60 Gig hard drive partition

[olopbob]

I'm going to partition my 60 gig HD for the first time. After going through two total crashes,complete installs and reformats I want to create a small, second back-up O/S, to save down time, and allow me to have basic functions like a browser and email. I also want to create several small partitions for data backup (music, photos, program files and word documents). I'll be using Partitionmagic 7.0. My question is, how should I size these partitions? My main O/S will be Windows XP with MS Office 2000 Professional.I would like to use a smaller backup O/S and dual boot. I have a basic Win ME disk or should I use an open source O/S? I would like something very user friendly and I am familiar with ME (although it is a bit unstable). Perhaps someone knows of something smaller and easy to use.I would say Win 98 but I don't have access.

Also, what would be the best size for these partitions? I was thinking 20 Gig for XP, 15 Gig for second O/S and dividing the other 25 Gigs into 3-5, 5 to 8 Gig storage partitions. I may be totally wrong about this, so any help on the second O/S and partition size and setup is welcomed.

Note: Presently, I have 49 gigs on drive C, and 8 gigs on drive d, and both are ntfs which can't be changed back to fat 32 without format. Also XP is installed on drive C and one of the main reasons for partition is to protect it from a reformat or reinstallation.Manufacturer says I will get 60 gigs after partition.

[dick471]

Your inviting trouble! In a multi-boot setup XP should be the last operating system installed. I would erase your 60GB drive. Install "ME" into a 6GB "C" Fat32 partition and get it running the way you want. Then install XP into a 6 to 10GB "D" NTFS partition for the operating system, hardware programs, system required program software (ie. office, acrobat reader, WinZip, etc.). Then make a large "E" NTFS partition for everything else (Programs, Data, Photos, MP3's, etc.). XP boot files will be in the "C" partition with ME and run by XP's built in boot manager. All of the XP boot files can now be accessed with a DOS bootdisk that can read/write to a Fat32 partition. You might think about making a final small 4GB "F" Fat32 partition for anything you want common to both operating systems---like putting your Outlook Express mail folders into this partition. This is so you can find all of your mail from both operating systems. If you find that you want somthing that's in "E" NTFS partition to use in ME; just copy from "E" to "C" or "F" partition so ME can see it!

[olopbob]

How do I use this soluiton without losing data and programs I have on my preconfigured XP on drive D? I can install and partition but I can,t save my total setup.

[dick471]

You'll have to save all of your data to CD's, Zip's, Tape, or anything you can record to, and do a complete reinstall of "ME" and "XP". As far as programs-you'll loose them anyway and must reinstall them later. They won't work anymore anyway, since the .dll files to run them will not be in the correct partition. Another choice is to borrow a small second hard drive from a friend, put in as slave, and copy all of your personal settings and data to this slave drive. Then when you done with the 60GB drive with both operating systems installed, shutdown and put the second drive in just to copy the info that's on this drive. Then while in XP reformat this slave drive to whatever it was and return the drive to your friend.

[olopbob]

I'm going To use Partition Magic, and an online buddy just suggested putting a copy of my XP on second partition as backup. I thought this was a great idea, I just need to know how to boot to my original XP install first, and copy the file that will activate the Windows XP install on the second partition from the original.I also need to figure the size for the second XP O/S partition and two others for storage.

I think this will also solve the problem of having NTFS on entire drive.

[dick471]

I'm very unclear what exactly your planning. I'm afraid I can't help from here on. Your on your own. Maybe your buddy on line can direct you. Good Luck Dick Johnson