Setting up new PC to best suit Railworks

[route64x]

Hi,

The fat guy in the red coat was good to me the other week, so now have a brand new PC and a copy of Railworks 2 on DVD.

The PC config is a 'best' compromise I can make as it will not be a pure gaming machine, and must serve multiple other purposes, including some 'serious' work (MS Office etc) and music / photo collection /video editing/storage. The hard disc is 1Tb, and as yet has only Windows 7 (64bit) installed.

I have been reading various comments / guidance as to the benefits (or not) of partitioning the hard drive before things get too complicated.

I would be grateful if there are any pointers out there as to how best set up to make using Railworks run at its best, and if possible to keep it all together - perhaps one one partition.

My current thinking is to split the hard drive as follows:

- recovery segment - which installation of Win7 seems to have created.
- C drive (250Gb) for Programs (Win 7 / MS Office / Photoshop / other hobby programs)
- D drive (500Gb) for data
- E drive (the remainder - approx 250Gb) for Games (to include Railworks and probably a few others)

Are there any specific benefits to be gained from keeping Railworks etc separate, and should I also put future downloads etc into the same disc partition ?

I would rather try and get the set-up as good as possible from the start - to avoid problems further down the line.

And finally - Am I missing anything I should be taking into consideration?

Any advise / guidance or pointers much appreciated

Regards

John

[alanch]

To be honest, I don't think there are any benefits in partitioning your disk - you won't speed up your games by putting them on a separate partition, as they will still be running on the same physical drive as the system. Ideally, you would be better off with a smaller drive for your system and less speed critical software, with the 1Tb drive for your data and games.

If you want to improve the organisation of your files, you can accomplish this by setting up folders off the root for your data and your games.

[MisterWho]

... and I suggest that you do not install RailWorks in either of the "Program Files" folders. When you install Steam, create a new folder in the root of whichever partition you're going to use - for example, C:\RW2. That way, you avoid any permissions problems from using Windows 7.

[gptech]

As alanch has already stated, there's very little benefit to be had from partitioning the drive, other than it logically dividing it so it makes it easier for yourself to 'work out' where to put stuff. You would be far better to spend what is a comparatively small amount of money on a seperate, smaller drive just for the operating system, install Windows on to that but move the 'My Documents' and the associated 'My.....' folders, the temporary file folders and the page file to your larger drive.

If you decide that you do want it partitioning, 250GB is too much for C: ---50 would be more than ample, and only install the operating system into that. Follow the strategy you originally had for RW for your other programs and keep those off C:

If you decide there's no need for partitioning, please follow MisterWho's excellent advice and stay away from the 'Program Files' folders. These are designed for (unsurprisingly) prodram files, in other words the .exe,.dll, etc that make a program work. These are files that don't or shouldn't get changed muched and Windows affords them an enhanced level of security to prevent change. This is a wonderful idea until you install something like a game which keeps its data in the same directory tree---the data being files that get changed, get added to (In RW think of routes, re-skins) which can lead to security/permission issues. I'd even go so far as to avoid the inbuilt 'Program Files' folders for all programs you install.

[route64x]

Many thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.
I understand much more clearly now the options I have to proceed with this, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Although a fairly minor cost the additional disc (for the OS) is not an option for me at the moment.
I have already pushed the boat out on other things that have oushed the budget as far as I can.

Over this weekend I am finalising the hardware install, and will then work through the software installation.
I have concluded that I will partition the hard disc, taking note of the structure and sizing guidance provided in your notes.

First on has to be the Office related software, and a few other programs that I need to add.
Once that is settled in I will add Railworks and other hobby programs.

Thanks again for taking the time to help.

Regards

John

[gptech]

Thank you for asking for advice before hitting a problem. Although we'll all have different ideas on what we each consider best, we're bound to agree on some things.

[route64x]

Hi folks,

In following through my plan to partion my hard disk based around this thread and the advice given, I have an additional question as I progress this.

The initial installation of Win 7 has created the necessary partitions, seemingly OK.
I notice however that the 3rd partition I have created (in fact the fourth on the machine - as Msoft takes a small (100MB) section) is called a ' logical drive' rather than the 'primary drive' assigned to the three previous.

This 'fourth' drive is where I had planned to install all things Railworks.

Does it matter - in any way - that this is a 'logical' rather than a 'primary' drive ??????

I thought I had better check before going too much further.

Any advice much appreciated

Regards

John

[gptech]

The small aprtition on your drive is where Win7 will store recovery files, a primary partition(drive) is one that is bootable--or can be made bootable. It's still a type of logical partition as opposed to a physical drive, as it's 'made' from space on a physical drive and doesnt exist as a seperate drive. A hard drive can have up to 4 primary partitions, or 3 primary and 1 extended. In an extended partition you create logical drives.

Bottom line is, there's nothing untoward with your system; it's quite normal.

[route64x]

gptech, Many thanks for that explanation

I am knocking these little questions aside as my set-up and software install proceeds.

The hardware set-up is pretty well complete - just a scanner to add and check for latest versions of drivers etc for this and the printers.
Office 2010 disks are on the way, as are a couple of other applications.
These are next on, then set-up of specific user accounts to cover different pc uses - I keep my 'work' ID separate from 'personal' etc.

Nearly all data from old PC now 'cleaned' and transferred to external hard drive - ready for transferring over.
Followed by some tests to check all OK on that front - and all internet / mail services in place and working.

Then it will be on to the 'hobby' applilcations etc - including Railworks / Photo editing / Family History etc etc.
If I do not discipline myself to get the important items done first, and have everything business related up and running, I just know that I will let my time run away with getting into Railworks.

With other commitments this week, and some travel I guess it will be weekend before I am clear to finish everything off.

Hopefully, patience will be rewarded.

Thanks again

Regards

John

[alanch]

Now is the time to think about your backup strategy - are you going to save disk images, or do file backups, and where are you going to put them? On a different partition of the same physical disk is not a good idea.

[route64x]

Alan,
Thanks for your note and reminder re back-ups.
Its on the 'to-do' list.
Current plan is to use file back-ups onto a 500GB external hard disc - once it has finished serving as the means of transferring all the data etc from the old PC to the new.

Regards

John