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Installing applications on new computer - Handy (?) utilities - Partitions?

Greetings!

I've just got a new computer:

Win XP Pro (English) and Win XP Home (French)
ASUS  A7N8X-X mobo
Athlon 2600+
512 DDRAM
GeForce FX5200 128MB
WD 120 GB 7200 8MB cache (Incidentally, I confidently expect that in the first ten years of operation I'll likely use all the spqce except for maybe 103 GB!!)
CD RW
DVD

The HD has been partitioned C:20 and D:100 with the OSs on C.

I'll be running mostly grpahics programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, AutoCAD, Studio Max...)

I haven't yet connected it to the Internet or networked it with my old P1 233 MMX (which is connected to the Internet)


1.  Should I install Ashampoo before anything else.....
........... or is it even necessary on these new OSs? I understood that it helps to avoid deleting shared dll's etc when uninstalling programs that don't have a proper uninstall. It seemed to help on my old system but was pretty slow and cumbersome.

2.  Where should I install my applications ......
......... on C with the OSs or on D, where I assume I'll be storing my data? Or should I have yet another partition?

3.  I plan to install Belarc (or Aida or Sandra or somebody) which I've found is a nice way to see most of what's on the system, but.......
............ I'm wondering about FreeRAM Lite. With all the extra RAM I have it shouldn't be necessary (Yeh - who's REALLY gonna believe that, eh??!!) but regardless, after using it on my old system I'm not exactly sure if it really achieves anything except to clear out some RAM space if you're in the middle of some heavy operation, say in Photoshop with a million layers open and the system bogs down and you can't save and .... I have the impression that in general RAM data that is not required is simply bumped out by new incoming requirements, except as mentioned above??

I look foward to your responses, especially on 1 and 2 as I'm eager to get rolling.

Thanks,

ParisPete
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Hi!

Thanks for the prompt responses. Can you provide a little clarification please:

Comment from byundt
"One thing you may want to consider is to copy your application CD-ROM to your hard drive D partition, then install the software from there."

That is to say I copy my Photoshop (for example) CD on to the HD?

" This avoids the never-ending requests for you to insert a copy of the Microsoft Office CD when you want to add/delete a feature, install an update or repair the installation."

I don't have MS Office - I assume you're just using it as an example?



 
Comment from war1

1.  Ashampoo does take CPU duty cycle and is not necessary.  

Does this apply to my old P1 233 also - it has Win 98 SE.

2.  install the applications on D or create a separate partition E.   It really depends how much space you have allotted to each partition and how much space you need for applications program and data.

Is it difficult to partition the drive further? Could I do it later if I wanted to or is best done while it's still 'clean'?

 If I did have another partition, E, would I use that for my apps data or what?

3.  You do not need FreeRam Lite.  It uses up all the CPU duty cycle when clearing RAM.

What is the CPU duty cycle?

Thanks guys,

Pete
 
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Pete,
I can't comment about PhotoShop--but Microsoft Office definitely benefits from being installed from the hard drive.
Brad
Bonjour!

re: Comment from war1

"2. You can use a third party program like System Commander or Partition Magic to partition the drive further.  You can partition it later if you have the need."

OK - in perusing XP it appears to have a (to me) fairly comprehensive disk man agement system, so I guess I can use this to do the partitioning rather than get a third party program. Is that right?

"......If you have another partition, you can use either for data or applications.  It is easier to move data (copy and paste) than programs (uninstall and reinstall in new partition)."

OK - but is it better keep the apps and their respective data in the same volume or does it matter? Is the access speed higher when an app and its most used data are 'together'? Or is it better to keep apps in one partition and data in another or others?


re: Comment from byundt
"........Microsoft Office definitely benefits from being installed from the hard drive."

Thanks Brad. So, is this the idea - load everything from the CD onto the hard drive, then install from the hard drive using run or set-up or the .exe file?  On my old machine I've downloaded various programs and still have passle of .exe and .zips from which I can install at will. I guess this is similar? I suppose with all the real estate on my HD I'm not going to tie-up a significant portion of it?

