HDD Partitions needed or not?

[Sarath]

I just got a new PC with a 1TB HDD. I do not know how to make partitions in the HDD and dont know the benifits of the same. Hence havent made any.

So I want to know if it is essential to make partitions in the drive?

 

[pimpom]

I just got a new PC with a 1TB HDD. I do not know how to make partitions in the HDD and dont know the benifits of the same. Hence havent made any.

So I want to know if it is essential to make partitions in the drive?

Technically, even if you use the whole disk space a single unit, that's still a partition. But let's assume that you're asking about dividing your HDD into more than one partition.

Again, strictly speaking from a technical point of view, it's not essential to have more than one partition, but it's best to have at least two partitions - one for the OS and installed software, and the other for data. This reduces the chance of losing everything in the event of a major crash or a bad virus infection.

Personally, I like to have several partitions. At the moment, I have 8 partitions, one each for the OS, general documents, games, music & videos, photos, vital professional data, etc etc. This is probably more than most people have. It's really a matter of personal preference.

One thing I do for myself and for all of my clients' computers is to have "My Documents" in a non-OS partition. This eliminates the need to back up important files when it becomes necessary to re-install the OS.

 

[Sarath]

Does it mean that in case of a crash or a virus attack the other partitions do not get affected?

I find this weird since it isnt a physical seperation of drives. I though partitioning is done based on the number of platters on the HDD :roll:

 

[skeletor]

See, other partitions may or may not get infected.

But the point is, if you'll be reinstalling your OS i.e. formatting the C: drive (in Windows terms), having a D: drive would help you to back-up your data easily.

 

[Sarath]

My brother wants Ubuntu also. I think that warrants a seperate partition for sure now.
Both of us have no clue as to how to make partitions and/or install Ubuntu.

Also can partitions be made now? (ie without formatting the entire drive) (and after installing the OS which is Win 7 for now)

I know its called dual boot but then again I have no clue as to how its to be done.

 

[skeletor]

1) If you want a second partition to be used in Windows, use partition manager softwares like EASEUS or Paragon. First resize the C: partition, then you will get some unallocated space. Create a new partition in that unallocated space and format it as NTFS to be used in Windows.

Recommended number of partitions for Windows? Atleast two. So that it makes your life easier and you can manage things better.

2) If you want to install Ubuntu later, download Ubuntu 11.04 ISO, burn on a CD and boot from it to start installation. Ubuntu installation would again let you resize existing partitions and hence generate unallocated space for you. Then create partition(s) in the unallocated space, set mount points and file system and proceed with the installation. There are plenty...plenty of installing Ubuntu guides available on the Internet.

 

[Sarath]

Oh thanks ico

I think I will (if i do) make 3 partitions
1 For OS and Program Manager (Win7)
2 For all the data video songs etc
3 For Ubuntu

How much space will ubuntu need; i mean partition size for general use. I think my bro will use CAD and such programmes. Many more to come as his college uses Ubuntu on all PCs. So how much space do you suggest?

[I think I got Ubuntu with this months DIGIT dvd so I will just use it to boot and install from it]

 

[skeletor]

Ubuntu actually requires (well recommended) 3 partitions:

1) / pronounced as root. Partition for the OS files and softwares. My suggestion would be 30GB. File system = ext4.
2) home partition for documents, videos, music etc. My suggestion would would be 40GB. File system = ext4.
3) swap area. Partition which is used as virtual memory. Recommended size = size of your RAM. 4GB?

Don't worry, Ubuntu's installation lets you do this easily. Just look up for guides.

But I guess, the best way for you will be to install Ubuntu using Wubi which lets you install Ubuntu as a 'program' in Windows. Just insert the disk while running Windows, and you are ready to go. This doesn't require any partitioning. Choose around 70GB size for this. Ubuntu will store its data/run from a huge 70GB file in your C: drive or whatever drive you choose. This is easy for newbies.

 

[pimpom]

Does it mean that in case of a crash or a virus attack the other partitions do not get affected?

There's no guarantee that the other partitions will not be affected, but it does reduce the possibility.

I find this weird since it isnt a physical seperation of drives. I though partitioning is done based on the number of platters on the HDD :roll:

Most modern hard disks use a single platter. Partitioning allocates different areas of the platter to the partitions. It's like dividing a one-storey building into separate rooms.

(Sorry about the late reply. My BSNL broadband connection has been behaving erratically for more than a month now. I've called them a number of times and they respond quickly to my complaints but they can't seem to pinpoint the problem).

 

[thetechfreak]

As long as you are able to keep the files organised and dont have any difficulty in finding any file. I'd say you can do without extra partition.
P.s= make a big chain of folders to keep things organised.

