I just recently bought a 500GB WD external hard drive for use with both my laptop (backups) and my PS3. The PS3 requires the hard drive to be formatted in FAT32, while I'm assuming that things would work best in NTFS for my laptop (mainly cause of the size of the files allowed). I also have windows vista. Is there some way that I can partition the drive to have around 200GB NTFS for the laptop and 300GB for the PS3? And if there is, would i be able to change the sizes of the partitions once I made it (ie. maybe I'll need more room for the laptop, and would need to increase it, while decreasing the PS3 FAT32 partition) without harming the data that was already present in the partitions? Thanks for any help.
It's not usual to change partition sizes once there is data on them,
there is a real risk of data loss and/or corruption with resizing any partitions once they are in use..
I would use qparted for the job, but some people will tell you to go with partition magic.
Will those programs work with vista? I believe I have heard that partition magic has problems with vista.
Also, if it is better to not resize the partitions, how do you think I should divide it up? The main reason I need the NTFS partition is to back up my 160GB laptop (with a program like Acronis). I might also store some video/music files on there. 200GB should be plenty, right? I want as much possible space to be in FAT32, while still retaining the necessary amount of room in NTFS.
And one more thing, if I screw up and decide I hate the partiton set-up completely, I can just entirely erase the hard drive and start from scratch, right?
I agree vista pretty much sucks right now.
However I think I should have a NTFS partition, if not just because of the better compatibility with Windows (FAT32 is best with Linux, right?) and the fact that there isn't a size limit on the files.
Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.
So, even though I have vista, you're saying that if I partition the hard drive, it will experience a decrease in performance?
I think I can handle a little decrease in performance, as long as it's not too bad. I'm not partitioning the external hard drive for organizational reasons.
Just to clarify, this is why I want to partition it:
1) I want to store backup images on the drive. I also may be storing music and movies. I believe that FAT32 has a file size limit. I don't really want to deal with that size limit if I don't have to. Hence, I need NTFS.
2) I want to use the external drive with my PS3. The PS3 can only read hard drives which are formatted in FAT32. Since I don't have two externals (I shouldn't have to get two, since the external hard drive I bought is 500GB) I would like to use the same drive for both my notebook and PS3. Hence, I will also need FAT32.
Anyone see any faults in my reasoning? I'm not a pro in the least regarding these matters, so I'm just trying to get some valuable feedback from those who are.
