Partition - what for and how do I use them?

So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!

I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I actually
need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you know
what I mean!)

You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that? It would seem
sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
drive - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount, but
a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files, etc.

I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store the
photos on the right partition?

And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much appreciated



"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
> C.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
> > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
> >
> > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> > the other partition?
>
>
> No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
> partition gets filled.
>
>
>
> > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
> > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
>
>
>
> Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
> to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
> navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
> partition.
>
>
> > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> > Mac laptop to take with me -
>
>
> Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
> exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
>
> Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
> exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
> strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
> how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
>
>
> > so I've no idea what the point of the two
> > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> > offer any tips?
>
>
> There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
> to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
> more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
> people use their different partitions in different ways.
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:48:00 -0700, Adam C
wrote:

> So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!

No, I didn't say that. *I* didn't do either when I started with Vista,
but I had a lot of experience with previous versions of Windows. You,
on the other hand, are a self-admitted beginner at Windows, and either
a book or course is likely to be the fastest way to get you the
knowledge you need.


> I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I actually
> need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you know
> what I mean!)


Yes.


> You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that?


It depends on how you are saving it, but in most applications you will
be at a "save" or "save as" dialog box. In that dialog box, you can
navigate to the drive (partition) and folder you want to save it to;
otherwise it goes to the default.

The difficulty in explaining this is that if don't have basic
familiarity with Windows, it's probably very hard for you to
understand what I'm saying. If I were to actually show you, you would
probably understand instantly; that's why I suggested that a book or a
course is much better than my (or anyone else's) explanation here.



> It would seem
> sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> drive


That's a reasonable choice. Not necessarily the only way to do it, but
reasonable.


> - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount, but
> a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files, etc.
>
> I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store the
> photos on the right partition?


Sorry, I'm not familiar with that application, but if it uses the
standard "Save" and "Save as" dialogs, try to follow my instructions
above.

By the way, *before* you save anything there, create a folder on that
second partition to save the photos in. You can call it something like
"Photos".

You can also move the photos you already have on your first partition
to that new folder on the second partition, and free up some space on
the first partition.

If you are about to ask me how to move files, I want to stress again
that this is a very basic Windows technique. I can answer the
question, but I'm really very leery of doing it without showing you
how, because I may take something for granted that you don't know and
lead you astray. A newcomer to Windows really needs some basic
instruction on how to use Windows in general, not just the answer to
the specific questions your asking here. Without that basic knowledge,
the risk of your making a serious error (no matter how much I explain
here) is very great.


> And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much appreciated



You're welcome. I hope you don't feel that I'm trying to belittle you
or give you a hard time; that's not at all my point. I'm just afraid
that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and if you don't
understand the basics, just following instructions here can get you
into serious trouble.


> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
> > C.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> > > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
> > > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> > > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> > > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
> > >
> > > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> > > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> > > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> > > the other partition?
> >
> >
> > No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
> > partition gets filled.
> >
> >
> >
> > > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
> > > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
> >
> >
> >
> > Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
> > to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
> > navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
> > partition.
> >
> >
> > > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> > > Mac laptop to take with me -
> >
> >
> > Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
> > exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
> >
> > Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
> > exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
> > strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
> > how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
> >
> >
> > > so I've no idea what the point of the two
> > > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> > > offer any tips?
> >
> >
> > There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
> > to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
> > more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
> > people use their different partitions in different ways.
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> >

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

I don't think you're belittling me or talking down to me at all. on the
contrary, you're being very helpful. I think I may have overestimated my
newbie-ish-ness with windows a little bit - i've used windows at work for
years, so i'm aware of of how to save things, etc. just wasn't sure about
partitions and so on. I'll have a go with lightroom and get back to you with
the results.

thanks again for the great help and advice, ken.


