Partitioning

Hi all

Just got my One today and enjoying it so far ... just have one question, how do I partition the hard drive? I like storing all my data on a second partition as it makes Windows reinstalls much easier.

Thanks.

 

Well , depends on how you want to do it. If you prefer doing it from DOS , you can google around for a little tool called FDISK.
Other way to do it would be to boot from a Windows /Linux CD (i forgot , AAO doesn't have an optical drive , anyways you can "burn" the CD images on usb flash disk) , and then set your partitions just the way you like them to be.
The 3rd way ...and the last ..and the most easier would be to download a program called EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition (freeware) , program that allows you to resize your current partitions , create new partitions or just delete old partitions.

Resizing the partitions , creating or deleting really isn't a hard task. The situation is going to get complicated when you'll need to make a recovery using your PQService partition, because by modifying partitions , you are also modifying the MBR , and that means u'll no longer be able to press "ALT + F10" right after powering your AAo and do a recovery.

My advice would be to leave the partitions just the way they are and get yourself an external hdd. I'm also the happy owner of an AAo , but i was stupid enough to make a dual-boot with xp and ubuntu , fact for which i got my MBR modified and i can't do a recovery anymore.
Sure , you may download an XP Home ed image from a tracker , and install it using your cd key that's written on the sticker on the back of the laptop ..but that's not quite legal. The whole point in that license they are giving you with your laptop , is to use their Windows and to recover it when it doesn't work anymore.

Your call ..

 

Download EASEUS Partition Manager Here - It works a treat...

Not sure about other OSs and the AAO, but in 7, if a restart is required because you are resizing the system drive, when it loads into windows it will ask what type of boot you want thinking windows didn't shut down properly. Just select start Windows like normal.