reïnstalling windows: suggestions (partitioning, recovery, ...)

[VJ]

Hello,

Following another thread, I have decide to reinstall my Windows (properly ).

First: How should I partition my drives?
I have 2 U320 SCSI disks: an 18 GB IBM/Hitachi 10K and a 36 GB Seagate Cheetah 10K; the Seagate is the faster one, and being SCSI, they can be accessed at the same time.
Currently, I have 3 partitions (C:OS + low level applications, D: big applications, E: data).
Both C (OS + low level applications) and D (big applications) on the Seagate, and E (data) was the IBM.
Now, considering the performance, is it perhaps better to put C and E on the Seagate, and D on the IBM? Or another scenario?
(I have another firewire drive which I'll use for additional data and temporary storage, but as this drive won't be connected all the time, there won't be applications on it)

Second: How can I provide a fast recovery?
For instance: by first making a proper installation, and then backing it up (i.e. on the firewire drive, or on DVD). Which tools (preferably freeware) can I use?

Thanks!


Jörg

[VJ]

Oh, I forgot, I might also venture a dualboot (experiment with Solaris 10 or Linux), but this isn't very high priority.


Jörg

[UtwigMU]

I use:

C: 20GB Windows + Apps (all)
D: 10GB Windows (dualboot) + Games + essential little apps such as IM, CD burning, media players
E: rest of drive Storage

I'd adwise:

36G C: Windows + Apps + pagefile (just defragment it, no need for separate drive, although it may feel better on other drive
18G Linux
You can add an IDE drive, since you're reinstalling for storage.

For Linux, you'll need partitions, but it will partition drive by iteself.

OT: VJ, how was ordering PCP&C PSU from USA, how much customs did you pay if any?

[VJ]

Well, I prefer to have different drive letters , so it will be
C (os + basic applications, like virusscanner)
D (applications)
E (data/dual boot)
F and G (firewire: storage)

I'm just wondering if having C and D a different physical drive would a perfomance gain (so C and E on the Seagate, D on the IBM), as I can imagine both the windows directory and the applications are read simultaneously (or am I wrong with this reasoning).

I should look up how much customs I paid for the PSU (I do remember it was quite a lot), I'll check my papers tonight. PC&C was very helpfull (even prior to purchase), and the PSU rocks (I have never even seen fluctuations on any voltage line ). It might be interesting to inquire about custom options (had I thought of that, I might have inquired whether my PSU could be made more silent; I have the 510XE which is in the dual CPU section - it isn't aimed at silence, but at performance ).




Jörg

[UtwigMU]

Based on what I found on .gov site, they'd just slap 20% VAT on top of it - so 200$+ 25$ shipping + 40$ customs = 265$ .

As per drive - Windows gets loaded. Then it's over with drive intensive stuff. And apps are usually disk intensive only while starting, so by separate drives you'd only benefit from launching apps before Windows finishes loading.

The only benefit would be separate page file.

My reasoning for C: Windows + Apps = It takes days to install and configure, so imaging them and restoring when something becomes borked is a saver.

I move Documents and Settings to E:\ by using unattended install script (WINNT.SIF) for Windows created using utility on Windows CD in order to keep mail and user data if I nuke Windows partition and reimage it.

Dual boot - I test new drivers, apps, tweaks, etc... and if one boot becomes flaky I can continue to work on the other and also I can quickly isolate problems between hardware and software errors.

[Marshmallowman]

What kind of big applications?

If the applications have a lot of there own files ...eg a compiler with a lot of headers and libraries then putting the application on a different drive to the OS would be a good idea.

But say you have a video editor, which pretty much loads into memory and accesses very few of its own files during operation but streams a lot of data then the data should be on the separate drive

eg try and balance loads across both drives, maybe even having different big apps on different drives depending on their usage.

And be very cautious partitioning drives especialy your OS drive, becasue that will force the HDD to seek across a whole parttion for any read/write it has to do on another partition

Its best to partition drives if the partiton's will never be used at the same time. eg video rendering and games are pretty much exclusive activities.(excpet maybe if you have a SMP machine )

[VJ]

Originally posted by Marshmallowman
What kind of big applications?

Mostly photoediting and (more recently) videoediting...

The work-data will be stored on a seperate harddrive (the firewire one).

eg try and balance loads across both drives, maybe even having different big apps on different drives depending on their usage.

Hmyes, I'm often running a lot of them in parallel....

