Partitioning for better management of computer

Multiboot does not actually complicate the problem.

Single drive has issues.

Say, I keep ALL my user files under C:\HowardsStuff.

If I create an image of the drive, then replace the current AV with a temporary AV, one canot restore the drive back to it's original AV without losing changes made to C:\HowardsStuff during the time the temporary aV was installed.

 

Yes the term data can confuse. When I use the term I mean files that don't execute, in other words they aren't programs that ACT in/on your PC.

examples would be word files, excel, pictures eg files you create using a program

 

Q Section: Your best bet would probably be to use something like Altiris Software Virtualization Solution and export the layers to your second drive/partition.

I agree. It also makes navigation a little easier (less "clutter") to have a whole separate "drive" containing only your stuff. The C: can get a bit cluttered when you get a few apps that don't install to \Program Files\ and especially when you have it set to show hidden & system files.

 

I do suggest SyncBackSE, either the free or paid versions are great.
You would use it to move data, but also to backup data.
You are able to setup schedules and keep your internal and extrernal data partitions in sync.

 

For manual operations, dual pane explorer replacements, like xplorer² (free and paid versions available, I liked it enough to pay for it), are invaluable. It has some options for syncing folders and a whole lot more.

 

So this is where everybody is spending the holiday.
Escalader,
There's no advantage to separate partitions for music, images, and user data. Separate folders are more flexible to use. I keep all system files on internal drives and use the external drive for data and backups. The internal primary drive is for windows and most program files. My second internal drive has Linux. The external has separate partitions for data and backups. There are times you might want to make an exception to putting programs in the usual place. Two programs I put on the data partition of the external drive instead of the "C" drive are Webshots and BigJig, a nice jigsaw puzzle program. This made it easier to treat all the stored puzzles and pictures as data files, and stopped my hearing the "where did my puzzles go?" every time I changed something. It's a bit slower, but not enough to be any problem.
For system backups, I use the Acronis CD. Used to have it installed but found the CD was all I need. On my old system, I didn't need more running processes, especially when I do backups manually. It works well with my external drive, which contains several different OS backups, several versions of my regular system plus several test configurations I load as needed.
The more you can separate user files from system files, the more compact your backup files will be and the faster the restore process. It also makes system maintenance much faster. I don't back up the user data partition nearly as often. When I do, it gets copied to CDRWs.
If you don't have an external drive, you can always put the backup images on the data partition, but it's better to use a separate drive for your backups, regardless of how you partition it.
Rick

 

since your allowed either 3 primary partitions and one extended with logical drives per HDD natively under windows

or

4 primaries

Ive run into this issue
some aps that employ preboot code (Ghost for instance installed to the OS) have problems if there are full up partitions, meaning you get to play with the floppy\CD\USB anyway to boot in for imaging.

Of course I also run an old version of O&O BlueCon in preboot as well so Im not sure if thats an additional contributing factor.


partitioning strategies & performance considerations
http://partition.radified.com/
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=159101

partitioning is so unique to your actual disk use that its really hard to say what is best
you can use it to enhance performance, security and forstall fragmentation.
But a lot depends on how you personally employ your lineup of applications.
And exactly how much time you want to invest in optimizing.

 

If one has more thqan one partition, even with a single hard drinem one shouyls relocate tgings such as My Documents, Favorites, Temp, Recent, FirfoxProfiles, ThunderbirdProfiles, Cookies, EudoraMailboxes, ThunderbirdMailboxes, etc., off of the OS drive,

And if one has a multiboot system, share those critters amongst the OS.

 

Great, I'll look into those!

I was hoping to not complicate things anymore than necessary by simply separating data from OS+programs and reply on one back up strategy using Paragon drive backup plus scheduled incremental backups.

I'm afraid of losing my way in backing up the backups!

 

This is the main reason that I ONLY ever do full backups. I've always been concerned that diff or inc would cause more trouble than they are worth. When I did experiment I didn't find that either diff or inc saved much time and with external hard drive space becoming cheaper every day ( just placed an order for another 500 gig Freecom eSATA) I concluded that full images were best for me.

