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PARTITIONING A HARD DRIVE. There are no set rules on how to configure a hard drive when it comes to partitioning. Some people like just one partition and others like many partitions. I believe that multiple partitions can help organize your drive, increase performance in some cases, increase stability, reduce the amount of fragmentation that affects performance, make backing up data easier and increase filing efficiency (see table below).
Cluster size is the amount of space used to store a file. For example, if the cluster size is 16 kb, a 1 kb file will take up 16 kb of space on a hard drive. The 15 kb that is lost is known as slack space. The cluster size used by the system is determined by the size of the partition. Here is a chart that will give approximate space lost for an average user (note: there can a lot of variance but you will definitely save space).
Partition Size Cluster Typical Amount
Size of Wasted Space
Fat 16
128 MB - 255 MB 4K 4%
256 MB - 511 MB 8K 10%
512 MB - 1023 MB 16K 25%
1024 MB - 2048 MB 32K 40%
Fat 32
512 MB - 8191 MB 4K 4%
8192 MB - 16383 MB 8K 10%
16384 MB - 32767 MB 16K 25%
Larger than 32768 MB 32K 40%
Below is my partitioning scheme which is a key player in how I back up my system (see the How To article: BACKING UP AND RESTORING WINDOWS):
C: On this partition, I have the system files and any software that demands to be installed on C: It is 2 gb in size. C: and E: partitions are the only ones that I regularly defrag.
D: I have a 500 mb partition that contains the OE Store (email and newsgroups), the Temp and Temporary Internet File folders. These functions generate a lot of fragmentation because of the amount of files added and deleted. While fragmentation is not terribly important to those functions (i.e., I do not defrag those items), when they are mixed in your C: drive files, it causes C: partition fragmentation and that is important. (Note: Under certain conditions, you might want to consider establishing a separate swap file. If so, I would put it in the first primary partition on the second drive and it will lettered as the D: drive. Before considering a separate swap file partition, see the How To article: ESTABLISHING A SEPARATE SWAP FILE.)
To set the OE Store folder in OE5.x, open OE, click Tools, Options, Maintenance tab and the Store Folder button.
To change the Temp folder, see my tip: SETTING UP OPTIONAL TEMP FOLDER.
To change the Temporary Internet File folder, open IE5.x, click Tools, Internet Options, General tab, Settings button and the Move Folder button.
E: This is an 8 GB partition that contains my applications and files. I have the applications in a folder called Tools and there are sub folders that describe the type of tool (Desktop, Internet, Misc, System and Viewer). I use sub folders just to prevent long lists of applications. I also maintain files (photos, music, jokes, etc.) on this partition; however, someone else might want to have a separate partition for data files for ease of back up.
F: I have a MS TechNet subscription and I load the entire CD which contains the MS Knowledge Base articles and its own search engine on its own 2 gb partition. This is a large application that is updated monthly so I didn't install it in my E: partition and cause longer defragging times.
G: This is a 700 mb misc partition that I am not currently using.
H: This 400 mb partition contains my W98SE .cab files. I keep these separate since there is no reason to mix them in with other files that may require defragmenting. I find it handy to have the files on the hard drive which precludes having to put the Windows CD in when the system needs a file. See my tip: CHANGING PATH FOR CAB FILES
I: This is a partition on the 3 gb drive two that is used solely for back up. My primary hard drive is an ATA100 while the second drive is DMA33; therefore, I keep my swap file in the C: partition instead of a partition on this hard drive.
I also have two other primary partitions for other operating systems.
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