[TeachPower]

Hello,

 

Phill was helping me in another thread in the Hardware forum (http://www.geekstogo...s-and-restarts/) and thought I would have to ask this question here as it pertains to installing Windows 7.  Phill had suggested to install Windows 7 on a new HDD in its own 120GB partition and keep the personal files/applications/programs on a separate partition.  I am familiar with installing the WIndows OS but not installing it on one partition and having the everything else on its own partition.  Can somebody help me do this as my current 320GB HDD is giving me problems and would like to do this new clean Win7 install to the new 500GB HDD ASAP?  Thanks for your help in advance.

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Hi TeachPower

I can actually assist you with this as creating a partition is very easy Just so I know what you want to do, you're going to install Windows 7 on the new HDD and AFTER the installation create a partition to store all tour personal files on it, is that right ?

[Aura]

Hi TeachPower

I can actually assist you with this as creating a partition is very easy Just so I know what you want to do, you're going to install Windows 7 on the new HDD and AFTER the installation create a partition to store all tour personal files on it, is that right ?

[TeachPower]

Yes phillpower2 said to install the Win7 Professional on my new 500GB HDD to its own partition and then have a separate partition for all my personal files/applications/programs.

[TeachPower]

I don't know when I am supposed to create these partitions... if its AFTER, BEFORE, etc.  Is it during the Win7 installation steps that I create the two partitions?  Is it after the Win7 is installed that I create the partition?  How do I install all personal files/applications/programs to the second partition (partition where Win7 isn't installed)?  I want to do this correctly as I don't want to create problems for myself in the future or problems for my personal data after the new install.  Also I have been reading about separate partitions.... is there a speed cost if Win7 is on one partition and all other personal files/applications/programs is on another partition?

[Aura]

I don't know when I am supposed to create these partitions... if its AFTER, BEFORE, etc.  Is it during the Win7 installation steps that I create the two partitions?  Is it after the Win7 is installed that I create the partition?  How do I install all personal files/applications/programs to the second partition (partition where Win7 isn't installed)?  I want to do this correctly as I don't want to create problems for myself in the future or problems for my personal data after the new install.  Also I have been reading about separate partitions.... is there a speed cost if Win7 is on one partition and all other personal files/applications/programs is on another partition?

You can create the partitions after the Windows 7 installation, which I suggest you to do After that, you can modify 2-3 Registry Values in order to change the default installation locations from the C: partition (Windows) to another partition (the one you'll create). And no, creating a new partition and using it doesn't cost anything extra Start by installing Windows on your new HDD and once it's done, report back here and I'll assist you in creating the new partition, alright ?

[TeachPower]

Just so I am clear, you just want me to do a regular install of Win7 to my new 500GB HDD?  Do not create any partitions during the install?  Just regular install to the HDD then once the Win7 is installed and running to come back here and you'll guide me to creating a different partition where all personal files/applications/programs will be kept and installed to?

[Aura]

Just so I am clear, you just want me to do a regular install of Win7 to my new 500GB HDD?  Do not create any partitions during the install?  Just regular install to the HDD then once the Win7 is installed and running to come back here and you'll guide me to creating a different partition where all personal files/applications/programs will be kept and installed to?

Yes exactly
I even have screenshots ready because I wrote a tutorial explaining the Windows Disk Management Utility, what you'll use to create the new partition !

[TeachPower]

OK thank you. Will do.  I am off to format a new WIn7 installation.  Will report back here when its done... hopefully sooner than later

[Aura]

OK thank you. Will do.  I am off to format a new WIn7 installation.  Will report back here when its done... hopefully sooner than later

No problem Teach !

If I'm not online when you comeback, I'll be for sure around 5PM (EST. time) but I should be online. Good luck with the installation, waiting for you to report back !

[TeachPower]

Alright Aura.  I finished with the new Win7 installation on the new 500GB HDD.  Now I would like to start re-installing or "cloning" my personal data/applications/programs to this new HDD ASAP.  Could you help me setup that 2nd partition to put the personal data/applications/programs? Also could you help me use Macrium Reflect (free) to get that data/apps/programs transported to the new drive because according to phillpower2 I need to use this "to clone my personal data and programs from the Hitachi HDD, programs will not run if they are only copied across"?  Thanks.

[Aura]

Alright Aura.  I finished with the new Win7 installation on the new 500GB HDD.  Now I would like to start re-installing or "cloning" my personal data/applications/programs to this new HDD ASAP.  Could you help me setup that 2nd partition to put the personal data/applications/programs? Also could you help me use Macrium Reflect (free) to get that data/apps/programs transported to the new drive because according to phillpower2 I need to use this "to clone my personal data and programs from the Hitachi HDD, programs will not run if they are only copied across"?  Thanks.

I have never used Macrium in the past so I'll let phill help you with that one ! However, I can help you create a partition. phill wants you to leave the C: partition with 120GBs of space and to create another one with the rest, right ? Then we shall do so. Let's start.

Click on the Windows Start Menu and right-click on "Computer" then select "Manage" (you'll need to authorize the UAC pop-up)

http://i.imgur.com/GcHuZ48.png

Then, on the left tab, under "Storage", click on "Disk Management". This interface should pop-up



Right-click on the partition C: at the bottom (where there's a blue line over it) and select "Shrink Volume"



Now, this window should appear :



Can you screenshot this window (yours) for me and post it here please ?

[TeachPower]

Here you go.

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by TeachPower, 17 June 2014 - 03:37 PM.

[Aura]

Here you go.

It looks like you can only shrink around 240GBs of your HDD to make a new partition, which will leave you with two partition of around 240GBs each. Are you okay with that ? You could fully defrag your HDD in order to be able to shrink more space, how much, I couldn't tell.

[TeachPower]

Why should I defrag it if its a new HDD and new install?  Can I only "shrink" 120GB like phill said for Win7 so the rest is for personal data/apps/programs?

[Aura]

Why should I defrag it if its a new HDD and new install?  Can I only "shrink" 120GB like phill said for Win7 so the rest is for personal data/apps/programs?

What phill means is to shrink the C: partition (where Windows is) TO 120GBs (so it will have a total size of 120GBs) and not OF 120GBs, is that right ? True, I forgot that it's a new HDD. The issue right now is that you can't shrink that HDD of more than 240GBs and defragging (if it was an old HDD) would have allowed to get a few more GBs for the shrink, that's why I asked.