Its best to partition drives if the partiton's will never be used at the same time. eg video rendering and games are pretty much exclusive activities.(excpet maybe if you have a SMP machine )

Well, the dual boot system (in my planning) would be on the same drive as my Windows folder, so that would be a good thing...
As a sidenote: in one of me previous configuration, I managed to run my dualboot systems at the same time: using VM-Ware, the advanced configuration (where one can actually use an existing installation) and different hardwareprofiles in the OS.

I don't usually game (hey, I have a Matrox card ), even though the system is SMP. I might play a DVD in the background, but I doubt that reads the harddisk often.


Jörg

[VJ]

I think I'll go ahead with my original plan: partition on the Seagate for the OS (+ basic apps), use the IBM for applications, and use the remainder of the Seagate for dualboot (or data).
Main reason: I couldn't find any downside to this, apart from perhaps having to restore 2 drives in the event of disaster.


Which brings me to my next question: how do you guys configure your system for a fast recovery (after a disaster)?
I have sufficiant drivespace (on firewire) to hold copies of my other drives. But which tools (preferably freeware) can I use to accomplish this?
(I have considered Knoppix: boot from CD and make an image of the harddisk which is stored elsewhere. In the event of failure, just boot from CD and restore the image)
Is this good? Or are there other (better? ) suggestions?

Jörg

[UtwigMU]

Something that can image drives to HDD such as PQ Driveimage or Norton Ghost.

PQ Driveimage supports live imaging of system drive under Windows.

They can also image over network or to optical drives. Compression is about 70% of original space taken (obviously imaging tools are smart to not waste space backing pagefile and hiberfile)

Then install OS + Apps on one drive and user data (Documents and Settings) on another drive. Also configure all preferences in your applications.

In case of a disaster:
- shut down
- boot from CD/Floppy
- restore OS + Apps drive(s) from images on CDs/DVDs/other partition/network drive, leave user drive alone.
- reboot

Usually takes about 20-30mins (from CD-ROMs).

As for user data, it does not require imaging, just backup frequently enough. If you need to backup data when your OS is borked, you can connect drive to another machine or install WindowsXP+Nero (bare XP install is quick, it's the drivers+apps+configuring preferences that takes days) and burn it to CD-ROMs.

Also don't use Documents and Settings folder for more than email.

The problem I see with your setup is:
- While installing Windows, it won't see your FW drive, so there's no way to move profiledir to Firewire drive.
- You can move it latter, but this involves thorough registry editing.
- In case Windows can't find Documents and Settings folder/drive/path due to disconnected drive or change of drive letters it will have problems booting
- So you're left with that folder on your Windows drive. This means that you may run out of space if you rip a DVD to desktop and you will have to backup that folder prior to borked install and restore it from backup after reimaging.

Since you have dual Xeon system I don't think you lack space in your case for another drive. Personally I'd have (S)ATA drive for storage and profilesdir and use Firewire only for carrying data arround or temporary scratch disk.

[KvHagedorn]

18GB: Windows and installed apps/games
36GB: all data files

If/when your main drive craps out or the OS is attacked by a virus, your data will likely still be safe or at least more easily recoverable. You probably wouldn't notice the difference in performance.

[VJ]

Just talked to our system administrator: apparently, it is possible in Linux to apply gzip on a device (e.g. /dev/sda for the first SCSI disk) ! Even with the lowest compression setting, you can more than half the amount needed (you just end up with one archive). He also has written a tool to zerofill the remainder of the drive, which apparently improves compression a lot better.

To restore: just boot from the Knoppix CD, and gunzip the archive to /dev/sda. After that: boot with the windows CD, and fix the master boot record (recover console -> fixmbr).


(I should check which parameters to use with gzip and gunzip, but it looks very promising).


Jörg

[rugger]

*offtopic*

If you are reinstalling windows and have a Creative sound card, the FIRST thing you should do is find the Creative install CD

Learnt that the hard way today reinstalling windows onto my new 74gig raptor

[VJ]

(I don't have a Creative sound card, but thanks for the warning!)


Jörg

[VJ]

Some minor issues: Knoppix doesn't recognize my U320 SCSI controller, so I'm now trying with a Fedora rescue CD...


Jörg

[VJ]

FWIW, Knoppix has the correct drivers in its distribution, but it doesn't load them at startup...

Manually zipping a partition works, but the tool partimage makes it a lot easier.



Jörg