Partitioning New Hard Drive - Any Advantage?

[DaBeach]

I will be purchasing a new 2TB internal SATA HDD for data use and I am wondering if there is any advantage in partitioning the drive vs. just dumping everything on it in separate directories.

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[eovnu87435ds]

I will be purchasing a new 2TB internal SATA HDD for data use and I am wondering if there is any advantage in partitioning the drive vs. just dumping everything on it in separate directories.

DATA

SOFTWARE

AUDIO

VIDEO

Benefits to Partitioning:

Safety: separate partitions will act like separate physical discs. If your OS ever craps out(if you have an operating system installed on it) you can format just the OS partition, and everything else is fine. also, some legacy operating systems cannot see large harddrives.

Cons to partitioning: it is harder to change partition sizes

Benefits to folders:

simple to do, easy to manage, and you dont have to worry about sizing too.

Usually with my external drive, I have a NTFS and FAT partition, since I can hold larger files on the NTFS partition, but in case I move it to a computer that doesn't have ntfs drivers, I still have access to the FAT partition

[DaBeach]

Benefits to Partitioning:

Safety: separate partitions will act like separate physical discs. If your OS ever craps out(if you have an operating system installed on it) you can format just the OS partition, and everything else is fine. also, some legacy operating systems cannot see large harddrives.

Cons to partitioning: it is harder to change partition sizes

Benefits to folders:

simple to do, easy to manage, and you dont have to worry about sizing too.

Usually with my external drive, I have a NTFS and FAT partition, since I can hold larger files on the NTFS partition, but in case I move it to a computer that doesn't have ntfs drivers, I still have access to the FAT partition

Ok. I have a few smaller drives all are formatted NTFS and have never had to worry about other formats, and I could always extract a file to another drive if it became an issue. As you mentioned, I think the folders would be easier as who knows I may have more videos and may be in a situation of having to resize and this may be a problem at a later date. I think I will go with folders.

[VaKo]

FOLDERS!

Partitions are just another layer of extra bumph.

[psydT0ne]

Partitions ...for the lulz

[eovnu87435ds]

Partitions ...for the lulz

then encrypt each volume with a different key! extra security!

[unasoto]

I make a small partition 100g for my OS and then the rest for data then image the OS partition that way when you need to reinstall/reimage your data is save :)

[Infiltrator]

Ideally you want to have two partitions one for the operating system and the other one for storing data.

Just reserve 40 or more gigs for the operating system and the rest for storing data.

That's how partitions should be implemented.

[slayer9019]

I wouldn't partition the disk, if its not going to be used with the OS on it too. Partitioning will make it a PIA when you decide to add way to many *.* files on one partition and have a TON of extra space on another.

Trust me, not worth it

[digip]

I personally make separate partitions often not using all of the disc space in the event may I want to dual boot, add another OS, or move files off to another for backup to reinstall the OS. You can also image your main OS partition to another as a clean base install for good keeping before installing all your programs, so you have something to come back to later if something ever happens(so long as the HDD itself isnt failing and its just an OS issue)

[h3%5kr3w]

I'm with digip, I only partition what I know I will need in the future and save the latter for other projects.

*note*

Partitions can be great for multiple different reasons

- ghetto tip #1 - if your hdd starts skipping, and you have NO resources to buy a new one, take note in a disk checking util when it starts skipping, try to calculate at what point in mb it is, and create 1 partition to right before the skip, 1 where it is skipping, and 1 afterward for the extra space. I used that process to keep running for 9 months on a bunk hdd and it worked out beautifully till I got another drive.