A hard disk’s vast expanse of storage space is often rather dreary, containing a single operating system and a jumble of data, with the only semblance of order being the directories created when the operating system was installed. Partitioning is an approach that can make everything a lot more flexible and useful. In particular, partitioning a hard disk enables the creation of precisely defined “areas” on the physical hard disk, which the computer treats in exactly the same way as new, separate hard disks. Each drive can contain distinct data and can be formatted without affecting the others. There are several advantages to this
Creating two distinct partitions on your hard disk means you can install your operating system on one and store your personal data on the other. If the operating system needs to be reinstalled at some point, then there is no need to copy all your data first; just reformat the OS partition as if it were a separate hard disk and reinstall. The other partition, which contains your data, will stay the same. This provides a huge gain in time and security.
Operating systems do not tend to work well together. For example, if you want to install Windows and Linux on the same computer, each needs to have its own hard disk – unless, that is, you partition your single hard disk. Creating a partition for each system means you can choose either Windows or Linux every time you start your computer. Each system will believe that it is the only system on the hard disk. Most partitioning tools come with a small program that installs separately and provides the user with an easy way to select which operating system to use when they start the computer.
As well as creating partitions, hard disk partitioning tools also provide a way of accurately managing their size and structure. You can play with parameters such as the size of a drive’s smallest storage unit (“clusters”, which define the smallest possible size an object will take up on the drive, even if its actual size is smaller). Reducing the minimum cluster size can free up a large amount of space on the hard disk. Furthermore, if you decide to install multiple operating systems, they will not be able to see each other and will therefore not be able to share data, but you can save space by creating a “common” partition containing personal data (images, etc.) that is accessible to all operating systems instead of having to store copies of the files on each partition.
The time lost to reinstalling an operating system is something all users know and dread. The experience can be made far more pleasant through the creation of a drive image, which stores the exact state of your system as it was the last time you reinstalled (including your programs, suitable Internet configuration, etc.). If this image file is stored on your computer, though, it can be deleted or damaged. By creating a special partition for it, it can be kept safe from Windows yet still remain accessible even if the operating system is badly damaged. This does not mean it is no longer necessary to back up your system drive image to an external medium such as a DVD, of course; but keeping a copy hidden safely on a partition will make reinstalling much faster and much less of a chore.
