Check my spec please!

shodan · 19 Jul 2006 at 18:09

hp7909 said:
Use (& highly recommend) Acronis Disk Director Suite. Allows you to create a bootable CD which you can use to create/delete/resize/move/etc partitions (even with data) without going into Windows, or have any OS installed, etc. Windows installation also can do this, but not as well as the said software, e.g. can't resize, just create meaning you loose any data

Nice, thanks.

shodan · 19 Jul 2006 at 18:23

If I wanted to create an OS partition that was large enough for XP, and also large enough for when I upgrade to Vista, how large should I make it?

I suppose no one really knows how large vista will be yet though.

senorstealth · 19 Jul 2006 at 18:46

it really depends on which version of vista you get. the ultimate version full install currently (beta 2) takes 15gb so id guess thats probably a good maximum estimate of final disk usage for the os

Beenom · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:22

hp7909 said:
Use (& highly recommend) Acronis Disk Director Suite. Allows you to create a bootable CD which you can use to create/delete/resize/move/etc partitions (even with data) without going into Windows, or have any OS installed, etc. Windows installation also can do this, but not as well as the said software, e.g. can't resize, just create meaning you loose any data

hp7909 I got the Acronis Disk Director and Acronis True Image. Where do i go to make that bootable CD? Is it called the "Bootable Media Builder" in the Disk Director program... or am I completely in the wrong place?

Thanks for your help

hp7909 · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:32

Beenom said:
{snip}"Bootable Media Builder"{snip}

That's it

You need 2 blank CD-R/RW's, 1 for True Image & other for Disk Director

Beenom · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:33

hp7909 said:
That's it You need 2 blank CD-R/RW's, 1 for True Image & other for Disk Director

Thanks mate, got loads of blank CD-Rs. Will try making the bootable cds now...

hp7909 · 19 Jul 2006 at 19:35

shodan said:
{snip}I suppose no one really knows how large vista will be yet though.

Gave Vista Beta 2 a 19.1GB partition & its used about 7.9GB, & that's with no programs installed :eek:

daveydave · 19 Jul 2006 at 22:07

Stelly said:
great spec mate... let me know how the keyboard pans out for you... I'm thinking about getting one of them as well

Stelly

m8 already got the keyboard...had it bout 6mnths its top

shodan · 20 Jul 2006 at 02:28

Stelly said:
better performance due to lower seak times.... also data recovery, you put your OS only on one partition and all your data (including documents) on the other partition, and if you have to format and reinstall your OS you will not lose all your data

Stelly

Sorry to further steal your thread Beenom, but let's face it, that happened AGES ago!

If you have to format and reinstall your system partition, would you then have to reinstall all your programs even though they are on the data partition? The registry would be kept on the system partition wouldn't it? and all your installed programs need to be added to the registry.

hp7909 · 20 Jul 2006 at 06:18

shodan said:
Sorry to further steal your thread Beenom, but let's face it, that happened AGES ago!

If you have to format and reinstall your system partition, would you then have to reinstall all your programs even though they are on the data partition? The registry would be kept on the system partition wouldn't it? and all your installed programs need to be added to the registry.

Nope, works the same way as Windows, i.e. you have to reinstall them, even if on a different partition/disk... well, at least thats what I've found

Stelly · 20 Jul 2006 at 06:47

hp7909 said:
Nope, works the same way as Windows, i.e. you have to reinstall them, even if on a different partition/disk... well, at least thats what I've found

Yes but ti should not have to copy over the files as they would already be on the second partition, the game would only have to write to the reg

Stelly

hp7909 · 20 Jul 2006 at 06:57

Stelly said:
Yes but ti should not have to copy over the files as they would already be on the second partition, the game would only have to write to the reg

Stelly

Games I don't mind, even installs faster. But programs, I prefer to do a clean install, hence why I leave them with Windows on same partition because you never know where else some of them might put files

shodan · 20 Jul 2006 at 07:55

hp7909 said:
Games I don't mind, even installs faster. But programs, I prefer to do a clean install, hence why I leave them with Windows on same partition because you never know where else some of them might put files

So your system partition needs to be increased in size the more programs you install?