 

Concerning backups, there is one thing more important than anything else in any solution you decide to use
I can not repeat it enough:

 

wilbertnl is not overstating the issue in the slightest
this might be a good time to point out the importance of verifying backups either as an integral part of the program employed or manually with a checksum (fsum is good freeware)

to drive home the point let me tell you a sad tale about how to gain a little more space on my RAID 5 array for just one more ISO, I corrupted pretty much the whole bloody thing. The RAID hardware and drives were fine, but my system memory was shot, every time I relocated a directory or file I corrupted it because I was in too much of a hurry to verify each move as I went.

Luckily I had verified hard backups (CD\DVDs) of about 80% of it.

I maintain important information on multiple machines as well as hard media
this has saved my butt numerous times, in the enterprise arena thats augmented with offsite backups
which for really important datasets you might consider as well
(ie send 2 DVD copies of the family photos to your sister out of state and have her stick em in the back of the fridge)

hard media can also go bad for one reason or another so find the time to verify it regularly
generally they like the dark and cool to cold conditions

 

I appreciate that "Test restoring" and verification are normally seen as being the way to go but personally I don't think there is any substitute for the real thing - so I never bother with verification or testing a restore I just go ahead and do it.
On my main machine I make a full system image at least once a day and have reason to restore at least several times a week (often several times a day when testing). It has been a number of years since a restore failed but if one did I would simply go to one made earlier and if that failed..... As to data I prefer to restore to another drive. Not verifying when images are made does save time and restoring for real gives me more confidence that the image is good than verification ever could.

I have often wondered about those who have written that they have made and verified an image and "hopefully they will never have to restore it"

 

Concerning backups, there is one thing more important than anything else in any solution you decide to use I can not repeat it enough:

I agree. Have I done it already? Test restore? THis was a live "test" ie real!

Late November I fouled up Windows xp by deleting a key systems file in error!

I could no longer boot.

I used the cd restore disk for Paragon and restored the c drive for a backup archive. All works okay. Had to redo a bunch of xp updates and my user data was out of date but hat was all.

This is why I want to separate data from OS+programs. If I had my data partition all would have been up to date after the OS restore.

If you do an image restore say right now and it works I can see it is okay BUT what if the restore fails to produce a working OS? Haven't I wiped out a perfectly good c drive? I must be having a mental block on all this?

 

If you do IMAGE backups, followed by incremental/differential IMAGE backups, it does NOT matter how your files are organized.

 

That is correct, and you gave yourself this homework assignment: Answer the question 'Why did it fail?'.
As long as you don't figure this out, your grade is a fat F.
Or ask the next question: Which solution does not fail?.

 

most people dont have time to test the backups.
they barely have time to do the backup's
i only have room for one image on my external harddrive which means during the image if anything goes wrong im stuffed.
i really need a big external harddrive so i haveat least two images just incase.
the main thing i fear is my harddrive going and hoping my image will restore.
lodore

 

Yeah, I don't have time for teeth cleaning either...

 

Agree completely about your first point - having OS+ Programs separate from "data" works very well for me.


I keep reading about people taking hours to make images and even longer to restore - is this perhaps because they image "everything" including holiday photos that have been backed up a million times before ?

what if a restore fails ........ yes you may have wiped out a perfectly good system but so what ? I have several machines using Acronis 10, 9, 9.1 and even 8 and not one of them takes more than 10 minutes to restore the OS and Program partition. Presumably you restored because something was wrong with C ?

 

Peter is right, lodore. If you have a solid image that is tested and ready to go, a hard drive failure is no big deal. With drives as large as 250GB under $100, you would be good to go with a new drive. Pop it in, restore your image and you're back in business. But what I think Peter was saying is very true, you would really only worry about a HD failure if you didn't have confidence in your imaging.

 

well my image verifys fine if i use normal compression which i now always use.
if you restore the image just as a test doesnt it over right your current od on you harddrive?
because if it does and it goes wrong your stuffed.
lodore