Partitioning/Dual Boot Questions

[ShadyTails]

When partitioning a HDD do you only give it the space it needs for the OS...Like lets say I install windows XP with its requirement of GB for the HDD, would i still be able to install other programs and save stuff?

My Second Question is...is it possible to triple boot? or would you need 2 HDD's?

[glc]

1. Give it as much space as you want - you are better off giving it more space than not enough.

2. You can triple boot with one drive - but I'd put each OS on its own partition, and install from oldest to newest in that order.

[ITlover]

Hi Shady,

When we partition any Hard Disk, we are actually means constructing . It is just like an empty plot without any rooms and inorder to make rooms inside a plot, you have to make partitions, and renovating means that you break the already existing rooms and make new rooms.
The Hard Disk is just like an empty plot that has nothing inside it and the partitions inside it are like rooms when you make partitions inside it , you are actually making rooms inside an Hard Disk for Programs, data and Operating System to reside.
Well ,their can be more than 1 OS in a Hard Disk depending on its capacity and the space inside it that you have allocated for Primary(Active) Partition. Remember the other partitions that are not Primary (Active) are called Extended Partitions which are used for storing datas, softwares and other programs.

You donot necessarily need another HDD, it is mostly useful in enterprise environment and businesses where their are networks of Computers with a Server.

You can have multiple OS in a single HDD.

I hope this helps,

[Panama Red]

Your XP partition should be large enough to hold the os, page file (3 times the amount of installed memory), accumulaing Restore points, your programs and 15% extra space in order to run Disk Defragmenter. Since programs are integrated with the system registry, you gain nothing by installing programs on a separate partition. If you need to reformat your OS partiton, all the programs will need to be installed anyway. I usually use a 15-20Gb partiton for XP as a minimum. I use larger if the owner is planning to install many large programs.

Yes you can multiboot with only one hard drive. Just be sure to start with the oldest operating system first and work your way up to the newest. And keep in mind that 98se and ME had issues with installed memory over 512Mb. There are some tweaks that need to be done to accommodate that much installed ram. And you need to install those two os's with less than 512Mb and make the tweaks after installation and before you install the additional ram.

Here's a good how to multi-boot article for you to read.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306559/en-us

[ITlover]

Originally Posted by glc 1. Give it as much space as you want - you are better off giving it more space than not enough. 2. You can triple boot with one drive - but I'd put each OS on its own partition, and install from oldest to newest in that order.

GLC, thanks you have arrived, I wanted to ask u an important question which is confusing me a little. Please let me know that should I start another thread for that problem or continue here?

[glc]

I think you need to continue this in your existing thread, IT.