OS on its own partition vs. just one large partition w/ 64k blocks?

[korben_dallas]

I have several large drives for my new dedicated SageTV server. About to setup XP Pro, but one issue:

Do you guys create a xx GB size partition with normal block size for the OS and a second partition w/ 64k blocks for videos? Or do you just format the whole drive as a single partition w/ 64k blocks? Any impact of XP Pro being on a partition w/ 64k blocks?

[MeInMaui]

I use the first method. I set up my OS partition at typically 20Gb with normal size blocks and use the rest of the drive in a second partition with 64k blocks. I think 64k blocks would pose significant performance issues on the OS partition. HTH

Aloha,
Mike

[paulbeers]

Do not put XP on any partitions with 64kb blocks. It will take up waaayyy too much space. Many Dll's and other files are much smaller than 64k and therefore will hog space. On my server, I have the main hard drive (a 200GB IDE drive) partitioned with a standard block size (what is it 4kb?) with 10GB worth of space, and then the rest of the drive partitioned with 64kb. This also allows me (if I needed to which I haven't) to completely reformat either partition and not zap my operating system (if I needed to zap the recording partition) or my recording partition (if I needed to zap my OS partition).

[GKusnick]

I use separate physical disks. OS and program files on one 80 GB drive and recordings on separate monster drives of various sizes. That way I can swap recording drives around at whim, upgrade to larger drives, etc. all without disturbing the boot drive.

Even if you don't use separate drives, using separate partitions lets you defrag the boot partition on a regular schedule without involving the recording partitions.

[mattdcknsn]

I would always recommend a separate partition for the OS, 64K block size means that every file will take up at least 64K of space. For movies thats not a problem, but like paulbeers said, even a 1K dll file will take up 64K, multiply that by a couple thousand and you have ALOT of wasted space. I use a 12 gig partition, havent had any problems with space on my C drive.

[jbarr]

Ditto the separate partition theory. Actually, I prefer a separate drive altogether like Greg said above. I have a simple IDE 40GB drive for Windows XP Pro (it takes up less than 10GB) and I use a 320GB SATA drive for SageTV. I also created a 20GB "backup" partition on the 320GB SATA drive, and I use Acronis True Image Home to back up the OS drive nightly (Full image once per week, incremental on other days.)

It's really just peace of mind. I don't look at my SageTV HTPC in the same way that I do the other PC's I have at home. To me, the HTPC is now an "appliance" and needs to be kept simple, stable, and reliable--really boosts the WAF. It's bad enough having to even say, "Just a moment...I have to reboot the TV."

[stanger89]

If you put it all on one partition, you have to nuke everything to reinstall the OS.

[stevech]

I'd use a small (40GB or so) for your boot disk. Use other drives at 64K blocks for video. This avoids high head movement due to Windows running amok with disk as it tends to do.

[PhillJones]

For all the reasons above and...

If you record, particularly HD material on the same physical drive as your OS, then any access of the drive to do OS type stuff will make playback skip as the disk starts a grinding. This is true even if you use separate partitions.

I use two drives. My first is a 300Gb pata with a 20Gb partition for OS and the rest is for photos, music etc, The second one is a 500Gb sata which is 300Gb for TV and the rest for other videos.