B
BeeJ
Other than an organiational tool, what use is partitioning?
Is it any different on Win7 than previous?
Is it any different on Win7 than previous?
P
Paul
It also supports multiple OSes. My disks have EXT2 partitionsBeeJ said:
as well as NTFS. EXT2 are Linux, NTFS are Windows. There
are plenty of different partition types specific to OSes.
http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html
Some strange ones, are used to store a restore image for your
PC, like if you buy a Dell/HP/Acer or other, pre-built computer.
If you only use one OS, then yes, the partitions are an
organizational tool. It might make configuring your backup tool
a little easier. I keep a small C: partition for that reason.
Just back up all of C:, and keep it small so it takes
half an hour to back up.
Paul
N
Nil
You can't create a file system until you have created a partition.
W
Wolf K
Data protection. I routinely change Preferences in apps so that data
generated by them resides on a data-only partition. I also install at
least two physical disks in all machines I build, or use external drives
for the laptops. Then I set backup to store backed-up data on them.
Does this sound like I'm a bit paranoid about data loss? Yes, and I
won't terrify you by telling you why. ;-)
Have a good Holiday,
Wolf K.
S
Stefan Patric
Safety. Security. Expandability. Like the old adage: "Never keep all
your eggs in one basket." Or partition. Or hard drive.
Stef
B
BillW50
I hear this claim so many times. And I don't know what can of backup
software you use, but most can backup folders and files too vs. whole
partitions. Thus you can have everything on one partition if you want
and have separate backups for data, applications, OS, etc. if you want.
I personally gave up with backup and restore myself. You don't know how
many times I have backed up and later discovered that it won't restore.
The worst is with Acronis True Image with some USB interfaces. So
nowadays I just clone hard drives and you can test the clone to see if
it actually works.
B
BillW50
I used to do things that way but it just doesn't make sense to me
anymore. For desktops you can buy removable drive bays and for laptops,
you can buy spare carriers. So I just swap hard drives. And my Alienware
laptops supports two hard drives so I don't even have to swap them.
Plus many talk about backups, but they *only* think of software backups.
I've been doing this for decades and I feel hardware backups are just as
important as software backups. So I don't really have to swap hard
drives, just swap backup computers instead. I have six of these laptops
and I just swap them in and out of three docking stations. No mess or fuss.
C
Char Jackson
I've been using various version of Acronis True Image for quite a few
years now and haven't had a problem with it.
My principal objection to cloning as a backup strategy is that it
requires more hard drives than it deserves. I can place multiple
backup images on a given backup drive, but that same drive would only
hold one cloned image, unless I'm misunderstanding you.
L
Leon Manfredi
Sucks....... !
B
Bob I
Or computer, or building, or city?
M
meagain
A partition does not protect against harddrive failure. I mightStefan said:
once in a blue moon protect against runaway s/w that fills a disk!
S
Stefan Patric
Exactly.
Stef
S
Stefan Patric
True. But both a rare occurrences. Even filesystem corruption is rare
these days. But they all do happen. Much more common is malware induced
failures and corruption.
The whole point of partitioning is to isolate damage, and keep your data
safe between back ups which should, of course, be on separate media. At
the very least, with a typical Windows desktop system, I normally make a
small "system" partition, C:, and a second much larger partition for the
users' files and data. The more paranoid put the Users on an entirely
different hard drive.
Stef
A
Allen Drake
I agree. Partitioning is old school and to me totally useless. One
large partition per drive. SSDs for all System drives that only hold
OS and hardware hard drives for storage and backup files. External USB
3 or external SATA drives for cloning and backup data. Can't get more
simple.
Al.
J
J. P. Gilliver (John)
In message <[email protected]>, Stefan Patric
in many years of supporting folk, including plenty who aren't
computer-savvy (including at least one who I'd be surprised if he didn't
look at a fair amount of porn), I can call to mind one case of a PC that
appeared to be riddled with it (not his) - and no others. IME "broken"
OSs are commoner causes of problems - though the modern ones that have a
lot of protection built in are probably improving that.
data" just about gets through to those who can't grasp anything more
complicated. And I think keeping data separate from software is a Good
Thing - and just doing that by careful use of directories requires
considerably more attention - and still doesn't work too well with some
software.
It'd be nice if more software didn't default to C: for data storage; I
suppose that would require checking whether there _was_ anything other
than C:, but surely that's not difficult.
want to carry an external).
is only one HD - "old school".
