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• What Is A Partition In A Security Systems Online

What is a hard disk partition

When a hard drive is installed in a computer, it must be partitioned before you can format and use it. Partitioning a drive is when you divide the total storage of a drive into different pieces. These pieces are called partitions. Once a partition is created, it can then be formatted so that it can be used on a computer. When partitions are made, you specify the total amount of storage that you would like to allocate to that partition from the total size of the drive. For example, if you have an 80 GB drive, then it would be possible to make one partition consisting of the entire 80 GB of available storage. Alternatively,you could make two partitions consisting of a 20 GB partition that will be used for the operating system and programs and a 60 GB partition set aside for data, music, and images.

In the current IBM PC architecture, there is a partition table in the drive's Master Boot Record (section of the hard drive that contains the commands necessary to start the operating system), or MBR, that lists information about the partitions on the hard drive. This partition table is then further split into 4 partition table entries, with each entries corresponding to a partition. Due to this it is only possible to have four partitions. These 4 partitions are typically known as primary partitions. To overcome this restriction, system developers decided to add a new type of partition called the extended partition. By replacing one of the four primary partitions with an extended partition, you can then make an additional 24 logical partitions within the extended one. The table below illustrates this.

As you can see, this partition table is broken up into 4 primary partitions. The fourth partition, though, has been flagged as an extended partition. This allows us to make more logical partitions under that extended partition and therefore bypassing the 4 partition limit.

The active partition is a special flag assigned to only one partition on a hard drive that the Master Boot Record (MBR) uses to boot your computer into an operating system. As only one partition.

Each hard drive also has one of its possible 4 partitions flagged as an active partition. The active partition is a special flag assigned to only one partition on a hard drive that the Master Boot Record (MBR) uses to boot your computer into an operating system. As only one partition may be set as the active partition, you may be wondering how people can have multiple operating systems installed on different partitions, and yet still be able to use them all. This is accomplished by installing a boot loader in the active partition. When the computer starts, it will read the MBR and determine the partition that is flagged as active. This partition is the one that contains the boot loader. When the operating system boots off of this partition the boot loader will start and allow you to choose which operating systems you would like to boot from.

Why make partitions

Now that you know what a partition is, you may be wondering why you would even need to make multiple partitions instead of just making one. Though there are quite a few reasons, we will touch on some of the more important ones below:

• Multiple Filesystems - When you create a partition, you then need to format it before it can be used. When formatting a partition you tell the operating system what filesystem you would like that partition to be formatted in. Once you format a partition, and therefore assign the type of filesystem you want to use with it, you can not change that filesystem without formatting the partition again and losing all the data contained on it. If you require different filesystems on your computer, whether it be for security or for a specific application, you can then make multiple partition and assign one type of filesystem to one of the partitions and another to one of the other partitions.
• Partition Size - On older operating systems the maximum size of a partition was limited. Therefore if you had more storage space on a hard drive than was usable in a single partition, you would need to create other partitions to utilize this unused space.
• Multiple Operating Systems - Some operating systems use filesystems that are not compatible with other operating systems. If you want to use two operating systems on the same computer that are not compatible in this way, you could then make two partitions, one for each operating system. Then a boot loader could be used to switch between them when you start your computer.
• Wasted disk Space - When a filesystems store data in a partition, the larger the partition, the greater the chance of wasted space. By having multiple partitions of smaller size, you reduce the amount of waste that filesystems may create.
• Seperate system files from users files - Some components of an operating system require storage space to operate. For example, in Windows if you have no hard drive space available on the drive that Windows is installed on, you will not be able to print. By creating a partition solely devoted to the operating system and then another partition dedicated to your own data and programs, there is less of a chance of you using up the space on the operating system partition with your data, and thus not causing problems.

--
Lawrence Abrams
Bleeping Computer: Hardware Tutorial
BleepingComputer.com: Computer Help & Tutorials for the beginning computer user.

Disk partitioning--separating one physical hard drive into multiple independent volumes--can relieve all sorts of computer-related headaches, and thanks to the Disk Management tool included with Windows 7 and Vista, you can perform the task without expensive third-party software. Here's how to use Disk Management to make the most of your hard drive.

Why Partitioning Your Hard Drive Makes Sense

Most PCs come from the factory with a single partition on their hard drive, meaning that it shows up as one drive in the Computer window (as C:, typically). But keeping your data, applications, and operating system on the same partition can be risky because, if something happens to the partition's index file (the file that tells your computer where the various pieces of your data are located), your computer won't be able to boot up off that drive--and even if you boot up with a recovery disc or external drive, you won't be able to access the rest of your data.

Partitioning your hard drive essentially tells your computer to treat portions of that drive as separate entities. If you keep your system and apps on a partition separate from your data (documents, music, video, and the like), the data will be easier to back up (because your backup utility won't bother to copy the system and apps, which you can reinstall from the discs or redownload from an online source). In addition, you'll be less likely to lose your data in an accident; and if you ever need to reformat and reinstall Windows, you won't have to worry about restoring your data backups.

What Is A Partition In A Security Systems Online

You can also set up an emergency partition. Suppose that Windows unexpectedly croaks and you don't have your emergency boot disc handy. If you've created a bootable partition that's large enough to contain a stripped-down OS and a handful of diagnostic tools, you can use it to rescue your data and salvage your computer. Some computer manufacturers (Lenovo, for example) supply a built-in emergency partition on some of their PCs, but you can make your own, if your PC lacks one.

Finally, partitioning lets you try out other operating systems--like Linux, for example. Generally, two operating systems can't coexist on the same volume without stepping on one another's toes, so you won't be able to dual-boot Linux or ease into Windows 7 if you're on a single-volume system.

How to Partition Your Hard Drive

Note: Users with complicated hard-drive configurations, RAID arrays, or the Windows XP operating system will likely need more-powerful partitioning software than Microsoft's Disk Management tool--EaseUs Partition Master is a good place to start.

First, back up your data. The partitioning process shouldn't delete any data, but you can't be too careful when working with your hard drive.

Open the Disk Management tool by slecting Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management. An entry for Disk Management should show up underneath the Storage heading on the left-hand side.

Click Disk Management, and you should see a list of your existing drives and partitions (if applicable). To create a new partition, choose a disk that has free storage space, right-click it, and select Shrink Volume. Bear in mind that you can safely shrink only basic disks; if you try to shrink dynamic disks (such as RAID arrays) that are formatted with the NTFS file system, you'll risk losing your data.

Type in the amount of space you want to shrink the disk by. The number you choose depends on what you want to use the other partition for. If you plan to dual-boot another version of Windows, for example, you'll want a lot of space (Windows 7 requires at least 16GB of available space, for example); but if you're setting aside room for an emergency recovery partition, you won't need nearly as much space.

If you plan to install an OS in this partition (Windows or otherwise), you'll probably have to stop here--your operating system installer will likely insist on making the partition itself during the installation process.

Once you've cleared the necessary space, it should show up in the Disk Management window as Unallocated Space. Right-click this entry, select New Simple Volume, and let the resulting wizard guide you through the remaiing steps of the process. Generally, you'll want to format the new partition as NTFS; and unless you're using this partition for archiving purposes, you won't need to enable file and folder compression for the whole drive. (If you decide to enable compression later, you can do it easily enough: In the Disk Management tool, right-click the partition and select Properties, Compress this drive to save space.)

Now you have a squeaky-clean hard drive partition that you can use to dual-boot Windows 7 or to keep your data safe. Have other ideas about uses for a partitioned drive? Leave them in the comments.

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