[underground]

Just wondering if it's worth creating a D: partition on primary master HDD to keep programs and data separate from the OS? I always was of the impression that it facilitated formatting and reinstalling the OS without losing programs etc. but I can't see how a fresh install would preserve the e.g. Start Menu shortcuts???

[butters]

Would suggest that a separate partition for data would be OK but programs (I am assuming you mean something like an install of MS Office here) won't work  as they write to the registry and the relevant entries won't be there after a rebuild of the OS.

bluebrad 

[Bubba]

You still have to re-install everything into D:

I do it to keep things organised and to keep non-MS software away from the windows directory.

[underground]

Yep, that makes sense. I resized the C: which was set to 80Gb to a more sensible 15, and set a data partition and a programs one also. The machine is installed with XP2005MCE but the installation files are stored on a hidden partition. And the Media Centre bits look utterly awful and resource intensive.

[Control freak]

I always create a separate partition for o/s and apps and another for data. It wont preserve your apps but it does make like a whole lot easier in the event of a re-install

wrt shortcuts and stuff, you can store your My Documents anywhere you want - it doesnt have to be in the default location on C:, mines on my d drive

You can change it by right clicking My Documents and selecting move

[underground]

Thanks C.F., that's a massive help too- I always fancied using the My Documents / My Pictures folders so the camera would be easier to download off.

I've got everything as I wanted, thanks to all. However I have extracted a solely data drive from my old box, it is designated G: on the old system, and is a single IDE partition. I have painstakingly slotted it into the new box (fiddly mini tower) and put it on the spare IDE plug, but it isn't being read. I can imagine that it is because it was set up under the old O/S and probably because there is a card reader on the new box which has one of the slots designated G:. There is only the DVDRW drive on the IDE channel in the new box as it has a SATA drive installed.

Any ideas how to get it recognised and working again? It's full and I'd like to be able to preserve the data and not have lots of hassle.

Also, Partition magic simply calls it a 'Dynamic drive (other)' and can't do anything with it. It is shown as disk 1 while the 'proper' disk is disk 2.

Any help would be very gratefully received!!!!

[Control freak]

Id open the box up and unplug everything except for your new (old) drive and the boot drive - just to be safe you could set the new (old) drive to be a slave aswell

Run windows and look at the drives via Compuet Management (right click My Compuet=r -> Manage), youll find the drives under Disk Management in the storage section. Sometimes if theres a drive letter conflict youll find it just doesnt assign a letter to one drive and you cant see it in explorer

Check to see if the physical drivs appear here and also they they are properly asigned. You might want to change the letter on the new (old) drive to Z or something so it doesnt conflict when you connect everything back up again

If it doesnt appear here youre kinda stuffed - you can try removeing your SATA drive and booting from this one just to check the drives ok or you could try putting it in a caddy

Hope this helps

[underground]

Control Freak, you're a star 

I looked as you said, and saw the 'foreign disk' - imported it, and Bingo! all sorted, thanks very much buddy!

*must actually learn how XP works* 

[Control freak]

No problem - the bills in the post