Does it still make sense to partition my HDD?

I just got my new ThinkPad and I'm about to start configuring it. I'll run Windows 7 home premium 64bit.

In the past, I have always created 2 HDD partitions, one for system files, and one for everything else (plus any other partitions required by dual-boot or manufacturer software). It came in handy a couple of times when I had to reinstall the OS and I didn't have to worry about restoring the rest of my files.

It was also my understanding that some programs (e.g. photoshop) actually run better in this type of setting.

A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a geek squad dude at bestbuy and he said that partitioning the HDD is actually an obsolete practice. I was surprised to hear that. What do you guys think?

 

I personally find that 'obsolete practice' quite useful.
Especially since I don't have to worry about losing data on the primary partition if there's a serious breakdown in the OS and whatnot.

Furthermore ... I think there's been an article about 'short-stroking'.
In essence, it means you should use about 10 or 20% of your HDD space for the C partition (where you will story Windows and programs) and the rest to use on the other partition, and not filling the overall HDD to over 80% of capacity.

This method is reported to be the best one for how HDD's work actually.

 

Congratulations. Enjoy!

GeekSquad...
Not being a US citizen but having read quite a few posts on 'geek squad dudes', are they the ones to take advice from?
Like Deks mentioned (and you've done previously), having an OS+progs and a separate data partition is very usefull imho.

 

That's what I've always known, but things change eventually, so I would have been ok with learning something new.

I think the bestbuy dude was just trying to justify the fact that most of their laptops don't come with OS install discs anymore.

Cheers!

 

The performance advantages/disadvantages of partitions are negligible.

Partitions are fantastically useful if you want to keep your OS separate or you want to dual boot or any other reason that is important to you. If this matters to you then partition, otherwise it isn't worth the bother.

 

i read in the hardware section that it is better to isolate your o/s and programs in a smaller partition.
with the smaller partition, o/s and program files/data will not be scattered throughout the drive, leading to faster seek times; and it will also allow you to shortstroke the drive, giving even more performance

 

Wow I never knew this, great information! The bestbuy dude says its obsolete but I never heard of this type of configuration. If I do this to my hard drive, do I install the programs to the os partition or to my files partition?

 

One partition for me. You will have to backup data either ways.

The "more performance thing with smaller C partition" is not true with today's huge hard drives.

 

I always make a 9GB partition at the beginning of the drive (1st partition). I put a 4gb swap file and 4gb hibernate files there. I give it the drive letter Z:
Then I create a 65GB partition for the OS and programs. This is C:
Then the rest I make my data/user file drive. aka D:
Sometimes I put one more drive in the end which I use for downloads that I know I will delete again in a few hours. Like small programs, drivers, patches. Download, install and delete.

I do this because the beginning of the drive should be faster. So I rank them in order of importance to me. Also I hope to reduce fragmentation of files.

I am not sure if it really works but I don't think it can hurt. I always have enough space on all my partitions so I am not worried about having to resize. I used to install games on d: because of the size. But I dont game anymore.

 

Sorry about the thread hijack, but would any of you knowledgable people know how I can get rid of this OEM partion at the start of my secondary hdd(originally shipped as boot drive) highly preferably with the rest of my data kept intact.

View attachment 57092

The only option it gives me when I right-click is Help
also EASEUS partition manager home edition wont work as im running x64

 

What do you mean the only option it gives when you right click is help?

You should be able to use windows tools for this.

In the start menu right click on Computer and select manage.
Got to Storage -> Disk Management and select the disk you want to edit
Right click on the Restore volumes and delete them.
Then right click on the main partition and select expand. Use the Wizard.

If the restore volumes are at the end of the drive this will work for sure.

 

Yes like i said when i right click the only option it gives me is Help

 

I dont think that is the a recovery partition but the boot loader or something like that. It is 39MB as in megabytes not giga so I would not worry about it. Not worth the effort.

 

Dont worry found out how,

How to delete OEM Partition | Jared Heinrichs

thanks for your time anyhow

edit: well actually it doesnt work coz im an idiot and have my secondary hdd as a bluddy dynamic disk, aaargggh!!!!
i wish it was easy to convert from dynamic to basic as it is from basic to dynamic. I'm pretty much gona have to do a complete backup, then wipe then reimplement everything

 

I use partitions for the same reason you describe: to make re installs simpler.

 

You'll install your programs to the OS partition. If they become scattered amongst your other data, then they'll take time to load as well. So, it's more like OS and programs on one partition, and data on the other.

 

Would an OS partition, program partition, and data partition work? Or must the programs go with the OS partition? What about if I install games?

 

I've considered the same thing. It might be worth exploring, but could definitely be overkill. Games... hmmm... they can take up a ton of space. For example, I play Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It's program folder contains 1,130 files over 28.2GB. Now what say your OS and a few programs span 10GB or so. To have those mixing and fragmenting along with the game can become messy, IMO. Soo... small games = yes, big games = no, is the compromise I made.

The programs need not go into the OS partition. That simply depends on where you choose to install it and the OS will look to that location. So, if you have a lean OS partition that's fast, and then programs installed all over the place, then Windows would work nicely, but programs could take a while to load.

I think it's perfectly ok to have programs and OS on the same partition.

The more partitions you make the more unused space you begin to lock up. ie: set aside 50GB for programs, 50GB for OS, and 150GB for data. But oh wait, in 6 mths you need more than 150GB for data. You cannot shrink the other partitions and expand the data partition because it's extremely difficult to move a partition from right to left (or from the inside of the disk closer to the outside). So, if you had 25GB free space in your OS and in your programs partitions, that's 50GB you can't really utilize if you were desperate to keep your file system organized as such.

 

So it would actually be better if I installed programs in the same partition as my OS? How would it increase the time for it to load?

 

I don't have any practical experience to give you a decent answer on this.

 

Thanks anyway, you provided me with excellent information I didn't know before.

 

An immeasurable performance improvement. It is so small, you will never notice the difference or measure it with a stop watch.

Gary