Stelly, do you also install programs on the system partition?

hp7909 · 20 Jul 2006 at 09:03

shodan said:
So your system partition needs to be increased in size the more programs you install?{snip}

Not necessarily if you partition sensibly (i.e. give each partition adequate space intially)...

MAIN (C) contains XP & programs - used space is about 13GB, with (what i consider) many programs installed not forgetting the OS;
STUFF_1 (D) is My Documents & Games;
& on second HD (Disk 1), BACKUP (I) contains a backup of C: & D: using Acronis True Image.

Above has been like that for well over a year now :cool:

shodan · 20 Jul 2006 at 09:44

hp7909 said:
Not necessarily if you partition sensibly (i.e. give each partition adequate space intially)...

MAIN (C) contains XP & programs - used space is about 13GB, with (what i consider) many programs installed not forgetting the OS;

STUFF_1 (D) is My Documents & Games;

& on second HD (Disk 1), BACKUP (I) contains a backup of C: & D: using Acronis True Image.

Above has been like that for well over a year now

Nice. I've got Acronis True Image, but I've been using it to back up onto DVD-RAM and you need packet writing software already installed for that to work. All the packet writers I can find seem problematic, so Acronis and I have fallen out for the time being. Your solution sounds good though, must be easier than what I've been doing.

Beenom - where did you get Director Suite from?

Beenom · 20 Jul 2006 at 10:03

I don't think this forum allows for that type of discussion mate

. Email me at mirzamoneeb [at] hotmail [dot] com

Those partitions, were they easy to create using Acronis disk director? Using windows to do that would be a struggle!

So hp7909 what would you recommened doing with one 250gb hard drive?

hp7909 · 20 Jul 2006 at 10:13

shodan said:
Nice. I've got Acronis True Image, but I've been using it to back up onto DVD-RAM and you need packet writing software already installed for that to work. All the packet writers I can find seem problematic, so Acronis and I have fallen out for the time being. Your solution sounds good though, must be easier than what I've been doing{snip}

Also backup some folders (photos, etc) onto DVD±RWs & True Image does require packet writing software like InCD

Also, as an extra precaution, have another old spare 40GB HD where I copy the backup images onto every 4-months (in case of any natural disaster, etc) - OTT I hear you say, but I've lost valuable data in the past (including father’s important work & mother's important photos)

hp7909 · 20 Jul 2006 at 10:32

Beenom said:
{snip}So hp7909 what would you recommened doing with one 250gb hard drive?

Is it empty?

Creating the partition was easy because they were done when disk/s were new & empty. Partitioned how I want them then simply copied data from old HD then formatted it before selling it

From Windows its also easy because the software will reboot into DOS mode if it requires to. These might be useful...

shodan · 20 Jul 2006 at 10:37

hp7909 said:
Also backup some folders (photos, etc) onto DVD±RWs & True Image does require packet writing software like InCD

Also, as an extra precaution, have another old spare 40GB HD where I copy the backup images onto every 4-months (in case of any natural disaster, etc) - OTT I hear you say, but I've lost valuable data in the past (including father’s important work & mother's important photos)

No no, I agree you should take all the precautions you can. When I build my system around the Asus P5W DH I think I can use the eSATA port round the back to backup using driverless RAID 1, at least that's what the marketing bumpf had me believe.

Beenom · 20 Jul 2006 at 10:40

hp7909 said:
Is it empty?

Creating the partition was easy because they were done when disk/s were new & empty. Partitioned how I want them then simply copied data from old HD then formatted it before selling it

From Windows its also easy because the software will reboot into DOS mode if it requires to. These might be useful...

Acronis True Image 9.0 User Guide

Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0 User Guide

Yes mate, the drive will be empty

. Is it a good idea to make partitions for the OS, applications and games? Would that be sensible?