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Should I get my new laptop with hard drive partitioned?

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Carol Haynes:
Actually, I do notice a difference even if the swap file is on a different partition, rather than a different drive.  I think it has something to do with fragmentation, since the partitions fragment separately.
-wraith808 (February 19, 2008, 01:14 PM)
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There is a simple solution to that - make your swap file fixed size and then do a boot time defrag. The Swap file will never fragment.

Having you swap file on a separate drive improves performance. Having it on a separate partition on the same drive actually degrades performance because the drive heads have to move about more just to make Windows and programs work properly. The only reason it would be quicker as you describe is because aa swap file is allowed to grow and shrink (the windows default setting) - then it becomes massively fragmented very quickly.

AndyM:
I thought this was an interesting thread back in February, but academic for me.

Now I suddenly find myself about to take delivery on a new laptop (XP Pro) with two hard drives.  When I thought I was only going to have one drive, I intended to have 2 partitions (C: for system and applications, D: for data).

Based on what I've read here, I'll put the swap file on the second hard drive, and also any cache and temp files that I can figure out how to move. 

1.  Should the swap file go in it's own partition on the second drive?

2.  Should I think about putting my data in a partition on the second drive instead of the first?  If I do that, can I still call the data partition "D:" or will the drive letters only go in order (eg C: and D: on the first drive, E: and F: on the second)?

3.  If I don't get the partitioning right the first time, any recommendations on a good, inexpensive partition manager utility?

Any and all advice will be most welcome!!!

Andy

AndyM:
moved all of my internet settings ... onto the data partition.
-Darwin (February 19, 2008, 10:55 AM)
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How did you move your settings?

Carol Haynes:
If you can arrange it make a small partition (3 x memory size should be enough) and place the page file on there by itself. Ideally make this the first partition on the drive (the fastest part of the disc).

tomos:
1.  Should the swap file go in it's own partition on the second drive?

2.  Should I think about putting my data in a partition on the second drive instead of the first?  If I do that, can I still call the data partition "D:" or will the drive letters only go in order (eg C: and D: on the first drive, E: and F: on the second)?

3.  If I don't get the partitioning right the first time, any recommendations on a good, inexpensive partition manager utility?
-AndyM (April 17, 2008, 09:18 AM)
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1. general consensus here was yes - first partition on second drive - (f0dder says you dont need one if you have 2GB ram :P)
I have the Temp folders there and Temp Internet files too. Just nice to have the messy stuff all in one package!

2. I would have data on one and back it up on the second, so I dont know if it would matter which you use  :-\

3.I used that [sorry! EDIT: Parted Magic] for the partitioning
with the help of this tutorial
it was very easy
-tomos (August 23, 2007, 08:27 AM)
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http://partedmagic.com/

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