[Question] Fresh XP install - put boot files on C:, install XP on D:?

[E-66]

I'm still new to XP believe it or not, only been messing around with it since October. Haven't activated it yet either since I don't yet have the new hardware for the system I'll put it on. At the moment I'm just dual booting 98 & XP on 2 HDDs.

Been reading that many people believe XP is very unsecure, and since apparently many viruses and hackers target the C: drive, one simple way to steer clear of that is to simply install XP on a different drive. I'd like to know how to do that, and/or if it's worth it to do that.

During the XP install when you get to the screen where you decide where you want to install it, you have the option to make & delete partitions. If you want to create one, I believe it says the minimum size is 8 MB? Is that how people install it on a drive other than C:, by creating a tiny 8 MB primary partition and installing the boot files there, C:, and then installing XP itself on a logical partition, D: ?

Edited November 21, 2006 by E-66

[Andromeda43]

I'm still new to XP believe it or not, only been messing around with it since October. Haven't activated it yet either since I don't yet have the new hardware for the system I'll put it on. At the moment I'm just dual booting 98 & XP on 2 HDDs.

Been reading that many people believe XP is very unsecure, and since apparently many viruses and hackers target the C: drive, one simple way to steer clear of that is to simply install XP on a different drive. I'd like to know how to do that, and/or if it's worth it to do that.

During the XP install when you get to the screen where you decide where you want to install it, you have the option to make & delete partitions. If you want to create one, I believe it says the minimum size is 8 MB? Is that how people install it on a drive other than C:, by creating a tiny 8 MB primary partition and installing the boot files there, C:, and then installing XP itself on a logical partition, D: ?

Keep reading the internet help forums and every day you'll read where some poor guy has a computer with the OS on H: or I: or some other drive than C:, and he's crying for help.

It causes more compatibility problems than you could even imagine. Every major program in the world wants to load to C:. It's an industry standard that just should NOT be "Futzed" around with.

Give yourself 40 gigs or so on a really huge drive for C: and throw the rest of the HD space into a Storage Drive. Make that Storage partition FAT-32 even if you decide to make C: NTFS.

Keep backups of data files, etc., on the storage drive where they can be easily accessed even from a DOS boot disk, in case of trouble on C:.

Then keep C: as clean and organized as possible, and backed up with an Imaging program like Norton's Ghost as often as you feel necessary. I do mine at least twice weekly, usually storing the Image files on my second HD, but once a week I let Ghost burn the Image directly to a DVD and make it bootable. That Ghost boot DVD goes into a Fireproof Vault for safe keeping.

Good Hard Drive management isn't a talent we're born with. It takes time and study and maybe even a few mistakes to get it right. I've been at it for 26 years and I've worked out a system that just works fabulous. In many years and many hard drive crashes, I've yet to loose the first important data file.

To save space on C:, I load very large Suites like MS Office and Corel Suite on D:. The program files really don't care where they are. The "MY Documents" and "MY files" folders remain on C:.

There's no reason in the world for all those thousands of program files to be on C: where they have to be scanned or backed up over and over again.

With proper management and maintenance, I still get my whole C: drive on a single DVD with Ghost 2003, using High Compression.

"God, I love it when a plan comes together!"

Good Luck,

Andromeda43

[LLXX]

You may run into compatibility problems, but my XP boots from L: and I haven't experienced any problems that couldn't be solved with a little bit of editing to use the correct drive letters.

[E-66]

Andromeda, pretty much everything you described about what I should do is what I've already been doing for several years with Win9x except for the burn to DVD. I'm planning on getting a DVD burner when I put this next system together. I do have one Q about something you you said, however...

Keep reading the internet help forums and every day you'll read where some poor guy has a computer with the OS on H: or I: or some other drive than C:, and he's crying for help.

It causes more compatibility problems than you could even imagine. Every major program in the world wants to load to C:. It's an industry standard that just should NOT be "Futzed" around with.

What about people who dual or multi-boot? They have more than one OS on the system and can only have one of them on C:.

Edited November 22, 2006 by E-66

[HyperHacker]

You can have multiple copies of Windows on one drive.

[WwTIPPYwW]

I customized my install of XP, moving the documents and settings folder and the program files folder to the D drive - they never were installed/created on C.

Despite this, I ran into a few issues along the way. Even Microsoft couldn't handle it. Microsoft Money 2007 failed to install with the drives/folders configured this way.

My AV program (AVast) didn't seem to like it either.

Poorly written programs/viruses look for C: - better programs look for %systemdrive% or similar variables.

My two cents.

[E-66]

Every major program in the world wants to load to C:. It's an industry standard that just should NOT be "Futzed" around with.

