and the Users folder is moved - with MS's blessing.

Pretty simple imo and certainly nothing to call 'SUPER complicated'.

 

Well it is as I said comparing to simple move command.

Yes I had little pain backing up data and still not sure how to do it: remove folders back or not before backing C drive up but still...

 

As we veer off topic - I used to worry about how to backup C: (SSD/HDD combo). Now, I've decided to make images of C: exactly how it is. The userfolders are backed up independantly on D: using Synctoy.

 

@tilleroftheearth

No, i haven't give up on you

just got occupied with some family stuff and currently installed Win 8 preview as i had to re-install win 7 anyways.

Just wanted to confirm 2 thing about attached xml file:

1) processorArchitecture="amd64"
In the above line should i change 64 to 86?
Also the Microsoft website link you sent says not to change amd to intel, even though i have an intel processor? pls. advice.

2) wim:h:/sources/install.wim#Windows 7 ULTIMATE"
The H:/ should point to my USB drive correct, other than that i don't need to make any more changes, right.

Thanks a lot

awaiting your reply, till then keep using Win 8 preview

 

I'd say have at least 2. 1 for OS, 1 and 1 for all your documents and movies and files. That way, if you have to reinstall Windows, your stuff will still remain and won't need to be transferred (which could take a long time).

 

you're right, i totally agree.
that's what i am doing now.

 

@tilleroftheearth

I am doing something wrong.
Either it's the "amd64" that i am putting in wrong, remember i have intel 86.

Also after installing my USB drive is giving drive letter F:\
That's what i am choosing as source in unattended.xml file.

Thanks for your help.

 

I have bad english so you just tell me: is it too soon?

P.S. @Geronemo: Don't think that I am happy that you have a problem

 

@James
I think the reason i am not able to get it right is because i am a novice at this.

I do agree changing folder location is easy, but it's also painful when every time i download a big file it has to get downloaded and copied to D: from C: which is something i am trying to avoid and don't mind installing win a few times if i can get it right in the end

 

I wasn't joking about you. I wrote before that it is super complicated.

 

Geronemo,

Try the attached file and let me know if it works for you (sorry, no spare machines or time to try this myself).

Also, don't change any other drive letter(s) at all - it is correct on all the machines I have tried it on so far - remember that Windows Install assigns different drive letters than what you see on a proper O/S start up.

This should still be for Windows 7 Ultimate, but that is what you have, correct?

See:

 

Finally you're back and finally IT WORKED
The mistake i was making is that i didn't know intel x86 would be "x86".
And the usb drive letter that worked for me is F:\
After that it was simple.

Now i automatically have "Users" folder in D:\
Also "ProgramData" folder is now present in C:\ and D:\

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft has 2 folders:
Search
Windows

D:\ProgramData\Microsoft has 20 different folders.

Thanks for your help, hopefully this should work perfectly, right.
Couldn't be happier.

i've 1+ repute to everyone that has helped me out here

 

Is it possible to make an image of the whole Windows after windows 7 and all programs are installed, so next time i have to install win, i won't have to install all programs manually.

Thanks.

 

Yes, via Windows Backup and Restore. There's an option on the left to "Create a system image". You'll be allowed to select the drives/volumes to include in the image. Take into consideration how you've set your system up. You're user files will only work with your current configuration. This means that if you make a system image of only C: (and not D but lose both drives for whatever reason... then a restore of C: could amount to the user account being royally screwed up. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'd recommend your system image to include both drives.

I only make a system image of my C:, cuz I've simply relocated some subfolders. They're easy to move back and forth. You can't do that with your setup though, so be thoughtful on your backup configuration and how a restore would work.

 

Just so you know; you can delete C:\ProgramData as those folders are simply not used anymore.

Yeah, it has worked 'perfectly' for me, in many systems for the last few months.

Glad to have helped.

Btw, I have a feeling that the USB drive letter could be almost anything... Windows has it's own way of making sure it points to the install folder. I could be wrong, but just taking a guess here.

Also, thank you for being patient with me and also returning to confirm that it worked.

 

So I've been sort of following this thread and as someone who will soon have an SSD and an HDD combo I'm interested in having all my movies, tv episodes, etc located in the Users:/Videos sub folder but that the actual CONTENT be on the HDD...

Can that be accomplished?

So like if I'm on my laptop and I go to Libraries. Then click on Videos Library and then see all my content that is located on the HDD?

 

Navigate to the user folder in question: C:\Users\*you*\Videos > right click and select properties > Location tab > choose the location you'd like that folder to go to.

You can also just drag and drop the folder to the new location while holding down the right mouse button.

If you don't want to relocate the video user folder itself, you can always just add the folder location you have on your HDD into the Videos library.

 

If I do what you're suggesting will I still be able to go to libraries easily and see all my stuff there? Or will I have go to navigate to Computer --> HDD and there my video folder will be located?

 

Not only will you achieve exactly that - the Public folders (especially the TV folders - if you're actually recording them via the system in question...) will also be moved to the D: drive or drive/partition you specify.

I have seen the Recorded TV (Public Folders) keep going back to C:\Users\YOU\Public even when pointed elsewhere - a real pain having to deal with (moving the episodes over and worse, the episodes not being available over the network anymore once moved.... when they were moved the way anseio suggests (even though you can't move Public folders like that anyway...).

With the method I am recommending, you will be able to do exactly what you want (re: Libraries) and Windows will do it to the proper drive, transparently.