How do you install windows/apps/games?

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

ScarySquirrel

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Hi all,

I have recently got a new 1TB HDD and installed Windows 7. In my excitement following an upgrade of other components I went install crazy and got all my apps and games installed. Now I am thinking about when I come to format and install Windows 7 RC and Retail that I should have been more thoughtful about my installs.

I am interested to find out how everyone installs their stuff. Do you have a partition for apps/games, a seperate one for windows and then another for files storage?

Ideally I want to be in a position where I can reinstall Windows each time but not have to reinstall Applications and Games.

Is this possible or are there usually problems?

Thanks
 
I used to partition my drives but now have everything on individual drives:

C: 160GB - OS and Apps
D: 500GB - Games/Misc
E: 1TB Films/TV
F: 1TB Music
G: 200GB Backup
 
ScarySquirrel said:
So how does it work if you reinstall your OS? Do all your games still work with no problems?
Click to expand...
Since they're on different drives, it'd be like if you ran a game from a flash drive. It should work no problem!

Just whenever you install a game/app, you select the appropriate drive to install them in.
 
I have two hard drives.

640GB Western Digital:
System (C:) 30GB - Windows + all applications
Games (D:) 100GB - Games, oddly enough!
Personal (F:) 200GB - Documents, Pictures etc
Files (G:) 266GB - Downloads, game/demo installers, program and driver installers

300GB Seagate:
Media (H:) 298GB - Music, TV & Movies

Makes things easier to keep track of, also means that in the event of me re-installing Windows I shouldn't need to re-install the games (some will work afterwards, some won't but it's still quicker when re-installing them). Also reduces fragmentation and makes defragging easier to manage.

I don't bother installing applications to a different drive because it'd just be too much hassle, plus they're far less likely to work after a format anyway. Makes more sense to just download the latest version.
 
Marky said:
Since they're on different drives, it'd be like if you ran a game from a flash drive. It should work no problem!

Just whenever you install a game/app, you select the appropriate drive to install them in.
Click to expand...

hows that work if they write data to the registry? youd at least need to reinstall the game (backing up and restoring the save games before and after).
 
neil_g said:
hows that work if they write data to the registry? youd at least need to reinstall the game (backing up and restoring the save games before and after).
Click to expand...


This in many cases, but there is the odd game here there which does not required to be reinstalled.

Steam games for example, although I will never buy from Steam again.
 
36GB raptor > C: Windows 7
1TB Sammy > D: Apps/Games/Music/Graphics/Drivers F: Vista (failsafe OS)
1TB Sammy > E: TV/Film/Anime

All my old random 500GB AAKS and whatnot are used for backups.

Tempted to get a 300GB Velociraptor with one partition for Windows, and one partition for Steam/Games.
 
I have my OS on a smallish drive, and my My Docs redirected out to another, bigger drive. This always stays there, no matter how many times you reformat. Just reinstall Windows and re-point the My Docs folder.

As most games nowadays create a folder in your My Docs in which to put all their save files, you can just re-install a game and carry on from where you left off. Have done so many times, works lovely.

Like the meerkat says: "Simples." :)

I used to install games onto a drive other than the OS/C: but i just let them go default (Program Files) now.
 
ScarySquirrel said:
Hi all,

I have recently got a new 1TB HDD and installed Windows 7. In my excitement following an upgrade of other components I went install crazy and got all my apps and games installed. Now I am thinking about when I come to format and install Windows 7 RC and Retail that I should have been more thoughtful about my installs.

I am interested to find out how everyone installs their stuff. Do you have a partition for apps/games, a seperate one for windows and then another for files storage?

Ideally I want to be in a position where I can reinstall Windows each time but not have to reinstall Applications and Games.

Is this possible or are there usually problems?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I install Windows, games and apps. on to one drive/one partition, all documents/photos/music etc onto an external drive which is then backed up to NAS when I can be bothered, I then mirror the drive onto a seperate partition weekly (doesn't take long as it's incremental).
 
I have a 1Tb WD Caviar Black, and an Hitachi 250Gb onboard, and a 250Gb external drive. usage as follows:

WD Black Partitions:

System
My Docs
Photos
Data

Hitachi

Backup Acronis Image of System, My Docs, Photo's and selected stuff from Data.

External

Another generation backup Acronis Image of System, My Docs, Photo's and selected stuff from Data.
 
neil_g said:
hows that work if they write data to the registry? youd at least need to reinstall the game (backing up and restoring the save games before and after).
Click to expand...

Most games don't use the registry for anything useful, other than the install location so patches know where to install to. Even if they don't work though, re-installing is usually very quick because all the files are already available; all the installer has to do is replace what isn't present, create registry entries and shortcuts and then it's done. It skips what's already present, so it'll take about 20 seconds.
 
C: 60Gb Vista OS + Apps \ F: 340Gb Music + Game Installs
D: 300Gb PageFile + Videos + Pictures + App Install/Update Files
E: 160Gb Game ISO's/Patches
G: 1Tb Backup eSATA Icybox

Use SyncBackPro to mirror backups of selected folders to G:
 
1TB Samsung
(C:) 195GB - Vista + apps + game installs
(E:) 735GB - TV and movies

120GB Seagate
(D:) 111GB - Music

250GB Seagate
(G:) 232GB - XP Install for work.

External Seagate 250GB
(I:) 232GB - Software.
 
Partition hard disk if you have one to make two volumes. Format both for NTFS.

C:\ for system and appz which is around 50GB I think.

The rest is all in D:\ which includes Games, Music, My documents, pagefile, etc, etc.

Have external USB disk as well for backing up non-imediate warez...I mean legally downloaded distro's of linux :D
 
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