"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:48:00 -0700, Adam C
> wrote:
>
> > So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!
>
> No, I didn't say that. *I* didn't do either when I started with Vista,
> but I had a lot of experience with previous versions of Windows. You,
> on the other hand, are a self-admitted beginner at Windows, and either
> a book or course is likely to be the fastest way to get you the
> knowledge you need.
>
>
> > I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> > the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I actually
> > need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> > partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you know
> > what I mean!)
>
>
> Yes.
>
>
> > You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> > where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that?
>
>
> It depends on how you are saving it, but in most applications you will
> be at a "save" or "save as" dialog box. In that dialog box, you can
> navigate to the drive (partition) and folder you want to save it to;
> otherwise it goes to the default.
>
> The difficulty in explaining this is that if don't have basic
> familiarity with Windows, it's probably very hard for you to
> understand what I'm saying. If I were to actually show you, you would
> probably understand instantly; that's why I suggested that a book or a
> course is much better than my (or anyone else's) explanation here.
>
>
>
> > It would seem
> > sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> > drive
>
>
> That's a reasonable choice. Not necessarily the only way to do it, but
> reasonable.
>
>
> > - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount, but
> > a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files, etc.
> >
> > I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store the
> > photos on the right partition?
>
>
> Sorry, I'm not familiar with that application, but if it uses the
> standard "Save" and "Save as" dialogs, try to follow my instructions
> above.
>
> By the way, *before* you save anything there, create a folder on that
> second partition to save the photos in. You can call it something like
> "Photos".
>
> You can also move the photos you already have on your first partition
> to that new folder on the second partition, and free up some space on
> the first partition.
>
> If you are about to ask me how to move files, I want to stress again
> that this is a very basic Windows technique. I can answer the
> question, but I'm really very leery of doing it without showing you
> how, because I may take something for granted that you don't know and
> lead you astray. A newcomer to Windows really needs some basic
> instruction on how to use Windows in general, not just the answer to
> the specific questions your asking here. Without that basic knowledge,
> the risk of your making a serious error (no matter how much I explain
> here) is very great.
>
>
> > And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much appreciated
>
>
>
> You're welcome. I hope you don't feel that I'm trying to belittle you
> or give you a hard time; that's not at all my point. I'm just afraid
> that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and if you don't
> understand the basics, just following instructions here can get you
> into serious trouble.
>
>
> > "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
> > > C.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> > > > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
> > > > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> > > > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> > > > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
> > > >
> > > > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> > > > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> > > > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> > > > the other partition?
> > >
> > >
> > > No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
> > > partition gets filled.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
> > > > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
> > > to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
> > > navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
> > > partition.
> > >
> > >
> > > > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> > > > Mac laptop to take with me -
> > >
> > >
> > > Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
> > > exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
> > >
> > > Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
> > > exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
> > > strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
> > > how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
> > >
> > >
> > > > so I've no idea what the point of the two
> > > > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> > > > offer any tips?
> > >
> > >
> > > There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
> > > to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
> > > more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
> > > people use their different partitions in different ways.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> > >
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

Many people like to have a separate partition for their data and will
redirect the common file locations (Documents, Pictures, etc) to be on that
partition. I suspect most people don't do that however and I'm surprised
Acer would set it up like that by default (And it's unlcear whether they
even directed the user folders to that partition).

Still, you could make a folder on that drive and put a shortcut to it in the
Favorite links list(Sidebar) of Explorer (Finder) to make it wasy to get to
when saving files.

"Adam C" wrote in message

>I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use
> it.
> Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and
> store
> all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
>
> The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> the other partition?
>
> I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use
> up
> the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
>
> I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> Mac laptop to take with me - so I've no idea what the point of the two
> partitions are actually for, and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> offer any tips?
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:40:00 -0700, Adam C
wrote:

> I don't think you're belittling me or talking down to me at all. on the
> contrary, you're being very helpful.


Glad to hear it.


> I think I may have overestimated my
> newbie-ish-ness with windows a little bit - i've used windows at work for
> years, so i'm aware of of how to save things, etc.


Great! Then I misunderstood your level of knowledge, and I can
probably be more helpful if you have specific questions.


> just wasn't sure about
> partitions and so on.


Note that navigating through the Save as dialog is really no different
with partitions than with folders. You can almost think of the
partition as just a higher-level folder. Navigation works exactly the
same way, so if you're familiar with one, the other should be nearly
identical.



> I'll have a go with lightroom and get back to you with
> the results.
>
> thanks again for the great help and advice, ken.


You're welcome. Glad to help.



> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:48:00 -0700, Adam C
> > wrote:
> >
> > > So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!
> >
> > No, I didn't say that. *I* didn't do either when I started with Vista,
> > but I had a lot of experience with previous versions of Windows. You,
> > on the other hand, are a self-admitted beginner at Windows, and either
> > a book or course is likely to be the fastest way to get you the
> > knowledge you need.
> >
> >
> > > I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> > > the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I actually
> > > need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> > > partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you know
> > > what I mean!)
> >
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> >
> > > You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> > > where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that?
> >
> >
> > It depends on how you are saving it, but in most applications you will
> > be at a "save" or "save as" dialog box. In that dialog box, you can
> > navigate to the drive (partition) and folder you want to save it to;
> > otherwise it goes to the default.
> >
> > The difficulty in explaining this is that if don't have basic
> > familiarity with Windows, it's probably very hard for you to
> > understand what I'm saying. If I were to actually show you, you would
> > probably understand instantly; that's why I suggested that a book or a
> > course is much better than my (or anyone else's) explanation here.
> >
> >
> >
> > > It would seem
> > > sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> > > drive
> >
> >
> > That's a reasonable choice. Not necessarily the only way to do it, but
> > reasonable.
> >
> >
> > > - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount, but
> > > a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files, etc.
> > >
> > > I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store the
> > > photos on the right partition?
> >
> >
> > Sorry, I'm not familiar with that application, but if it uses the
> > standard "Save" and "Save as" dialogs, try to follow my instructions
> > above.
> >
> > By the way, *before* you save anything there, create a folder on that
> > second partition to save the photos in. You can call it something like
> > "Photos".
> >
> > You can also move the photos you already have on your first partition
> > to that new folder on the second partition, and free up some space on
> > the first partition.
> >
> > If you are about to ask me how to move files, I want to stress again
> > that this is a very basic Windows technique. I can answer the
> > question, but I'm really very leery of doing it without showing you
> > how, because I may take something for granted that you don't know and
> > lead you astray. A newcomer to Windows really needs some basic
> > instruction on how to use Windows in general, not just the answer to
> > the specific questions your asking here. Without that basic knowledge,
> > the risk of your making a serious error (no matter how much I explain
> > here) is very great.
> >
> >
> > > And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much appreciated
> >
> >
> >
> > You're welcome. I hope you don't feel that I'm trying to belittle you
> > or give you a hard time; that's not at all my point. I'm just afraid
> > that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and if you don't
> > understand the basics, just following instructions here can get you
> > into serious trouble.
> >
> >
> > > "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
> > > > C RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> > > > > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
> > > > > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> > > > > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> > > > > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
> > > > >
> > > > > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> > > > > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> > > > > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> > > > > the other partition?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
> > > > partition gets filled.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
> > > > > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
> > > > to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
> > > > navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
> > > > partition.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> > > > > Mac laptop to take with me -
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
> > > > exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
> > > >
> > > > Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
> > > > exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
> > > > strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
> > > > how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > so I've no idea what the point of the two
> > > > > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> > > > > offer any tips?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
> > > > to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
> > > > more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
> > > > people use their different partitions in different ways.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> > > >
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> >

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

That's worked a treat, Ken. Thanks. If only I'd realised it was as simple as
navigating to the right partition and saving as if it were just another
folder. I guess I assumed that it was going to be something far more
complicated and discounted the simple solution straight off!

Thanks again for your help.

