Partition your hard disk

Partitioning a hard disk means dividing it into several sections instead of using it as a single, giant repository for programs and data.

We’ll tell you why and we’ll show you how, but not until we’ve stressed that working with partitions can cause a loss of data ­ and we’re not talking about losing a few documents or a couple of emails, we’re talking about losing everything on your hard disk.

The chances of making a fatal mistake are minimal but you make a full backup of your computer. Only proceed after you’ve backed up. It might also be a good idea now to experiment with partitioning on a spare disk: that way, if you make any mistakes, you shouldn’t lose anything.

Have you got that backup, safe and secure? Fine, let’s crack on. Nearly everything described here also applies to Windows Vista, but because Vista’s partitioning abilities are more advanced than those of Windows XP, you might wish to delay any practical experiments until the next issue of Computeractive, when Vista partitioning will be covered in depth in our Masterclass.

Why use partitions?
Historically, the main reason for splitting a hard disk into two or more partitions was to run multiple operating systems: perhaps different versions of Windows or a combination of Windows and Linux. When multiple operating systems are installed on separate partitions, a program called a boot loader asks which one should be launched every time the PC is started.

With the passage of time though hard disks have grown so big that partitioning is often used solely to make the available space more manageable. In the days of Windows 95, a 500MB hard disk was considered enormous, but now it’s not unusual to find an off-the-shelf PC equipped with a 500GB hard disk able to store a thousand times as much. Backing up and managing this much data is an unwieldy process, so splitting a physical hard disk into several smaller, virtual hard disks (partitions) is an attractive option.

This is never truer than when backups are made using one of the increasingly popular
disk-imaging programs. These work by duplicating an entire partition instead of copying individual files, and they rely on using a second partition to store the duplicate image because it is unfeasible to store a copy of a disk on the disk itself: that would be equivalent to lifting yourself up by the ankles.

Every partition on a disk can be separately formatted with a different file system, and it’s the file system that determines exactly where and how data is stored. Windows XP and Windows Vista work best when formatted as NTFS, but Windows ME and Windows 98 were designed for FAT 32, and Windows 95 for FAT 16. Splitting a disk and formatting one of the partitions as FAT 16 ensures that, when shared over a network or by multiple operating systems installed on the same PC, at least one partition will be readable to all of them.

Partitioning a new hard disk
When installing Windows XP on a brand-new hard disk, its partitioning and formatting are handled by the Windows Setup Wizard. But if you’ve added a new hard disk to an existing Windows XP computer, the partitioning and formatting of the new disk are your responsibility.

Regardless of whether the new disk is fitted internally or attached to a USB port, the techniques are the same and are handled through the Computer Management Console of the Windows Control Panel. To use this, open the Start menu and click Control Panel, then Performance and Maintenance, then Administrative Tools. In the Administrative Tools window, double-click Computer Management. In the Computer Management Console, double-click Disk Management.

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