Partitioning Issue in WIN 7 Pro x64

Windows 7 can adjust the size of its partitions (on any disk) on the fly - no third-party tools or reboots required, but can usually only "shrink" the partitions to around half its size, so if you have a 1TB partition (unusual for a Dell config - they usually have 3-4), then you can shrink C down to its smallest size, then partition how you like.  If that won't work for your plans, then you can try your utility, but reinstalling would be next if that doesn't work.

I have two laptops running XP Mode ... one with the VM's stored in the default location (C) and one with them stored on a data partition - both of varying sizes (total and free space), and I have not noticed any difference at all in their performance.  If you are going to use Windows Disk Management to shrink the C drive, then don't install anything before doing so, as I believe the free space is a determining factor in how much it can shrink the partition.

A somewhat related question, please: I will be installing Virtual PC/XP Mode shortly, which I presume automatically/no option uses partition C: - should I do that before I partition the drive, or is afterward also OK (I plan on allowing 250 GB for drive C:)? Does the size allotted to the C: partition affect the performance of a virtual PC or the XP mode?

When you install the software for virtual PC for the XP mode, it will create it's own partition.

Just a clarification in case one of us misunderstood ... XP Mode does not create its own partition in Windows 7.  XP Mode is nothing more than a file - VHD.  When running XP Mode, XP will have its own C partition within the virtual machine as it would on any machine.

Many new computers are being shipped now with a tiny C drive--60GB for the system partition--and a huge D partition for all your data, files and programs. Then there are 2 more partitions that are hidden and don't have Drive letters--one for diagnostics and another for the Restore to Factory Settings partition. It's best to check Disk Management by typing it in the Start box to be sure how your computer is partitioned before changing anything. Read This article for info about combining partitions.

Thanks to Mary G,  theflash1932 (not your birth date, I trust), and RobinBredin for your prompt replies.

I understand now that XP Mode and/or another virtual machine doesn't create a new physical partition on any HD, but only simulates a C: partition (and others if you wish?) within whichever physical partition it occupies.  This would seem to imply that, up to some limit, the amount of free space on its physical partition would affect performance, even though theflash1932 sees no obvious difference between 2 laptops running XP Mode in 2 physical partitions of different sizes(perhaps both are above the size limit for performance impact?).  Since XP Mode at least is contained within a file (VHD), can anyone running XP Mode within a very large physical partition tell me the size (presumably the largest size possible) of their VHD file?  Or perhaps a Dell tech monitoring this forum could tell me directly the maximum amount of free space usable by XP Mode or any other virtual PC?

I also appreciate learning from theflash1932 that the XP Mode file apparently can be directed to use whichever physical partition you choose (perhaps even a partition on a different physical HD?).

I understand also the the primary HD always also includes 2 unlettered extra partitions for System Recovery and for Diagnostics, presumably of fixed sizes, that have no effect on the lettered partitions other than the physical space they make unavailable. Thanks, Mary G, for the link to that useful official Dell article on creating and managing partitions, and for confirming that my 435t/9000 probably has a factory-installed D: partition occupying all the space on the primary HD not allocated to C:.

I feel I'm now in a much better position to organize my physical partitions in an optimal manner, especially if I can get answers to the additional questions posed above.

Not birth date, luckily ... not even my 200 meter dash time I'm afraid, but that is where it came from ... Michael Johnson's 19.32-second WR.  I'm a bit off that :)

The VHD's I have running on this machine I'm on now (5), are between 1.2GB and 2.8GB, but they are all XP VM's.  The VHD's are stored on the C drive of this computer, with roughly 10% free space (9GB), with usually one running at any given time - sometimes 2.  My laptop has Server 2008 and Windows 7 VM's which will be much larger.  These VHD's are stored on the V drive (on a separate disk).  I usually have a 2008 VM running, and occasionally a Windows 7 or XP VM with it. 

When you configure your VM, you can specify the size of the VHD, up to the physical size of the computer, which dynamically expands as the VM uses it.  If you specify a VHD size of 30GB, it will act exactly like a physical hard drive or partition that is 30GB in size - with the low disk space warnings and everything.  The VHD size becomes a very real barrier to the Windows installation running on it.

I don't know if this answers your questions as to disk space and configuration or not ... if not, let me know.

It does answer my question with what is probably the most info I'll get, unless a Dell tech monitoring this forum offers up an "official" tech support answer about the maximum space XP Mode or another virtual machine is capable of using.

Based on my starting out with lots of free space (3 1TB HDs), and the experience you described of having XP Mode seem to work equally well whether the VHD file is assigned to partition C: or D:, I think I'll take your largest suggested size and notionally allocate each XP Mode a reserved 30GB, and put the primary instance in partition D:

An onward question for you or someone else, which is probably incredibly naive given what I already know about how tight-fisted MS and Dell are!  Does the XP Mode download by happy chance include a pre-activated working copy of the now obsolete XP OS, or does one need one's own legitimate full install disk (presumably not the same installation disk used on any other of one's network computers) and have to obtain a new activation? And if a new install disk is in fact the way one has to go, is an additional one needed for each instance of XP mode installed on the one computer?   Please surprise me here!

Here is one of the answers I got:

Have you posed these questions on the Microsoft Forums also?

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff Hoffman, for the prompt and  right on point reply; I hadn't gone to the MS forums directly because part of my original question involved what would be the optimal partitioning on my new Dell, and this XP Mode question was only a minor sub-part.

But you've pointed me to the official MS answer that Virtual PC/XP Mode can use up to 128GB for its virtual HD (the VHD file), so I'll now change my plan mentioned in an earlier post and provide a reserved 128GB for each XP Mode instance.  As for as I'm concerned this question is now completely answered.

That leaves only my "foolish" question for you or someone else who has already downloaded XP Mode to answer:  An onward question for you or someone else, which is probably incredibly naive given what I already know about how tight-fisted MS and Dell are!  Does the XP Mode download by happy chance include a pre-activated working copy of the now obsolete XP OS, or does one need one's own legitimate full install disk (presumably not the same installation disk used on any other of one's network computers) and have to obtain a new activation? And if a new install disk is in fact the way one has to go, is an additional one needed for each instance of XP mode installed on the one computer?   Please surprise me here!

That's why were here ... good luck!