Hard Disk partitioning question.

More partitions will actually decrease performance and thus ideally you only have one partition. Not to mention additional partitions cause more space to be reversed for internal use.

So at max two partitions:

1) Windows partition
2) Data partition

Edit: Order is important, Windows/boot partition should be first.

Myself I have SSD for windows and rest are one partitions.

i would not create any partitions at all
i once created a small partition to have linux, after a few time i was not really using it so i deleted and added the remaining free space to the main partition
R.I.P. next day presentation

My dad thinks multiple partitions is somehow a good idea. Windows on c:, everything else on d: so that he can just copy it should he need to reinstall windows. He constantly complains about programs sticking stuff on c: without asking, or asking in ways he doesn't notice, leading to c: running out of space.

Me, I go for a single partition. Things I'll want to keep for a new computer go in specific folders (usually the documents folder). Or, if they are really important, backed up elsewhere. I have none of the problems he has.

The only time I'd partition a hard drive is if there is a need for it. For example, multiple operating systems.

My vote is for single partition.
The effect of multiple partitions is that there will be either too less or to much space on the one where the OS resides. If it is too less, updates will fail, if it is too much, you will have that space unused or have to take extra steps to make some use of it.
The fairy tale about multiple partitions, and "just reinstalling Windows on the system drive", never really works in practice.

you are better with at least 2 partition, if you get a virus on yur mani and it erase every thing on it, the other partition will be ok, it's like another dricve for the comp but some virus dosent care and just fuck everything on every drive

Ive got 1TB Samsung HD103SJ as main disc-pearl between other drives for SII

40GB System/apps
800GB Steam+other thiungs about games(saves,programs etc)
Rest for docs,music and downloading things(as a temporary).
Virtual memory is on docs partition.
WD Elements 1TB as a external storage,so photos/movies/install files/past backups are not on main
500GD WD as Backup
I thing there is no need to have more than 40/50GB for system,only if you add many big apps. Rest is all about how many 'other' thing youve got. Good option is to make:
C:system
D:games/apps
E:docs/movies/music/photos etc

One partition is pain in the ass,reinstalling Windows=deleting everything
And-if you think more partition=lower perfomance-youre wrong. Operating times/transfers on one disk is same when its 1 or 10 partition,sometimes more=better when defragmentated. Only thing is less-space(each partition gets ~x% of its space for...nothing interrested to us;)

2 partitions:

1. for windows
2. for data

If you need to reinstall windows, just wipe partition C and you're done.

Here watch this it's pretty simple and informative :)

i changed the hhd of my laptop for one 250gb ssd. Now is much faster. Dur 2250gb is not much space i replaced the dvd drive for the old hdd (500gb), So i use ssd for windows and programs and hhd for data and games. In adition i have 1tb external hdd wd elements in wich i have a system image backup.

Does not matter how many partitions you have, it is still only a single hard drive. You will not get any performance increase at all.

Do not go for any more partitions than you really need. The only time I ever did that was once and that was to keep a separate partition for storage for if I ever had to redo my windows install and that was back in the 90s when I was still in high school and unable to pay for an extra drive or external storage.

After many years of fixing computers, installing/reinstalling operating systems, and trying to retrieve lost data, I set up my own computer in this manner:

1) 200GB for OS partition (with space for OS, utility programs, temporary files, and extra space for data transfers);
2) All else for Data partition (storage for all non-system programs, data, and backups, including all the "My Documents" stuff).

I've found this to be the simplest, most-efficient, and least-painful system for storage when my HDD goes belly-up and/or is eventually replaced. Many other computer consultants similarly use two partitions. Online backup is a worthy alternative.

For more details, check out the other posts in this thread because they contain lots of useful information.

At the beginning of the disk sequential and random read operations require less time, so partitioning can give you some advantages with no cost. Just be sure you don't run out of space for the first partition used for the operation system and most frequent used programs.

My partitions are so messed up... I made 1tb for photos (really stupid)

I think it depends on how often you intend to reinstall Windows and what kind of backup scheme you have. I used to have data partitions for documents and programs, which I backed regularly. I figure it's possible to do the same with file level backups though.

For windows OS-es in my workplace, we use the following schema about partitioning:

1. partition: windows 7 creates a 100 MB "boot" partition
2. partition: windows 7 OS and installed programs on a 128 GB partition
3. partition: the rest is a Data partition, where the user is advised to save their content (makes things easier and a lot faster, when we have to reinstall windows)

lol text formatting

it is useless to make two partitions, one for Windows and one for data. If you have a 5400 rpm is a problem, because when the free space will be less than 50%, your PC will begin to slow down. So, I suggest you keep your data on an external hard drive, or to use a hard disk for the operating system ONLY and a hard disk for data.
(IT professionals, many years of experience and currently is my job)