Is partitioning a Hard Drive the best way to prevent data loss if computer crashes?

- If so, how do I do it?
- Do I put the OS on one drive and all files on the other?

It's happened me before so now I'm getting a 640GB laptop, so I think I'll partition it this time.

- Would it be possible for the hard drive without the OS, the file one, to crash as well?

- If the OS hard drive did crash, how do I get the files from the other hard drive? Can I just plug it into another computer or do I reinstall the OS on the crashed hard drive or what?

I'll be doing it in Windows, probably Vista.

Thanks!

Tags: drive, hard, partition

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Darren on November 24, 2008 at 3:48pm: Anybody?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mateus Augusto Lopes on November 24, 2008 at 3:57pm: I think yes,; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by McSimmons on November 24, 2008 at 4:10pm: If you have ONE hard drive, and it fails, multiple partitions are not going to do you any good. Back up your data somewhere else like a flash drive, external HDD, DVD, etc.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Thomas Aleksander on November 24, 2008 at 4:19pm: It's easy and free (can be free)
Try using TrueCrypt. download at Truecrypt.org
If you only have one hdd and no money... this is the way to go.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan on November 24, 2008 at 4:26pm: Storing all of your documents/downloads on a second partition definately helps if you need to reinstall Windows regularly. I keep a set of drivers and most used apps on my storage volume in case of emergencies.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darren on November 24, 2008 at 4:37pm: Well if I had the OS on one partition, and files on the other, and the OS partition crashed. [BSOD'd].
Would the files still be intact on the other partition when I would reinstall Windows?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JT on November 24, 2008 at 4:53pm: Partitioning when you have only one hard drive on a PC is good if you want to try to keep the OS separate from your programs and saved files but I have never seen anyone completely successful because many applications don't even ask you where to install. They just automatically install straight to the C: Drive. You may be better off by getting an additional hard drive.

I have tried to install all of my applications onto my D: Drive and even some of them require you to install into a directory (or folder) named "Program Files". I have found that because of this I now have a directory/folder named "Program Files" on my D: Drive.

Most External USB Drives come with a Backup program CD that you can install. I recommend using some kind of Backup program because they give you a way to Restore both your Data and Applications.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darren on November 24, 2008 at 5:06pm: Well how about installing the OS and programs on one partition and files on the other?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JT on November 24, 2008 at 5:12pm: You could do that but you should also change the path of the "My Documents" folder to be on that Separate Partition, that way when you save to your My Documents or My Music it will automatically land in the Separate Partition.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Klasic Kumputerz on November 24, 2008 at 5:06pm: I back up on exernal hard drive; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mad Max on November 24, 2008 at 5:07pm: I'd personally just invest in a seperate drive if you can afford it. If you have a hard drive failure it doesn't matter how many partitions it has one it they'll all be rendered useless, and unless you know how to recover the files from a failed drive yourself then it'll be an expensive task if you had something important on there that you just can't be without. Lots of people put Windows on one drive and their files onto a seperate drive as it keeps things cleaner and it makes formatting easier (if you do it a lot), the problem is you still have to reinstall all the apps anyway because they require registry entries for shortcuts and so on, not all, but most and some may not even work unless you install them the normal way.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Darren on November 24, 2008 at 5:14pm: I see.

Well I can afford one and I do already have one. But another one with more memory wouldn't hurt.

I think I might just save all of my files to that external hard drive and leave all of my computers file-less.
So whenever I want to view my pictures or whatever, all I have to do it plug the external hard drive into one of my PCs.
And if I'm saving a file, instead of saving it to C:, and then doing a regular backup - I could just save it directly to an external.

If I did this I wouldn't have to back anything up again either because everything on the external hard drive would already be up to date.

And also if any of the computers failed all of my files would be safe on that.

And although you can't be certain, I'd say there would be less chance of a virus infection an external hard drive connected to a computer, than infecting files on the computer itself.

Do you think I could run programs from an external hard drive as well or would they have to be installed on the C: drive because of registry entries and that?; ▶ Reply to This