 

[nginx]

I personally don't like partitioning my HDD but I atleast make two partitions, one for the OS only and another for everything else including programs. This saves me a lot of headache when OS needs to be reinstalled for whatever reason. More than 2 partitions are really unnecessary as your contiguous block of free space reduces if you have many partitions and your files are scattered across each of them.

Portioning is usually done so that when partition is affected by virus or get corrupted, data in other partitions remain safe but if the HDD itself crashes, then partitioning won't help you.

 

[pimpom]

As long as you are able to keep the files organised and dont have any difficulty in finding any file. I'd say you can do without extra partition.
P.s= make a big chain of folders to keep things organised.

That's correct, as long as everything's working normally. But there are times when something goes wrong with a file or folder and affects other data in the same partition, but not those in another partition. I've seen it happen from time to time, once to my own computer.

I personally don't like partitioning my HDD but I atleast make two partitions, one for the OS only and another for everything else including programs. This saves me a lot of headache when OS needs to be reinstalled for whatever reason. More than 2 partitions are really unnecessary as your contiguous block of free space reduces if you have many partitions and your files are scattered across each of them.

As I said before, it's a matter of personal preference.

Portioning is usually done so that when partition is affected by virus or get corrupted, data in other partitions remain safe but if the HDD itself crashes, then partitioning won't help you.

There are crashes where the hard disk is not dead, but just needs a bit of maintenance. I've seen it happen several times to clients' computers and once to my own. Like when the partition table gets partly corrupted, or the FAT file in a FAT32 partition, or a bad sector (due to power fluctuations, not age) that makes a whole partition inaccessible.

In many such cases, data can be recovered, but the recovery would have taken much longer if it had happened to a single huge partition. In some cases, the recovered data had lost their directory structure and individual file names. Sorting them out gets increasingly difficult and time-consuming with increasing partition size, especially if the contents are a mixture of many different kinds of data.

 

[Sarath]

Since I have only one partition I have to shrink the primary partition to make space for the second partition right. I read this is Wins help and how to do guide. I hope this is how it is done.

since digit bundled an Ubuntu disk last month and is giving a fast track about it this month I think it is a good time to try it out. Most likey end of this month (after exams) i will get ubuntu in my PC.

after shrinking the original partition should I leave it alone or make another partition of the extra memory that I have just freed?
More plainly should I allocate the secondary partition before or during the ubuntu installation? Does it automatically become secondary partition or I have to do something?
Also as ico said 3partitions for Ubuntu? Is that a hard rule or the best way of doing it?


I am a complete newbie so bear with me.

 

[sygeek]

after shrinking the original partition should I leave it alone or make another partition of the extra memory that I have just freed?
More plainly should I allocate the secondary partition before or during the ubuntu installation? Does it automatically become secondary partition or I have to do something?

Leave the unallocated partition alone and Ubuntu's installer will do the rest.

Also as ico said 3partitions for Ubuntu? Is that a hard rule or the best way of doing it?

Using different partitions for Ubuntu is not supported by Ubuntu's installer, neither it is easy to create manually (for a "newbie to Linux") and you shouldn't bother to create one unless you are a power user.

I am a complete newbie so bear with me.

Newbies are always welcome by me.

 

[Sarath]

I need to reintall the windows OS. I do not want to install all the programs again.

Is it possible for me to create another partition now and transfer all my saved files and the "Program Files" folder into the new partition? And after that do a fresh installation?

Will it preserve all my files?

 

[sygeek]

It is possible but keep in mind that most of the programs depend on the registry for certain information (license etc. etc.) so you may want to have a registry backup too. Although I can not assure you the stability of such programs.

 

[Sarath]

So do I just go ahead create a new partition and do a simple copy paste of the program files folder.

I need one for Ubuntu too so I am making 3 partitions now. Is that fine? What size do you suggest for the OS partition? Im keeping 100GB for Ubuntu. The rest will be a huge partition for all the other files.

 

[sygeek]

It is better if you make a list of all the programs needed by your PC from High-Low priority then install them after format as needed. The downloads and other stuff like pictures can be backed up as usual.

Well I already told you about 3 partitions stuff, but if you are willing to create 3 partitions well then you are good to go. 100GB is more than enough for Ubuntu if you ask me, but looks like you got tonnes of space so you can go ahead with it.

 

[Sarath]

I ve got 931GB [its a 1TB drive]. I will just install everything then. This is quite a pain. So I need not make any partitions for Ubuntu specifically as that can be done while its installation itself.

Thanks for all the info SyGeek.

[Ive got a 640GB portable HDD to make my back ups. Thats where all my files are as of now]

Also one last ques: How to reinstall windows? I installed it for the first time myself. Is it the same procedure?

I just pop in the disk and reinstall right.

 

[sygeek]

^Are you aware that Ubuntu's installer can't make multiple partitions (3, as you mentioned) for distributing various places into different partitions (I don't mean that Ubuntu's installer cannot create multiple partitions only)? You have to do it manually...