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I'm sometimes a bit bewildered by that, really - there are no young people in
it, there's no sex, there's no violence, no car chases and there's no action
and no vampires. - Colin Firth on the success of the film "The King's Speech".
Radio Times 10-16 September 2011
Is malware actually that common? It may seem an odd question to ask, but
in many years of supporting folk, including plenty who aren't
computer-savvy (including at least one who I'd be surprised if he didn't
look at a fair amount of porn), I can call to mind one case of a PC that
appeared to be riddled with it (not his) - and no others. IME "broken"
OSs are commoner causes of problems - though the modern ones that have a
lot of protection built in are probably improving that.
Yes, that's what I do. Apart from anything else, the concept of "D for
data" just about gets through to those who can't grasp anything more
complicated. And I think keeping data separate from software is a Good
Thing - and just doing that by careful use of directories requires
considerably more attention - and still doesn't work too well with some
software.
It'd be nice if more software didn't default to C: for data storage; I
suppose that would require checking whether there _was_ anything other
than C:, but surely that's not difficult.
Though few laptops have room for such (and most users of laptops don't
want to carry an external).
Certainly I don't consider partitioning - at the very least where there
is only one HD - "old school".
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I'm sometimes a bit bewildered by that, really - there are no young people in
it, there's no sex, there's no violence, no car chases and there's no action
and no vampires. - Colin Firth on the success of the film "The King's Speech".
Radio Times 10-16 September 2011
A
Allen Drake
Most of all or even all for that matter of the new systems sold today
come with a stock of malware and spyware already loaded waiting for
the unlikely new user to fall for the scams that are offered as
"Trials" and the claims of "Free download" to those that will have to
pay after it is on their system. Even Best Buy will sell you a PC that
is stripped of it all only to leave you with their own style of the
same tracking SW.
The partitioning is done by adding another drive and simply is old
school as how many do you think only have one drive? Especially with
the growing use of SSDs. But everyone is entitled to their opinion. I
have no use for partitioning and don't miss it one byte.
J
J. P. Gilliver (John)
[Sorry to rest of 'group for not snipping, but AD hasn't interposted.]
properties of a lot of what's about now are I agree undesirable, and
thus malware by a broad definition, but I don't think they're malware of
the sort that'll hose the OS in the way that some people use
partitioning to reduce the effects of.
[]
are now outselling desktop systems, though I could be wrong about that.
(Even desktop systems that _I_ see on sale mostly only have one drive as
sold.)
single-drive system, not so sure on multi-drive (though I think I might
still).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I'm sometimes a bit bewildered by that, really - there are no young people in
it, there's no sex, there's no violence, no car chases and there's no action
and no vampires. - Colin Firth on the success of the film "The King's Speech".
Radio Times 10-16 September 2011
Ah, you're using a different meaning of malware. Certainly, those
properties of a lot of what's about now are I agree undesirable, and
thus malware by a broad definition, but I don't think they're malware of
the sort that'll hose the OS in the way that some people use
partitioning to reduce the effects of.
[]
The vast majority of laptops, let alone netbooks. And I believe those
are now outselling desktop systems, though I could be wrong about that.
(Even desktop systems that _I_ see on sale mostly only have one drive as
sold.)
As you say, everyone is entitled. I would certainly use it on a
single-drive system, not so sure on multi-drive (though I think I might
still).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
I'm sometimes a bit bewildered by that, really - there are no young people in
it, there's no sex, there's no violence, no car chases and there's no action
and no vampires. - Colin Firth on the success of the film "The King's Speech".
Radio Times 10-16 September 2011
C
Char Jackson
You've managed to stretch the definition of malware so badly as to be
totally unrecognizable.
S
SC Tom
Well, I guess if you add the definitions of bloatware to the definition of malware, it's not tooooo far offChar Jackson said:
I agree, bloatware isn't necessarily malware, but at times, it sure does act like it.
S
Stefan Patric
Malware is common enough that there are a plethora of companies making a
very good living selling software to detect and remove it.
Not all malware is malicious and readily obvious in the sense that it
damages the OS or makes the computer unusable. Insidious, yes: It runs
secretly, innocuously doing what it is charged to do -- mostly gathering
information for its master. The only way to know it's there is to scan
for it.
Yes. Windows has always had the annoying problem of "breaking" itself.
Or being too easily broken by something else. It's underlying design has
always been flawed.
Stef