I'm wondering if you have a comment on this aspect war?

Thanks again to both of you.

Pete
 
Another couple of thoughts - I believe I have the option of choosin FAT, FAT32  or NTFS, and that the latter is best? Is that right?

Also - re Brad's earlier comment about the 20 GB C drive with Windows on it "Personally, I would have partitioned the C drive larger. In fact, the only reason I can see for a D drive is to facilitate the dual booting (English in one, French in the other)."

Actually, I wondered why this drive was so BIG, if it's only to keep the OS separate, clean and tidy from the rest of the HD? What might the unused 17 GB in this partition be used for?

PP

You need a third party program for partition if you are going to partition while you have data on there.  XP partition program will only do so with a clear drive.

17 GB is large, but if you have a lot of data or music files, it fills up quickly.

It does not matter if you keep the program and respective data in the same partition. No noticable change in speed in access.
Wow! That was a quick response war1!

"You need a third party program for partition if you are going to partition while you have data on there.  XP partition program will only do so with a clear drive."

OK - so if I want to further partition the C drive (which I probably won't) I need third party, but the virtual D drive which is still clear, I can do with the disk manager?

"17 GB is large, but if you have a lot of data or music files, it fills up quickly."

I understand, but I thought (I'm not sure why!) that I would be trying to avoid "cluttering this drive" with data? Perhaps my problem is that I haven't really understood the basic idea behind partitioning, especially as it relates the OS.

Pete

 
Pete,
   As you use the computer, you will understand how to use the 17 GB space.  Here are some guidelines for partitioning a hard drive.

http://partition.radified.com/
Hi again!

The Radified link is great. Thanks war1.

I deleted the 100GB D drive because it was already formatted. Then re-partioned it into three volumes - 15, 70 and 15 GB respectively. I'll use the first 15 for graphics data and the second 15 I've reserved for imaging with Ghost (when I can afford it!). I formatted both of these as NFTS.

Question: Somebody told me the partition for imaging would be better formatted as either FAT or FAT32. I couldn't really understand why, so I stayed with NTFS; did I do the right thing here?

Also, as mentioned, I plan to network with my old P1 233 which has Win98 SE. I imagine I can access the old system easily enough, but am I correct in thinking that the old system (98 SE) won't access the new one because the new computer is formatted as NTFS?

I didn't format the "middle" 70 GB, so I can re-paretition that volume bit by bit when/if it becomes necessary. Did I do right?

Norton Ghost runs about 70 bucks, then I've got to get antivirus etc. Is there a free or cheaper program I could get to image my system and/or provide anti-virus protection?

Finally, Brad, I installed my Illustrator 7 this morning. On the CD there were options to "set-up" or "explore the CD", which, of course, contains other "goodies".
I tried to copy the CD to my C drive, but it didn't seem to want be copied? I probably won't worry with it, but I am curious as to what I did wrong or didn't do, especially as I expect to install MS Works at some point, (which you have suggested would be better to have on the HD and instal from there - although I'm still not completely clear why. Is it primarily because it's quicker than pulling out the CD if its's called for at some point?)

Any further thoughts will be greatly appreciated before I close the question and lavishly [:) award points!

Thanks guys,

Pete
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Thank you both, war1 and Brad.

I'm going to split the points with a liitle extra for war1 because the links are great and I'll certainly try AVG or Housecall. I guess I can always add Norton SystemWorks later? I have Symantec on the old computer.

Anyway, at least I can connect to the Web with my new computer.  Now, if I can just get my email to work on it and network to the old one so I can shift some files I'll be able set!!

"What's that Dear?"    Oh, my wife Rose just told me with cxomputers that with computers you're NEVER all set!

Hmmmm, do you think she knows something I don't????

Thanks again guys,

Pete
Pete, did you forget to award the ponits?
Hi war1!

In fact I did award the points but I guess the "submit" didn't take! should I just do it over? well, I guess I'll try again.  sorry about that;

Regards,

Pete