re-installing OS. Partition question

batistuta9

I bought a laptop recently and when it arrived i turned it and on the install started but i didn't have the time to go through this properly as i had to go out and when it got to the part about creating partitions i switched it off. I thought when i turned it on again i'd be able to setup the partitions but this was done and now there are two partitions on the laptop: C 49.9 GB and D 624 GB.
The C drive has the OS on it and the program files but i think this is a bit small and only has 9.33 GB free, i'm wondering if i re-install windows using the CD does this let me create the partitions again and if so what size should i make them?

yoyo

batistuta9 wrote: »

I bought a laptop recently and when it arrived i turned it and on the install started but i didn't have the time to go through this properly as i had to go out and when it got to the part about creating partitions i switched it off. I thought when i turned it on again i'd be able to setup the partitions but this was done and now there are two partitions on the laptop: C 49.9 GB and D 624 GB.
The C drive has the OS on it and the program files but i think this is a bit small and only has 9.33 GB free, i'm wondering if i re-install windows using the CD does this let me create the partitions again and if so what size should i make them?

If you have a Windows CD just delete all the bloody partitions and install on the "Unallocated space" ie the full HD. This bloody partitioning crap annoys the hell out of me, don't get me wrong partitioning can make sense for a variety of different uses but as a backup solution its useless as what happens when a hard drive dies?
And yes you should have around 15-20 gig on your windows partition free for the best performance, <10 gig free isn't much use :P .
Btw if you have files/content on the laptop back them up before deleteing the partitions coz obviously they'll be lost

Nick

goldenhoarde

if you can lay your hands on a copy of PartionManager or wanna splash $9.95 for a ten day license you should be able to extend the C pation using that

http://www.paragon-software.com/home/pm-personal/eshop.html?affChecked=1

however reinstalling the whole machine would be the best way if you have a backup of all your files/software

shizz

yoyo wrote: »

If you have a Windows CD just delete all the bloody partitions and install on the "Unallocated space" ie the full HD. This bloody partitioning crap annoys the hell out of me, don't get me wrong partitioning can make sense for a variety of different uses but as a backup solution its useless as what happens when a hard drive dies?
And yes you should have around 15-20 gig on your windows partition free for the best performance, <10 gig free isn't much use :P .
Btw if you have files/content on the laptop back them up before deleteing the partitions coz obviously they'll be lost

Nick

The reason I like partitioning is for when the windows install goes haywire you can simply erase and reinstall that partition without loosing all your personal data. Which, as you know yoyo, has come in very handy for me lately hahaha

yoyo

shizz wrote: »

The reason I like partitioning is for when the windows install goes haywire you can simply erase and reinstall that partition without loosing all your personal data. Which, as you know yoyo, has come in very handy for me lately hahaha

Ahh yes I know, I also know the chances of partitions screwing up is far greater than a proper cloud backup/external backup etc. My rant is the manufacturers sometimes do it ridiculously like a 30-70 split (or possibly user error in the partitioning step on first boot where the next next next mentality kicks in waiting for the machine too boot), and people don't understand you should change the drive letter during installs/documents location to preserve space on the OS drive. :P

if you can lay your hands on a copy of PartionManager or wanna splash $9.95 for a ten day license you should be able to extend the C pation using that

http://www.paragon-software.com/home...l?affChecked=1

however reinstalling the whole machine would be the best way if you have a backup of all your files/software

OP shouldn't trust any such tool without a backup anyways which is why I suggest a backup and wipe

Nick

batistuta9

yoyo wrote: »

If you have a Windows CD just delete all the bloody partitions and install on the "Unallocated space" ie the full HD. This bloody partitioning crap annoys the hell out of me, don't get me wrong partitioning can make sense for a variety of different uses but as a backup solution its useless as what happens when a hard drive dies?
And yes you should have around 15-20 gig on your windows partition free for the best performance, <10 gig free isn't much use :P .
Btw if you have files/content on the laptop back them up before deleteing the partitions coz obviously they'll be lost

Nick

I'm not looking to use it as backup though, and i know the files on it will be gone.

Is it not better to have it partitioned and having the OS & program files on one partition so it'll take less time for the computer to access them and keeping my data on the other partition?
and why should there be 10-20 GB left free?

if i did install again with the CD will it let me setup the partitions again because the C drives already <10 GB and will probably get smaller as i don't have the laptop long so will install more programs and your saying i should keep 10-20 GB free.

I like it the way it's now with the 2 partitions the only things the size of the C drive

losts

Is it not better to have it partitioned and having the OS & program files on one partition so it'll take less time for the computer to access them and keeping my data on the other partition?

Not so much an issue as the speed of your hard drive and RAM will reflect the access times for applications and files and also most likely this is only a logical partition (HDD speed will be the same)

and why should there be 10-20 GB left free?

2 reasons for this, 1st) to leave enough of your main partition for use as virtual memory (swap space) when you have enough applications opened that you RAM is used up and 2nd) to house the hidden automatic updates most OS use, with windows these include uninstall files for removing / rolling back the updates. I had awful trouble with this on an old machine

if i did install again with the CD will it let me setup the partitions again because the C drives already <10 GB and will probably get smaller as i don't have the laptop long so will install more programs and your saying i should keep 10-20 GB free.

if your not using a partition as a backup or a restore point I wouldn't bother with creating 2 partitions

batistuta9

In computer management it's shows four partitions one that's not named as a recovery partition, system thats 100mb and the other two i mentioned earlier. So there is going to be a partition there anyway to allow for backup with the recovery software on the laptop

this allows the laptop to be returned to the state it was when purchased or if i saved the current state of the laptop on to it.

So if i use this software it'll make no difference if the hdd's partitioned or not