Which HD to boot from?

newbie2

Hi, I'm getting a new 320gb hd ( Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB IDE ATA/100 16MB 7200RPM )to add to my 80 gb hd (Maxtor 6Y080L0 80 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/133) and I'm just wondering whats the best approach regarding which one I use for windows etc.

Might first choice would be to keep on using the 80gb one as my C drive - where windows would boot from and all my apps run from, then use the 320gb one for all my storage such as movies, music, pictures and games. Would it be a problem running games from the "D" drive (320 gb)? I was also wondering could I install windows on the 320gb one as a backup - boot from c, but have a spare from d?

This would be my prefered choice of how to do things - I have all my apps working nicely and alot of them intergrate with eachother so it would take a bit of work going through all of them and adjusting the preferences.

Any advice would be great.

thanks in advance

Lump

I'd say the 80 gig, just so it's less likely to get full up with files etc. Then if you use it as little as possible to store files, and just use it to install etc.

John

conzy

newbie2 wrote:

Hi, I'm getting a new 320gb hd ( Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB IDE ATA/100 16MB 7200RPM )to add to my 80 gb hd (Maxtor 6Y080L0 80 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/133) and I'm just wondering whats the best approach regarding which one I use for windows etc.

Might first choice would be to keep on using the 80gb one as my C drive - where windows would boot from and all my apps run from, then use the 320gb one for all my storage such as movies, music, pictures and games. Would it be a problem running games from the "D" drive (320 gb)? I was also wondering could I install windows on the 320gb one as a backup - boot from c, but have a spare from d?

This would be my prefered choice of how to do things - I have all my apps working nicely and alot of them intergrate with eachother so it would take a bit of work going through all of them and adjusting the preferences.

Any advice would be great.

thanks in advance

No problem installing games and apps on a seperate drive....

I have my OS my games and my apps and my pagefile, on 4 seperate partitions on my raptor, then I use my 160gig samsung spinpoint for storage, works like a charm

The only problem is, it takes 5 seconds longer to install things as you cant do a next>next>next>next>next>next> install

You have to point it towards whichever drive you want it installed on......

And I would recommend putting your page file/scratch disk/swap file whatever you want to call it, on its own partition, it helps.....

Also install the OS on it own partition, i have it on a 5gig partition but that becasue space on the raptor is so valuable:D

Put it on a 10-15gig partition for a bit more comfort

PogMoThoin

I agree with conzy. i have my 1st drive (160GB) partioned as follows:
C = Operating System 30Gb
D = Page File 5Gb
E = Games 50Gb
F = Data Storage remainder

You can lay it out whatever way you want but you can only put windows on the 1st partion ie. C. This way the page file is on its own sepperate partion and it seems to work faster (imo others may dissagree)

conzy

The page file does work faster because it will be on the second partition, which is closer to the spindle than the other partitions (other than os);)

Anyway, having programs on a seperate partition and not in program files is great because after a reinstall, most of my apps still worl and I can get back up and running very quickly

SeanW

Hi Newbie.

Yes, it should be fine to leave the Windows installation on your 80GB drive - I acutally have the exact same hard drive myself and use it for Windows as well (also have a 300GB SATA drive as secondary), it's plently fast and well up for the job.

I concur with the above posts, should be fine to use the 80GB drive for what's there now, and use the new drive for new stuff. Also you may want to consider moving the pagefile to the new drive.

One last point to add though, I don't know if you've done Hard Drive installations before, but if you do decide to leave your OS installation where it is, make sure you install the new hard drive as a 'Slave' and keep the existing one as a 'Master.' With IDE ports, although they can run 2 IDE devices from one port, only one of those devices can boot an operating system, this device takes the master side of the IDE cable. The master connection on a ribbon cable is the one at the end, while the slave takes the connection in the middle of the cable.

PogMoThoin

I totally agree with conzy. page file in its own partion works great. its great to have games in their own sepperate partion 2. Be sure to read instructions for installation of new hd. theres a jumper pin that has to be removed. it tells mobo which drive is the primary hd

snappieT

I feel necessary to brag:
C: System: 10GB
TV: 380GB
E: Backup: Emergency backup Windows install : 10GB
F: TV/Comedy: 240GB
M: Media (Music, Movies): 280GB
P: Private Shares (Drives that map for users of my family no matter what PC they log onto): 30GB
S: Software: 300GB
T: Temporary: 160GB

Totalling a beautiful 1.35TB, and it's all full!

Lump

Yet your penis = 2 Inch

snappieT

There are boards members that will argue to the contrary. I'll pass this time. I'll watch some Green Wing instead.

SeanW

lol

SouperComputer

conzymaher wrote:

The page file does work faster because it will be on the second partition, which is closer to the spindle than the other partitions (other than os);)

Anyway, having programs on a seperate partition and not in program files is great because after a reinstall, most of my apps still worl and I can get back up and running very quickly

The start of the drive as you say is the fastest, but its furthest from the spindle! bearing in mind the rotational speed is a constant, the greatest throughput is at the edges of the drive.

Putting the swap file on another partiton on the same drive is pointless IMO. It leads to extra, uneeded HD scratching in most cases. Especially if your first partiton is over 40% of the total capacity of the drive.

Personally, id put the OS & Apps (maybe put the apps in a seperate partiton for reasons above on the 80GB and throw Multimedia\Swap file on the 160

DemonOfTheFall

Yeah I never got the point of making a separate partition for the pagefile... Just get a defragger that let's you move files out to the edge of the drive and move it out to the edge of your C drive. easy peasy.

Also, SouperComputer is right, it's faster the farther you are from the spindle rather than the closer you are. The velocity of a point on the disk is it's rotational velocity times it's distance from the centre of rotation, so the farther from the centre the faster it's going.