The Duke

INFO: Dual or Multi Partition Hard Drive Performance and Why in XP!

First some perspectives.
A. First of all this does not pertain to RAID (or Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations in which this information is incompatible!
B. Abbreviations following titles or statements in brackets like Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Operating System (OS) and Service Packs (SP) are common and widely used and the full might only be used at the beginning of a statement!

C. At one time Hard Drives (HDD) required dual or even multiple partitions as they out grew the Operating Systems (OS) ability recognizes the full potential of the drive! More so now today it seems like it's 'Who cares how big it is, my OS can see it. That is provided the OS (Operating System) and SP (Service Packs) requirements are up to date and the BIOS is produced after September 2002.

D. Warning, the concept and use of a Swap File can put sensitive data in a vulnerable location in a multi user PC when data encryption is not used!

E. “Multiple Users" saving data to the same extended "partition" risk the security of there files to the other "Users" and prying eyes when data encryption is not used!

The What and Why

Typically, you only need a given amount of HDD space for your OS, swap file and various programs! It's best to have doubled the expected used space on the Primary HDD’s first partition! Example, my last system required about 20 Giga Byte (GB) of space and it had a 40 GB partition!
Depending on the size of your drive you can expand the partition size further!

Why, dual or even multiple partitions you ask!

This will be based on a single OS

Performance
1. The First or Primary Partition is located on the fastest outer edge segments of the Hard Drive by default when you set up multiple partitions!
Locate your OS, applications and games on the Primary HDD’s first partition!
The OS can access data quicker when the directory it's seeking is smaller! It works very much like a sections in a Library, like Fiction, Nonfiction etc ... why would you look in the entire Library and waist time in the wrong section(s).
2. The second partition can be relegated to a, Storage or b, Back Up.
3. The third partition, if chosen, can be related to the storage or solely for a Ghost(s) files or those of similar programs.
4. The option of optimizing the Virtual Memory or the swap file by relocating it, see NOTE! Or, just leave it be and let a program like Speed Disk optimize it which, dependant on the file format, may put it on the fastest part of the Primary drive
NOTE, optimum performance of a segregated Virtual Memory file or swap file should only be allocated to a second physical drive's primary partition, there for it is also relegated to the fastest part of the drive. With the OS, apps and/or games on the Main or Primary drive, it is free of the work to seek the virtual memory and relieved of the read write load which is put on the Second Physical Drive Primary Partition.
At this point I can not say having or removing the Swap File, based on your RAM, will improve your systems performance is valid or invalid where as I’ve not personally tested that aspect as RAM volumes continue to increase the optimum performance of segregated memory or in essence the Swap File.

More Food for thought on improving your Disk and File Management & Performance

1. XP can be commanded to relocate your "Down Loaded", "My Pics", "My Music" etc... To any Partition or HDD you chose so you are less likely to loose them in a system crash!
In Fire Fox, go to Tools/Options/Downloads. In the Download Folder you can, if you chose, click dot to “Save files to this folder:)” ‘’Type in the path as necessary”
2. Any additional Partition could also be holding an image or a back up of your entire Primary Drive partition for a quick reimage of your OS in the event of irreparable damage done to you OS dependant on the software you may have!
3. Partitions are a constant reminder to never save information to the Primary Partition
4. Defragmenting the Primary drive is much faster and less prone to fragmentation when saved files are stored on a separate partition!

Links on manufacturer softs for partitioning, and diagnostics or utilities.

Maxtor
http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Ma...re%20Downloads
Samsung
http://www.samsung.com/Products/Hard...ties/index.htm
Seagate
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads
Western Digital DLG (Supports 98-XP) Both DOS and Windows based.
http://support.wdc.com/download/?cxml=n&pid=999&swid=1

beserkjay

So the only advantage is speed?

If your overclocking and corrupt your install, wouldn't it corrupt everything on your harddrive anyway?

jrabb1920

No, just the primary partition with the OS, the other partitions will not be affected.


Good job.

The Duke

Well people, what do you think?

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laboitenoire

You made an error by saying you can let SpeedDisk optimize your pagefile location. The only file system that will allow you to defragment or optimize your pagefile is FAT32. Most of us XP users run NTFS, on which a pagefile is non-movable. So, I think it's a good idea to have your second partition only be a few gigabytes, so that only your pagefile goes on there.

The Duke

I was stating relocation of the Page File not defraging it.
If I've mistated it, I don't see what or where your refering to.

tuchan

Very well written The Duke, easy to understand, good information.

turnbjr

The Duke,

Thank you for the write-up.

Does the the file format of the swap file partition affect speed at all?

Best wishes,

turnbjr

The Duke

NTFS is more efficent that the "FAT" format.

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CyberDruid

I think it's awesome. Perfectly written with useful links. Rep for You!

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