Should I partition a 500 gb USB HD

donny-gal

I have just got a new 500gb USB drive - would you advise partitioning it?

Thanks
DG

Red_Rose_Exile

yes, I would, for a number of reasons

• Limits Accidental or Deliberate Damage of Your Data
• Increases security
• Helps Your Computer Run Faster
• Helps you organise your data more easily
• Means you can dual boot other operating systems

I would possibly have one for operating system, music, video, downloads, photos, and work stuff amongst other things

How would I split it? Difficult, depends on what you do with your PC

superscaper

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

yes, I would, for a number of reasons

• Helps Your Computer Run Faster
• Means you can dual boot other operating systems

For an external hard drive? I agree with everything else although as you say depends on individual circumstances and needs. I'd have a partition for imaging/backup and then maybe just have the other partition for other stuff (not sure I'd partition that again).

albertross_2

no, just use directories instead

Red_Rose_Exile

I boot one of my PCs from a USB drive with my Linux OS on, and is great as I can pick and choose, because the PC is bootable from USB devices

Sometimes I forget not everyone does that, trouble is all my friends do, so I tend to take it for granted.
It is a great emergency back up, as well and contains full mirrors of all the other PCs in the house

superscaper

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

I boot one of my PCs from a USB drive with my Linux OS on, and is great as I can pick and choose, because the PC is bootable from USB devices

Sometimes I forget not everyone does that, trouble is all my friends do, so I tend to take it for granted.
It is a great emergency back up, as well and contains full mirrors of all the other PCs in the house

Well you're all weird :rotfl:

Fair enough, just booting from external drive isn't what I'd have thought of as "normal use". But I suppose if you do then your points are valid. My own personal opinion is that for most things I take the same view as albertross in terms of "use directories" instead of partitions. I think my bias against partitions probably comes across in the backup sticky.

Red_Rose_Exile

Yup, been told that a few times lol

superscaper

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

Yup, been told that a few times lol

Me too, so quite hypocritical really.

isofa

I'd normally recommend partitioning main system drives, as obviously you can separate off the OS, apps, files etc and it can improve system performance as well as a good physical/logical structure.

But for an external drive, if it's just used as a file storage drive, rather than having a bootable OS, then I definitely wouldn't bother, there really isn't any point or benefit.