What is disk partitioning?

>Using Windows Disk Manager to create, delete and modify
>partitions. In this case the partitions involved will be erased

...Unless you're using Windows Vista, in which they've updated the disk manager to be able to resize partitions non-destructively.

I have found in the past that if you partition the drive if you put all the information that you dont want to loose onto another partition (not C) and leave programs and O/S on C, then providing that you create a "Downloads" folder on C and scan before moving info to another partition, if disaster strikes, all info not on C is perfectly safe and even after a format to C to reinstall programs and O/S, the information that was kept before is still there and perfectly fine. As viruses etc only attack C and the O/S...(well in my experience anyway)

What I don't understand is I have a Drive E: / C: & D:. Then an apparently separate drive F: for DVD/CD ROM use.
On the E: DRIVE, when I click on it to open any files it may contain, it says "This folder is empty"
However, when I check the properties, it shows that there is 373 MB of space used out of 1.05 GB of space on the drive.
I don't understand what is using 373 MB space if the file shows empty?
Is there a way of finding out what is being used that doesn't show up in the file? And if so, can I either partition it to free up the used 373MB's or will that erase everything on C: as well?

Here's a nice list of free hard drive partition tools

Great Newsletter!

With 1.5 TB disks (which I have external, but my comment applies to much smaller disks like 500 Gb also)partitioning makes all the sense in the world.

With partitions for Programs, Data General, Multimedia Data, Projects it saves A LOT of time looking up things (instead of looking at one big 100 directory list).

Defragging can be applied to the partition where needed most like your multimedia partition so files open faster, you also "loose" less time as you only defrag the partition you want to defrag at that moment. Big difference between defragging 1.5 TB or 250 Mb.

Regards, Denis

Hi Leo,
I was wondering how to make a system reboot in another partition. Say like a 80 gig hard drive with 10 gig partaition for reboot with F10 or Ctl F10.

Thanks

My D drive is saying it only has less than 15% space left. I don't know what to do. I think that could be why I cannot update to a new version of my antivirus. I don't know what to take off, I am a novis. I have plenty of space on C drive and plenty of DVDs. Help!
I don't understand why I've run out of space if D is programs only not data.

Here is my question. How many times can a hard drive be partitioned? I direct answer will be appropriate, thank you.

As many times as you like. Partitions are nothing more than data on the disk.

06-Jul-2010

Partitioning is an anachronism from when hard-disk size was more than DOS could address and the only way to use any hard-disk over 30Gb was with partitioning. There are only two valid reason for partitions: 1)Hosting more than one O/S where each O/S needs its own Boot Partition, and, 2)A Recovery Partition.

I have a netbook which came with three partitions: a hidden partition of 10 GB named "Recovery", C - Windows XP,69 GB, and D - TempPart.01, 70 GB. Later I added some Linux partitions.

Recently Windows crashed; running various system restore from earlier dates did not work; the "recovery solution" on drive C could not be found, nor could various programmes in the C programmes directory, including Firefox. So I could not access the Internet. Nor did the netbook have an ODD. I tried hooking it up to an external hard disk, to which I had backed up the netbook, and tried running the "recovery solution" from there, but it seemingly had the same problem of not being able to access files on C.

At this point I was reduced to sending the Netbook to the local agent of the manufacturer. I assumed he would be able to access the presumably undamaged recovery partition, and restore the C drive to its former state.

But no. He took the easy way out, and simply reformatted the entire hard disk, installing XP afresh (in German, though the original had been in English),adding the usual manufacturer crapware, and deleting all the programmes I had added, as well as the Linux partitions and programmes.

When I got the machine back and protested, the technician pointed out the small print stated that all data might be lost in the course of the "repair" and the company accepted no liability.

So I ask you, Leo, what is the point of the 10 MB recovery partition if I cannot use it, and the manufacturer's service simply deletes everything?
Can I indeed access it and do my own recovery?

if I run my external disk (Seagate) backup program, I do not subsequently find this recovery partition on the external drive. So how do I back it up and verify it?

I would be grateful, therefore, if you can suggest what a netbook user should do.

Recovery partitions can typically be backed up by some backup utilities - you simply have to select the additional partition to backup. (Not sure about the utility you're using.)

The recovery partition is manufacturer specific so there's no consensus on how to use it or what exactly it contains. Personally I remove it and free up the space to be used on the C: drive - I much prefer to rely on full backups I control.

27-Apr-2011