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:40:00 -0700, Adam C
> wrote:
>
> > I don't think you're belittling me or talking down to me at all. on the
> > contrary, you're being very helpful.
>
>
> Glad to hear it.
>
>
> > I think I may have overestimated my
> > newbie-ish-ness with windows a little bit - i've used windows at work for
> > years, so i'm aware of of how to save things, etc.
>
>
> Great! Then I misunderstood your level of knowledge, and I can
> probably be more helpful if you have specific questions.
>
>
> > just wasn't sure about
> > partitions and so on.
>
>
> Note that navigating through the Save as dialog is really no different
> with partitions than with folders. You can almost think of the
> partition as just a higher-level folder. Navigation works exactly the
> same way, so if you're familiar with one, the other should be nearly
> identical.
>
>
>
> > I'll have a go with lightroom and get back to you with
> > the results.
> >
> > thanks again for the great help and advice, ken.
>
>
> You're welcome. Glad to help.
>
>
>
> > "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:48:00 -0700, Adam C
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!
> > >
> > > No, I didn't say that. *I* didn't do either when I started with Vista,
> > > but I had a lot of experience with previous versions of Windows. You,
> > > on the other hand, are a self-admitted beginner at Windows, and either
> > > a book or course is likely to be the fastest way to get you the
> > > knowledge you need.
> > >
> > >
> > > > I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> > > > the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I actually
> > > > need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> > > > partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you know
> > > > what I mean!)
> > >
> > >
> > > Yes.
> > >
> > >
> > > > You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> > > > where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that?
> > >
> > >
> > > It depends on how you are saving it, but in most applications you will
> > > be at a "save" or "save as" dialog box. In that dialog box, you can
> > > navigate to the drive (partition) and folder you want to save it to;
> > > otherwise it goes to the default.
> > >
> > > The difficulty in explaining this is that if don't have basic
> > > familiarity with Windows, it's probably very hard for you to
> > > understand what I'm saying. If I were to actually show you, you would
> > > probably understand instantly; that's why I suggested that a book or a
> > > course is much better than my (or anyone else's) explanation here.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > It would seem
> > > > sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> > > > drive
> > >
> > >
> > > That's a reasonable choice. Not necessarily the only way to do it, but
> > > reasonable.
> > >
> > >
> > > > - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount, but
> > > > a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files, etc.
> > > >
> > > > I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store the
> > > > photos on the right partition?
> > >
> > >
> > > Sorry, I'm not familiar with that application, but if it uses the
> > > standard "Save" and "Save as" dialogs, try to follow my instructions
> > > above.
> > >
> > > By the way, *before* you save anything there, create a folder on that
> > > second partition to save the photos in. You can call it something like
> > > "Photos".
> > >
> > > You can also move the photos you already have on your first partition
> > > to that new folder on the second partition, and free up some space on
> > > the first partition.
> > >
> > > If you are about to ask me how to move files, I want to stress again
> > > that this is a very basic Windows technique. I can answer the
> > > question, but I'm really very leery of doing it without showing you
> > > how, because I may take something for granted that you don't know and
> > > lead you astray. A newcomer to Windows really needs some basic
> > > instruction on how to use Windows in general, not just the answer to
> > > the specific questions your asking here. Without that basic knowledge,
> > > the risk of your making a serious error (no matter how much I explain
> > > here) is very great.
> > >
> > >
> > > > And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much appreciated
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > You're welcome. I hope you don't feel that I'm trying to belittle you
> > > or give you a hard time; that's not at all my point. I'm just afraid
> > > that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and if you don't
> > > understand the basics, just following instructions here can get you
> > > into serious trouble.
> > >
> > >
> > > > "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
> > > > > C RemoveThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> > > > > > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
> > > > > > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> > > > > > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> > > > > > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> > > > > > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> > > > > > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> > > > > > the other partition?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
> > > > > partition gets filled.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
> > > > > > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
> > > > > to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
> > > > > navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
> > > > > partition.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> > > > > > Mac laptop to take with me -
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
> > > > > exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
> > > > >
> > > > > Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
> > > > > exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
> > > > > strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
> > > > > how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > so I've no idea what the point of the two
> > > > > > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> > > > > > offer any tips?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
> > > > > to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
> > > > > more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
> > > > > people use their different partitions in different ways.
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > > > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> > > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> > >
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:52:01 -0700, Adam C
wrote:

> That's worked a treat, Ken. Thanks. If only I'd realised it was as simple as
> navigating to the right partition and saving as if it were just another
> folder. I guess I assumed that it was going to be something far more
> complicated and discounted the simple solution straight off!
>
> Thanks again for your help.



You're welcome. Glad to help, and glad you got it taken care of.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

Probably a good idea to find an online storage service and upload your
photos on a regular basis (don't want all your eggs in one basket!), or you
could archive them frequently to CD or DVD and post home...

