Partitions

[jbcohen]

I needed to re-implement hard disk backup on my home PC so I went to my local Circut City and bought the smallest external hard disk that they had, a 250gb HD. The internal HD is 150gb, so I do not really need the entire 250gb of external HD for backup. I would like to partition off part of the HD for other uses.

Here are the questions:

1) How do I partition the external HD using Windows XP?
2) To backup an internal 150gb HD how much of the external should be devloted to backup of the internal drive?

 

[KSoD]

1.) use software like GParted to partition. XP cant jsut partition it can format though. You can only set up a partition from within the Windows setup.

2.) that depends on which software you use to backup. Acronis will need the whol 150GB since it makes a direct caopy of the drive. Empty space and all. Norton Ghost however will only use the space occupied.

 

[jbcohen]

Would Gparted interfeer with Mc Afee's Internet Security Suite in any way?

 

[KSoD]

No. GParted is its own software. It wouldnt interfere with McAffe.

 

[jbcohen]

Now I am going to use thie oportunity to learn as much as I possibly can. What sorts of thing will interfeer with Mc Affee?

 

[aetherh4cker]

Windows XP really can't partition?

If you type compmgmt.msc in the run box to get to the Computer Management section, under the Storage section on the left is Disk Management. I've always assumed you could create partitions from there.

 

[KSoD]

You might be able to. I did this once within Vista and the partition wasnt recognized by XP. So i think it is jsut better to use a app like GParted which is free to do soemthing like this. Prevents a multi boot environment from having any issues.

What will interfere with McAffee? Itself. They have broken that app more times on their own that anyone else doesnt have to bother. They have sent out updates that has classified Office as a virus, disabled many other applicaitons along with broken itself. McAffee is one of the worst Internet Security suites out there.

 

[Osiris]

Windows XP really can't partition?

If you type compmgmt.msc in the run box to get to the Computer Management section, under the Storage section on the left is Disk Management. I've always assumed you could create partitions from there.

How to Use the Fdisk Tool and the Format Tool to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk

Go towards the middle of the article...you need to use fdisk or you can just use some other software mentioned before