Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with partitioning

Are there any good online guides to hard drive partitioning?

anticlock — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:06:37 -0800

Are there any good online guides to hard drive partitioning? I've always had a single hard drive partition, but since I'm getting a new system together I'd be interested to hear any suggestions regarding best practices, etc. I'm not planning on installing multiple operating systems. Are there any compelling reasons to go further than two partitions, one for the operating system and one for data?

Cannot Boot into XP or Grub

bloodniece — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:22:14 -0800

How do I recover Windows XP Pro boot record (MBR)? Scenario: Partitioned HD for Linux, Rebooted in XP ok, Reboot, install Linux and grub, reboot no Grub or XP. Ran XP Disc - Recovery Console (see extended explaination) Partitioned with Partition Magic HD for Linux.
Rebooted, Installed Linux (Debian) and grub.
Reboot --> no XP or Grub (no operating system found)
Rebooted with XP install disc, Ran Recovery Console
Ran these commands:
C: CD ..
C: ATTRIB –H C:\boot.ini
C:ATTRIB –S C:\boot.ini
C:ATRIB –R C:\boot.ini
C: del boot.ini
C: BOOTCFG /Rebuild
C: CHKDSK /R /F
C: FIXBOOT C: (had to do this since it tried to write a boot record to the partition I made for Linux E:, which I placed after C:)
No XP or Grub after reboot.
P.S. I even tried fixmbr to no avail.

How to partition an external hard drive for use with OS X and Windows, and booting OS X too?

evariste — Fri, 12 May 2006 00:10:35 -0800

I need help using my external USB hard drive with Mac OS X, and there's more inside. You see, I have this 200GB USB hard drive, currently formatted as a single FAT32 partition. I'd been using it with my Windows XP desktop. Now I have a MacBook Pro and I need help figuring this out. The MacBook is named Olivia and the Windows machine is named Snowball. The FAT32 volume is named Torquemada.

Is there some partitioning scheme that will let me have Torquemada in "GUID partition table" mode* so I can have a bootable OS X image on 80 GB of it, and at the same time have the other 120 GB be FAT32, and therefore useful for moving files between Olivia and Snowball? Or does the one preclude coexistence with the other?

If I have my OS X install DVDs, and I have a Torquemada formatted to boot OS X, how do I actually get a bootable OS X on there? Once that's in place, say I wanted to boot Olivia off Torquemada instead of her internal drive, what key do I hold down to tell her so?

*whatever that means.

Why will Windows only let me format a hard drive to half its capacity?

kickingtheground — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 09:21:40 -0800

Why will Windows only let me format a hard drive to half its capacity? [MI] We found our old computer's IBM/Hitachi Deskstar 25GP drive in the basement (where it had been sitting untouched for at least a year). I decided to install it into our newer computer (where its 15 GB could come in handy for storing my sisters' MP3s); hoping that it's time in the basement hadn't damaged it. When I installed it, however, Windows would only let me format it as a 7.8 GB drive. Normally, I'd just assume that the drive was damaged after its time in the cellar (even though conditions are actually pretty decent down there - no flooding or anything), and toss it out. However, both the Windows drive error-checking utility and this drive-checker from Hitachi pass the drive with flying colours, leaving me with some hope that its full capacity can be restored. Any ideas?

[Sorry for the delay in posting this. The server was apparently having difficulties.]

Partitioning a large studio apartment

condour75 — Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:23:23 -0800

I'm moving into NYC for the first time. It's a studio, but a relatively large one, and I'd like to partition it. I've looked mainly at shoji screens, but I'd rather not take up the extra space with the accordion footprint. I don't want to spend a huge amount of money, or do anything that requires a permit. What are some creative options?; for_name=condour75 and follow up question: any other advice for a NYC newbie?