Andromeda, could you explain exactly what you mean by "wants to load to C:" ? Do you mean the the install routine of programs that defaults to "C:\Program Files\[program name]" in the pop-up box when you install a new program... or do you mean something else? I'm guessing you mean something else since you're given the opportunity to edit the path during the install process (at least with any program I've ever installed).

I'm confused because what you say below seems to contadict what you say above...

To save space on C:, I load very large Suites like MS Office and Corel Suite on D:. The program files really don't care where they are. The "MY Documents" and "MY files" folders remain on C:.

That's what's confusing me, it seems like that's the opposite of what you said at the top. Or do you mean the OS should be on C: but that the Program Files folder can be safely moved elsewhere?

There's no reason in the world for all those thousands of program files to be on C: where they have to be scanned or backed up over and over again.

Myself, I've never changed the install path of new programs and let it default to C:\Program Files, but I've always wondered about having a separate partition just for the Program Files folder. It would certainly shrink the size of the OS's Ghost Image considerably.

My reservation with that partitioning strategy is that wouldn't you have to make an additional image of your D:\Program Files partition too? Wait, not an image, you'd just clone that partition for backup purposes, correct? And you'd only have to clone it that one time (unless you found another program you wanted to install permanently) and then never have to restore it again unless of a HDD failure. Then if you install a program and decide you don't like it, you can uninstall it with the program's own uninstall routine or Windows' Add/Remove Programs which would (or should) remove all of that program's files and folders from the D:\Program Files partition. Then you restore the image of your OS, and the process will be faster because the OS image itself is much smaller since the Program Files folder isn't on it. Does that sound right, and explain why you set your system up the way you have?

In fact, if you're going to restore your OS image anyway, would there even be any reason to go through the uninstall process with the program you didn't want? Couldn't you just manually delete that program's folder from your D:\Program Files location, restore your OS Image, and be back to where you were prior to installing the program in the first place?

Sorry, I really can ramble, can't I? I changed the subject from OS location to partitioning. I'd still like your thoughts about what I asked in post #4 - what about people who dual or multi-boot? I'm not for or against it, but it seems like plenty of people do it successfully, but you mentioned compatibility problems with the OS somewhere other than C:. Since multi-boot systems can have only one OS on C:, does that mean they're bound for compatibility issues in your opinion?

[Andromeda43]

So many questions, and I've so few years left.

LLXX is one very smart person and can handle little glitches that a common User would choke on.

I build and set up computers on the premise that my customer knows absolutely Nothing beyond what they can see on the monitor. And, that's usually the case.

If only technicians came here to this forum then we wouldn't need a help forum, would we? So please, lets keep the answers simple as possible for the thousands of readers who come here to learn, but will never post anything.

E-66,

Don't get confused. Yes, I load MS Office etc. to D:.....it gives me that option, but it still wants to put its data files (MY Documents) on C: Office is more flexible than some other programs.

I always say, "If I'm going to ERROR, I want to ERROR on the side of caution". Over the long haul, your computer will just run with fewer problems if the OS is on C:. It's the way MS designed it to work. Why change it? Just to be different?

If my main hard drive smokes, no big deal! I just restore my last Ghost Image from my second drive or my last DVD and then reload Office, etc. That's a simple chore and NO data is ever lost in the process, because all data is kept on C: , which I back up several times a week. Yes, I could "Ghost" my D: drive as well, but why?

I do store lots of .zip files, pictures, utilities, etc. on D: Those files can just be copied to a DVD (s) at 4.7gigs each or DL / DVD's at about 9 gigs per disk.

I've not done the Dual Boot thing for years. It seemed like I was just setting myself up for a disaster, so I discontinued that practice. Once I upgraded to XP-Pro, I saw no need to be able to go back into 98/SE. NONE. Although, I did make one last Ghost Image of it before I installed XP-Pro.

In my early days of running XP, there were several times that I just wanted to go back to my trusty old 98/SE, that ran so good, and forget XP. I put off that temptation then, but still have that Ghost Image of 98/SE in the archives.

Recently, after I counted 14 computers in my house/shop, I gave away 8 of them to a fellow tech.

Of those remaining, all but one have either 98/SE or ME on them. If I need to reference either of those OS's I just fire up the appropriate PC and go on and do what I need to do. I like having those machines in running condition so I can answer questions from people concerning something in one of those OS's.

But having 98 or ME on my Big Computer, is totally redundant. That would serve NO purpose what-so-ever.

So if you're not needing 98 for technical reasons, save your data, reformat your HD, install XP and move on.

Just learning XP and getting it tuned up to run right, will keep you busy enough for quite a while.

This is all a very meaty subject and I could go on and on for hours, or till my fingers start to bleed, but before that happens let me just wish y'all a great weekend and get 'outta heah'.

Cheers!

Andromeda43 B)