Fresh install - o/s questions

[cieje]

So, setting up a new system. Has 2 Hds a 160gb WD (IDE) and a 250gb Hitachi (SATA) I'm using the 160gb for the o/s etc. the 250 has stuff on it already. Plus, I won't have to play with raid drivers etc for installs (considering I don't have a floppy installed at all)

I've been using xp pro 32bit, but I just got a amd x2 64bit 3800+. What o/s's am I best installing? in what order? and what's the best way?

I was thinking of making 4 partitions on the drive - 1 for winxp 32bit, another for winxp 64bit, a third for maybe vista or linux, and a 4th for music etc. Is this ok to do? what sizes should I make them? if winxp 64 works for all the games etc that I use, I may just stick with that mostly, but I'm not really sure. I have no 64bit experience. But I do know that all my hardware has 64bit drivers, so that's good.

am I best-off setting this all up right away? or can I simply change, resize partitions etc later...

 

[poot]

Personally I would take the 64 bit over the 32 bit Xp if you already have it. If you don't, might as well use the 32bit and save a few bucks and you will have a lesser headache than with 4 partitioned os's.

If you just want to dable in linux I would go with the vmware player and get a linux Virtual Appliance. If your serious about it I would probably dedication one drive to Windows and the other to a linux choice while splitting the big drive off for a music partition.

Then for the last part of deciding when to partition, before or after, I like to do it before because I have not had much luck in the past resizing partitions. But thats the fun part with computers, you learn pretty quick after a big install flop. Just remember to keep the good stuff backed up, its worth spend a few extra bucks for an external drive or something to dump data on.

Good luck

 

[AMD[H]unter]

Personally I would take the 64 bit over the 32 bit Xp if you already have it......

Be careful about drivers, though. Check for drivers before you buy.