"Adam C" wrote in message

> So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!
>
> I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I
> actually
> need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you
> know
> what I mean!)
>
> You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that? It would seem
> sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> drive - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount,
> but
> a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files,
> etc.
>
> I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store
> the
> photos on the right partition?
>
> And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much
> appreciated
>
>
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
>> C.TakeThisOut@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has
>> > two
>> > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use
>> > it.
>> > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on
>> > a
>> > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and
>> > store
>> > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
>> >
>> > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used
>> > up
>> > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what
>> > will
>> > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them
>> > in
>> > the other partition?
>>
>>
>> No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
>> partition gets filled.
>>
>>
>>
>> > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't
>> > use up
>> > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
>>
>>
>>
>> Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
>> to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
>> navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
>> partition.
>>
>>
>> > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't
>> > afford a
>> > Mac laptop to take with me -
>>
>>
>> Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
>> exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
>>
>> Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
>> exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
>> strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
>> how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
>>
>>
>> > so I've no idea what the point of the two
>> > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can
>> > anyone
>> > offer any tips?
>>
>>
>> There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
>> to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
>> more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
>> people use their different partitions in different ways.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

First off, if the photos have ANY value, I'd suggest you take along some DVD-R
media and make backups of the photos as well as keeping them on the hard disk.

If this is a normal data partition, you can simply point your camera's download
utility to the drive and save them there.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C
wrote:

>I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
>partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
>Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
>six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
>all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
>
>The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
>the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
>happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
>the other partition?
>
>I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't use up
>the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
>
>I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
>Mac laptop to take with me - so I've no idea what the point of the two
>partitions are actually for, and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
>offer any tips?

John Will
Microsoft MVP - Networking
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:12:16 -0400, Gunrunnerjohn

>First off, if the photos have ANY value, I'd suggest you take along some DVD-R
>media and make backups of the photos as well as keeping them on the hard disk.

Agreed

>On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C

>>I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
>>partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.

That's the way some Acers are built - they're a bit lame, in the usual
"big OEM" way; no custom-installable OS disk (or even *any* disk at
all) and they may hog all 4 partition slots in the table so you can't
add your own, co-install Linux (hmm...) etc.

>>Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
>>six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
>>all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.

>>The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
>>the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
>>happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
>>the other partition?

Vista won't automatically join partitions unles syou've used an
advanced NTFS feature to do so, which I don't recommend. Further,
whatever apps you are using, won't switch automatically either.

I'd start by storing photos on D: from day one, rather than store them
on C: first. The more C: gets clogged up, the slower the PC will run,
and as C: is always "in use" with tons of write traffic, it's both a
more dangerous storage location and it will be slower to maintain
(defrag, ChkDsk, post-bad-exit AutoChk, SR activity) than D:

>>I can't see how to save things in the D: drive

Tools, Options. If you kick out the fluffware camera data capturing
stuff and use a card reader and Windows Explorer instead, then you can
as easily save to D: as C:

>>I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
>>Mac laptop to take with me - so I've no idea what the point of the two
>>partitions are actually for, and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
>>offer any tips?

The traditional PC design supports up to four partitions per physical
hard disk. Each partition is an area of space reserved for the OSs
that own it; in this way, up to four different OSs can reside
independently on the same hard drive.

MS "owns" several types of partitions, which can either be Primary
(containing one volume, which can be bootable) or Extended (contains
one or more logical volumes, none of which can be bootable directly).

The usual approach is to use a primary to hold the booted OS, and an
extended to hold as many additionbal "data" volumes as you like.

Acer's brain-dead approach is to use primary partitions for
everything, instead of logicals on an extended. That leaves less (or
no) space in the partition table for anything else, given they usually
have their own "hidden" partition for material you'd expect to have
received on CDs or DVDs.

But that's big OEMs for you' attracting users via brand name, then
ripping them off worse than the most generic of builders. After all,
if a cheap LAN card can afford to ship with a driver CD, WTF is wrong
with Acer, that they're too mean to ship with OS on DVD?


The nice thing about partitions, is that they isolate activities
within them, as long as those activities are sane and are constrained
by the OS to stay within that OS's visible space. So material is
safer off the "main" OS partition, though still succeptable to
physical HD failure, powerful malware payloads, PC theft etc.

Also, different partitions (or volumes within the same extended
partition, for that matter) can use different file systems. Vista
obliges you to use NTFS on C:, and while this complex file system is
more efficient and offers better security, the maintenance and
recovery tools are poor. You're more likely to recover data from a
stricken FAT32 or FAT16 volume than NTFS.

Further, by choosing partition size, order and content, you can
concentrate most HD activity within a narrow band of cylinders, and
that means speed that does not deteriorate as your data piles up.

