New to Mac: Partition Question

[camgrant84]

After using Windows for 20+ years I finally ordered an I7 iMac and expect it to be delivered on Monday

Couple of questions from a new Mac user:

1. Should I partition my drive? I was considering allocating 100gb to OSX, 100gb to Windows 7 and the remainder to documents. Is this necessary or a waste of time?

2. If I am going to partition it, should I do it from within OSX (is this possible?) or would I be best to do a clean install and create the partitions accordingly from there?


Unrelated question. I was looking at maintenance utilities just for running every now and then. I came across snow leopard cache cleaner. Is this needed? recommended? Or are there other similar/better programs.

Many thanks

 

[gr8tfly]

There's no real performance advantage of smaller partitions. I would partition what you need for Windows 7, and leave the rest for OS-X (unless it helps you organize).

Use the Boot Camp Assistant to setup the Windows partition. During the install of Windows, you will format that partition - making sure to select the Windows partition, of course (formatting the wrong partition does happen, and it's a bad thing, on the good/bad scale).

You can use Disk Utility for other partitioning needs (if you want to split the OS-X partition and/or resize it, for example). It can also be used to clone your boot partition (and others) using its Restore function (booting from the OS-X install disk and running it from there). To make a bootable image backup of your Bootcamp partition, I strongly recommend WinClone.

I personally don't use cache cleaner apps. The system will automatically schedule normal maintenance tasks.

 

[camgrant84]

Thanks for such a quick response.

Answers my question perfectly..

 

[gr8tfly]

Thanks for such a quick response.

Answers my question perfectly..

Glad to help. Enjoy that new gem of a machine!

 

[BlueRevolution]

1. Should I partition my drive? I was considering allocating 100gb to OSX, 100gb to Windows 7 and the remainder to documents. Is this necessary or a waste of time?

I partitioned 32 GB to Windows and left the rest as OS X. Actually, now that I have a 1.5 TB drive, I have 1 TB partitioned for media and the rest split OS X/Windows. How you divvy things up really depends on what you use the partitions for.

2. If I am going to partition it, should I do it from within OSX (is this possible?) or would I be best to do a clean install and create the partitions accordingly from there?

Disk Utility can add, remove, and resize partitions from the system partition without needing a restart. It can't change the position of the partition, though. Boot Camp (the system you use to set up a Windows partition) will also repartition your drive for you. In fact, it will refuse to run on a drive that has already been partitioned.

That said, I always reinstall OS X as soon as I get a new Mac, because they ship with a lot of trash that I don't need — language packs and printer drivers and iLife apps and such.

Unrelated question. I was looking at maintenance utilities just for running every now and then. I came across snow leopard cache cleaner. Is this needed? recommended? Or are there other similar/better programs.

Some people use apps like TechTool, but I've been using Macs for 5 years and have never needed to run any sort of preventative maintenance.


Curse you, beat me to it. I guess that's what I get for wandering off to do something else before replying...

 

[camgrant84]

That said, I always reinstall OS X as soon as I get a new Mac, because they ship with a lot of trash that I don't need — language packs and printer drivers and iLife apps and such.

[/i]

I've heard the quad imacs ship with a custom version of 10.6.2

Would the reinstall disks provide this? Or could I get this different build no off software update?

Thanks

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I've heard the quad imacs ship with a custom version of 10.6.2

Would the reinstall disks provide this? Or could I get this different build no off software update?

Thanks

Yes (it's on the install discs that come with the Mac) and no (Software Update won't have it).