Best way to partion Hard Drive

[Dakiav]

I just purchased an iMac, (a first for me), and I’m starting down the dual OS path for the first time. I need some advice for partitioning the HD. I have a 320Gig HD and I want (1) Partition for the Mac OS and Applications; (1) Partition for WinXP and Applications; and (1) Partition for “Data Files”, formatted as NTFS.

From all I’ve read, I’m fairly comfortable with the “how to’s” and of partitioning for the aforementioned and the sizes I allocate for each partition, but I’d like to know if I also need an HFS+ partition for my Mac applications' Data Files. If so, how do I create that partition? Via Boot Camp?

For what it’s worth, I’m going to use Boot Camp and VMW Fusion.

Last, though “fairly comfortable” with partitioning, I’d like to have Windows as my “C Drive” and Data Files as my “D Drive”. I’ve read some posts that say I may not be able to pick and choose the naming of the various partitions/volumes. True or False?

Thanks for whatever help and suggestions you can give.

[eric2006]

If you want the "Data" partition to be accessible by both OS's, you'll need to format it as FAT32/MS-DOS (unless you want to use third-party solutions). If you don't need it to be accessible to both, I recommend you just absorb it into the system partition. I'm pretty sure that Bootcamp just gives you one partition, so if you want 3 partitions with one being NTFS, install OS X and bootcamp, cut a chunk from the OS X partition with a re-partition (new in Leopard), and reformat it to NTFS in Windows.

As for renaming drive letters; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307844

[Perishingflames]

Well, I suggest you do not even try to install Windows. I consider myself pretty good at macs, and I easily slipped into choosing the wrong HD to install Windows on and I got my whole computer overwritten with a non-functioning Windows.

Added to that, I was not even given the option for the FAT's, only NTSF and NTSF (Quick). And yes, it was XP not Vista so it should have given me the option.

Not trying to scare you, but unless you have a fully bootable backup of your computer (not just Time Machine backups), I strongly suggest you do not install Windows. Even then, consider wisely if you really need Windows or not.

[Dakiav]

Originally Posted by eric2006

If you want the "Data" partition to be accessible by both OS's, you'll need to format it as FAT32/MS-DOS (unless you want to use third-party solutions). If you don't need it to be accessible to both, I recommend you just absorb it into the system partition. I'm pretty sure that Bootcamp just gives you one partition, so if you want 3 partitions with one being NTFS, install OS X and bootcamp, cut a chunk from the OS X partition with a re-partition (new in Leopard), and reformat it to NTFS in Windows.

As for renaming drive letters; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307844

Thanks! Absorbing the Mac applications data files into the system partition is what I was thinking I would do, but if possible, I always like keeping my data separate from the system and OS files, in case I ever need to re-install the OS. I guess that's what external HDs are for...backups.

[archedeyebrow]

i you're comfortable with going 'manual'.. try this....
I had the same requirements as you...used the triple-boot article from the mac forums and came up with this approach:

http://tripoverit.blogspot.com/2008/01/imac-dual-boot-mac-os-x-and-win-xp-with.html

[archedeyebrow]

if you're ok going manual , try this....

http://tripoverit.blogspot.com/2008/...n-xp-with.html

its based on the triple boot article on the mac forums

[Dakiav]

Originally Posted by Perishingflames

Well, I suggest you do not even try to install Windows. I consider myself pretty good at macs, and I easily slipped into choosing the wrong HD to install Windows on and I got my whole computer overwritten with a non-functioning Windows.

Added to that, I was not even given the option for the FAT's, only NTSF and NTSF (Quick). And yes, it was XP not Vista so it should have given me the option.

Not trying to scare you, but unless you have a fully bootable backup of your computer (not just Time Machine backups), I strongly suggest you do not install Windows. Even then, consider wisely if you really need Windows or not.

Thanks for the warning. Unfortunately, I need Windows. Everything I've ever done and do for my business requires many Windows apps. And no, I can't find suitable Mac replacements for some of my programs, for too many reasons to mention.

I purchased a Mac to start "experimenting with the future"...running multiple OS's. So if my iMac crashes and burns, I've only lost my practice.

I appreciate your suggestion of making a bootable backup. Would you recommend something like Carbon Copy or Synchronize! Pro X and (before installing Windows) cloning the Imac drive to and external drive? Then, if all goes awry, would I just boot from the external drive and copy that cloned drive to the iMac's HD?

But since I'm only playing around right now, if all goes bad, would it be easier to just reinstall everything using the install disk or is having a bootable backup quicker?

Thanks again!

[artov]

Best way for me was VMWare Fusion. It shows host system (OS X in this case) as a
network server, so your files can be accessed from Windows programs.