For example, if you store 20G pics on C:, then the HD's head travel
has to traverse this as it moves from early-installed OS code at the
front of the volume, to newly-created temp files on the other side of
this 20G cold "lump". In contrast, if those 20G of pics were stored
on D:, then your working OS head travel would be much shorter.

Moving the HD's heads is the slowest part of disk access, during which
no data flows, so this pays off quite well.



>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
The most accurate diagnostic instrument
in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

You seem to be light on computer basics for any Windows operating system.
Once you know the basics they apply to most all of Microsoft operating
systems. A book wouldn't hurt you none. Take it with you on your trip.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)



"Adam C" wrote in message

> So I need to buy a book or take a course to use Vista?!
>
> I'm leaving next week, so no time for a course, but a book I will get. In
> the meantime, it looks like you got straight to the heart of what I
> actually
> need to know in practice, and that is how to save things to the Data
> partition (apologies if I'm not using the right terminology - hope you
> know
> what I mean!)
>
> You say 'Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system
> where to save it'. Ok, fair enough - but how do I do that? It would seem
> sensible that I save my photos on the (currently unused) Data part of the
> drive - 50gb should be enough space. The other half has the same amount,
> but
> a lot of it is already taken up, presumably with the OS, program files,
> etc.
>
> I use PS Lightroom to manage my photos, so how would I tell it to store
> the
> photos on the right partition?
>
> And thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, it's much
> appreciated
>
>
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C <Adam
>> C.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> > I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has
>> > two
>> > partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use
>> > it.
>> > Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on
>> > a
>> > six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and
>> > store
>> > all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
>> >
>> > The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used
>> > up
>> > the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what
>> > will
>> > happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them
>> > in
>> > the other partition?
>>
>>
>> No. And you should start using that space *way* before the first
>> partition gets filled.
>>
>>
>>
>> > I can't see how to save things in the D: drive and am hoping i won't
>> > use up
>> > the 50gb and not be able to access the other 50gb.
>>
>>
>>
>> Whenever you save a file you have to tell the operating system where
>> to save it. There is normally a default, but you can change it and
>> navigate to wherever you want--a different folder or a different
>> partition.
>>
>>
>> > I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't
>> > afford a
>> > Mac laptop to take with me -
>>
>>
>> Note that this has nothing in particular to do with Vista--it's
>> exactly the same in all versions of Windows.
>>
>> Your question is so very basic, that I'm afraid to try to tell you
>> exactly how to do this for fear of confusing you. What I would
>> strongly suggest is that you either take a very basic local course on
>> how to use Visa, or buy a beginner's book on it. Or better, do both.
>>
>>
>> > so I've no idea what the point of the two
>> > partitions are actually for,and how I'm supposed to use them. Can
>> > anyone
>> > offer any tips?
>>
>>
>> There is no "actually for" that everyone agrees on. Some people prefer
>> to have a single partition, some people prefer two, and others prefer
>> more than two. Of those people who prefer two or more, different
>> people use their different partitions in different ways.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

The main reason to use more then one partition is easy, if windows dies ( and
that happens alot) you only need to format the windows partition and thus
dont lose any data or files that might be important. I have a 100gb C: drive
for windows and 500gb D: drive for games/data

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" wrote:

