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Technology Bytes
by Francine Brokaw
Norton Partition Magic 8.0
Partitioning your hard drive might seem like a daunting task, but it’s really quite easy. And the benefits are enormous. First, what exactly is “partitioning?” It’s simply dividing. That’s all. By partitioning your hard drive it doesn’t mean it physically splits your drive, but it does divide it. You will still have one physical hard drive. Your computer however will recognize several divisions on that drive. For the sake of making things easier, we’ll call each partition a “drive,” but keep in mind, there is still only one hard drive on your system. Think of it this way, when you open a drawer in a file cabinet you have a large space in which to put your files. If you use dividers and place your files in separate folders, they’re easier to find. This is exactly what partitioning does for your hard drive. It divides it, making it easier for you to find your files.
In these days of enormous hard drives, partitioning is a necessity. Before, when our hard drives were only 100 megabytes or so, it wasn’t quite as important. But with today’s large drives (some are in excess of a hundred gigabytes), partitioning is the only way to go.
Some people like to put their operating system on one partition. This makes it easy when/if they have to reformat their computer. That way, they simply reformat their C drive (the drive where the OS is installed) and everything else remains untouched. Then, they like to place all their programs on another drive. And they can make another drive for their data files, another drive for their photos or music, and possibly another drive for storage. The point is to make your computer work for you, not vice versa. You have to think how you use your computer, what you keep on your system, how often you format (if you ever do), and what the best solution is for your work habits.
And, if you want to run multiple operating systems, you definitely need to partition your hard drive. Yes, it is possible to run several operating systems using one hard drive, but only if they are on separate partitions. Most home users will only have one OS on their system at a time, but keep in mind it is possible to run more than one. For those who have not yet upgraded from Windows 98 to Windows XP and are dreading the change, perhaps you should partition your drive (if it is large enough) and install XP on another partition. That way, you still have the ability to do your computing with your old, comfortable Windows 98 system, while learning Windows XP.
Another benefit of partitioning which hasn’t been addressed yet is time. Computer users should regularly make complete scans of their hard drive to check for errors. As we all know, computers are not infallible and sometimes there could be damage on a disk. Another task that should be done regularly is defragging. This takes all the little bits and pieces that have been scattered around your drive during regular use and puts them back where they should be, making your computer run faster and more efficiently. When the partitions are smaller, these tasks can be accomplished in a very short time. Also, making back ups of your system is a necessity. Imaging, or backing up a smaller partition is easier than doing an entire hard drive. Sometimes you only need to back up one partition.
After you decide how you want to partition your hard drive, Norton’s Partition Magic is the program that will help you do it - and very easily. After it is installed and you know how many partitions you want to create, simply follow the directions. Partition Magic leads you through all the steps – painlessly. The wizards show you exactly what is going on and how your system will be when you finish the process. And, you can always change it if you’re not happy with the outcome.
Norton Partition Magic 8.0 lets you create the amount and size of partitions on your system. You don’t have to have them all the same size. Perhaps you want to store your business documents on one partition and your programs on another. The data partition can be half the size of the program partition. This software puts you in charge of your computer. Think about what you do and store on your system, the size of your hard drive, and how best to divide it to fit your needs. Then let Partition Magic do all the work. In only a few minutes you will have a hard drive personalized for your specific needs!
© 2004 Francine Brokaw
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