[redsniper]

yes, xp can read FAT32 but '98 can't read NTFS, which is why I'm going to install xp on my second HD, so I can access the SATA HD, backup some stuff, and then reinstall Windows. Also If I want to have one partition just for Windows and another for everything else what would be a good size for the windows partition? 6-7GB?

[redmenace]

In order to get your computer to boot from a SATA drive, you need to set the boot sequence to 1st floppy 2nd SCSI 3rd CD-ROM or something similiar. Point is that MB consider SATA to be a scsi device.

[kasperl]

10GB for Windows XP plus Office 2k3 is close, I'm running that right now. Leaves you about 5GB free, of which 3,5 is taken up by the swapfile. The remaining 1,5 will be eaten slowly by Windows.

BTW: If you've got both HL and HL2 installed, you can count on a 6GB Steam folder. Remember that when assigning partitions.

[redsniper]

I can just put Steam in the 'everything else' partition though, right?
@red: I'm not that far along yet. The mobo doesn't even know the HD is hooked up yet.

[Martinus]

Originally posted by redsniper
I can just put Steam in the 'everything else' partition though, right?

[color=66ff00]Why would you do this?
[/color]

[redsniper]

I don't mean multiple partitions for multiple OSes. I want a small partition just for Windows and I guess the page file. The rest of my HD will be a second partition where I'll put all my games and programs (I assume this includes steam), basically all my stuff will go here. This way if things go ill and I need to reinstall Windows it won't take as long to get back on my feet since I won't have to reinstall/redownload all of my stuff.

[kasperl]

You'll still need to reinstall a lot to get the register set up right. OTOH, Steam can handle being installed with the 700kb installer into a dir with the 6GB of stuff already waiting for it.

[Martinus]

Originally posted by redsniper
I don't mean multiple partitions for multiple OSes. I want a small partition just for Windows and I guess the page file. The rest of my HD will be a second partition where I'll put all my games and programs (I assume this includes steam), basically all my stuff will go here. This way if things go ill and I need to reinstall Windows it won't take as long to get back on my feet since I won't have to reinstall/redownload all of my stuff.

[color=66ff00]Yeah, that's a decent plan in my experience. Keeps the filesystem cleaner too so defrags are needed less often.

I know this sounds harsh but I really wouldn't advise you to install anything made by valve other than vanilla HL, it's not worth the time and trouble. You know my reasoning by now.
[/color]

[Kosh]

Originally posted by Admiral LSD
XP can read FAT32 just fine. Just don't think about formatting your XP drives as anything but NTFS

/me hopes MS drop FAT support from Longhorn

They aren't. In fact, they are adding another formatting scheme to it.

[redsniper]

So is this partition trick even worth it or is it a bad idea? I remember hearing about it on these forums and the people here have a reputation for knowing their way around computers so I thought it sounded like a good idea.
EDIT: nevermind, I guess this got answered while I was typing it.
@ Maeg(how do you pronounce your screenname anyway?): I hate Steam with every fiber of my being and HL2 is only a mediocre game but the engine is so good and the potential for excellent mods is so great that I can't pass it up.

[Kosh]

Go for it, but don't forget to backup your data before you start.

[kasperl]

It's a pretty good idea, but any software that makes extensive use of the registry will have to be reinstalled anyways. Count the packages, look at their filesize, and if you need to reinstall it, put it on the same partition as windows. Otherwise, shove it on a seperate drive.

[redsniper]

Packages?

[redsniper]

Win98 didn't want to boot all the way on my backup HD. Fortunately I managed to scavenge a third HD and I just installed XP on it. My mobo cd came with a little utility to make a floppy with the sata drivers on it. I installed these drivers during the Windows install (pressed F6 and all that) but my main HD still isn't getting detected by Windows on this HD nor by the mobo itself. I really, really don't want to start from scratch until I can get a lot of the stuff off of that HD.

[Bobboau]

did you look for that jumper like I sugested?

[redsniper]

nope. but now I will, when I get a chance.
EDIT: and in case there is no such jumper or it doesn't fix the problem I am, of course, open to other suggestions.

[redsniper]

There are hardly any jumpers on this mobo, a lot of stuff is just controlled from the BIOS now. Anyway, I have all the SATA controllers and ports enabled, nvRAID is disabled (which is how it should be since we're dealing with a single HD, no RAID arrays here), but the BIOS still won't detect this HD. This worries me greatly, not showing up in the BIOS just can't be good at all.