> On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:12:16 -0400, Gunrunnerjohn
>
> >First off, if the photos have ANY value, I'd suggest you take along some DVD-R
> >media and make backups of the photos as well as keeping them on the hard disk.
>
> Agreed
>
> >On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:16:01 -0700, Adam C
>
> >>I have just bought an Acer laptop with Vista Home Premium and it has two
> >>partitions. One is called D: Data, but the computer doesn't seem to use it.
>
> That's the way some Acers are built - they're a bit lame, in the usual
> "big OEM" way; no custom-installable OS disk (or even *any* disk at
> all) and they may hog all 4 partition slots in the table so you can't
> add your own, co-install Linux (hmm...) etc.
>
> >>Each partition is about 50gb in size and I bought the laptop to take on a
> >>six-month trip through Asia with me - I plan to use it to work with and store
> >>all the photos I'm going to take on my digital SLR.
>
> >>The photo files are all quite big, so it won't be long until I've used up
> >>the spare space in the partition that's active and I don't know what will
> >>happen when that one's full. Will Vista automatically start saving them in
> >>the other partition?
>
> Vista won't automatically join partitions unles syou've used an
> advanced NTFS feature to do so, which I don't recommend. Further,
> whatever apps you are using, won't switch automatically either.
>
> I'd start by storing photos on D: from day one, rather than store them
> on C: first. The more C: gets clogged up, the slower the PC will run,
> and as C: is always "in use" with tons of write traffic, it's both a
> more dangerous storage location and it will be slower to maintain
> (defrag, ChkDsk, post-bad-exit AutoChk, SR activity) than D:
>
> >>I can't see how to save things in the D: drive
>
> Tools, Options. If you kick out the fluffware camera data capturing
> stuff and use a card reader and Windows Explorer instead, then you can
> as easily save to D: as C:
>
> >>I'm a total newbie with Vista - I usually use a Mac, but couldn't afford a
> >>Mac laptop to take with me - so I've no idea what the point of the two
> >>partitions are actually for, and how I'm supposed to use them. Can anyone
> >>offer any tips?
>
> The traditional PC design supports up to four partitions per physical
> hard disk. Each partition is an area of space reserved for the OSs
> that own it; in this way, up to four different OSs can reside
> independently on the same hard drive.
>
> MS "owns" several types of partitions, which can either be Primary
> (containing one volume, which can be bootable) or Extended (contains
> one or more logical volumes, none of which can be bootable directly).
>
> The usual approach is to use a primary to hold the booted OS, and an
> extended to hold as many additionbal "data" volumes as you like.
>
> Acer's brain-dead approach is to use primary partitions for
> everything, instead of logicals on an extended. That leaves less (or
> no) space in the partition table for anything else, given they usually
> have their own "hidden" partition for material you'd expect to have
> received on CDs or DVDs.
>
> But that's big OEMs for you' attracting users via brand name, then
> ripping them off worse than the most generic of builders. After all,
> if a cheap LAN card can afford to ship with a driver CD, WTF is wrong
> with Acer, that they're too mean to ship with OS on DVD?
>
>
> The nice thing about partitions, is that they isolate activities
> within them, as long as those activities are sane and are constrained
> by the OS to stay within that OS's visible space. So material is
> safer off the "main" OS partition, though still succeptable to
> physical HD failure, powerful malware payloads, PC theft etc.
>
> Also, different partitions (or volumes within the same extended
> partition, for that matter) can use different file systems. Vista
> obliges you to use NTFS on C:, and while this complex file system is
> more efficient and offers better security, the maintenance and
> recovery tools are poor. You're more likely to recover data from a
> stricken FAT32 or FAT16 volume than NTFS.
>
> Further, by choosing partition size, order and content, you can
> concentrate most HD activity within a narrow band of cylinders, and
> that means speed that does not deteriorate as your data piles up.
>
> For example, if you store 20G pics on C:, then the HD's head travel
> has to traverse this as it moves from early-installed OS code at the
> front of the volume, to newly-created temp files on the other side of
> this 20G cold "lump". In contrast, if those 20G of pics were stored
> on D:, then your working OS head travel would be much shorter.
>
> Moving the HD's heads is the slowest part of disk access, during which
> no data flows, so this pays off quite well.
>
>
>
> >------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
> The most accurate diagnostic instrument
> in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
> >------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
>
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them? 

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:21:02 -0700, Optikn3rv
wrote:

> The main reason to use more then one partition is easy, if windows dies ( and
> that happens alot) you only need to format the windows partition and thus
> dont lose any data or files that might be important. I have a 100gb C: drive
> for windows and 500gb D: drive for games/data


Not only do I disagree with that statement, but I think it's
essentially a dangerous point of view.

First, Windows does *not* die a lot. I've run Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95,
98, 2000, XP, and now Vista, each on either two or three machines
here, and also supported similar installations on many other machines.
Windows has *never* died on any of my machines or on any of those I've
supported.

But most important, that point of view is dangerous because it assumes
that your data is safe because it's on a second partition. In fact,
your data is barely any safer there than it is on the main partition.
On that second partition, it is still susceptible to simultaneous loss
of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers: head
crashes, severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus
attacks, even theft of the computer.

If your data is important to you, you need a program of regular backup
to external media. Only that provides any real protection. Separating
data on a separate partition is just kidding yourself.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 >> Stay informed about: Partition - what for and how do I use them?