Hi everybody, sorry about this but I am a real dope on the internal workings of a computer - my husband set up my partitians, love him but I don't want him fiddling around my computer internal it just isn't worth the stress!!!!

That said I have povided the following details about how my my computer is set up (hope this is what you need)

Operating System
Microsoft XP Home Version 2002

Hard Drives

DiskO 37.27GB Three Partitions:

Size Type Remaining Used For
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- C: 10.74GB NTFS 4% System Files main use
- D: 13.18GB NTFS 66% DVD Files
- G: 13.34GB NTFS 8% Music


Disk1 149.05 GB Three Partitions:

Size Type Remaining Used For
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- M: 48.83GB NTFS 97% Multimedia files
- : 48.83GB NTFS 97% Games files (mounted onto C drive)
- R: 51.39GB NTFS 92% Personal Files

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really hope the is enough info - if not ask me!!! My question is that I want to basically start again with the partitions, mainly because I can't load programs onto the C drive because my computer keeps telling me it is low on space!! When I try to put programs onto some other drives, where there is more room they say it needs to go on a system drive.... or something, very confusing but fixed when I put it onto C:. I mounted the "Music" games partition onto the C: because basically I couldn't work out how to put it back into C!!!

Hoping you can help this "desperate housewife"


Rie

Hi !

OK, do you have a real MS XP CD...or do you have recovery partition or CD?

Do you intend to do a clean install on the 40GB drive? Do you intend to delete everything on that drive and start anew?

If not, what partitioning software are you comfortable using/do you intend to use to partition/format/change the size of partitions?

Suggestions:

a. The O/S partition (C:) should probably be 15-20GB, no more, no less. No more because there is no need for a lot of hard drive space on that partition if users store files elsewhere...no less because users need room to add programs, the pagefile takes about 2GB, hibernation takes another, and XP likes a little breathing room to operate well. At the size suggested, the partition is small enough to be not take an eternity to run chkdsk or defrag...yet large enough to serve the user.

b. Move everything else that is on that 40GB drive...to the 160GB drive. Create as many partitions as you like...partitions are akin to filing cabinets...create as many as you want/need.

Louis

Thnx Louis,

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you! Yes I have a real CD and ... what is "Clean install" I would really like a fresh start with my computer and get rid of all the old stuff and get back to fresh and simple!!! How would I go about doing that?


Thnx for you patience, all this is new to me! But it is quite exciting!

Rie

One Guide To XP Clean Install

There are others, of course, but this is one that's easy to understand, IMO. Not all points covered apply, but the user can easily discern that.

Louis