Question.... Why would you have a seperate partition for internet files? Personally I'd use the PC for "audio recording" purposes only & leave the web stuff on a seperate setup (for contamination reasons). Apparently when you installed XP , you opt'd to partition your drive but the OS was selected to reside on "D" instead of "C". It seems like you'll need to repartition then reinstall the OS. Peace

Dab,

> Why would you have a seperate partition for internet files? <

I do this too, and there's a very good reason to use separate partitions for not only internet temp files but also other groups of files.

The main reason is the constant activity in that folder quickly fragments the hard drive. If you have one large drive with a lot of activity for some files and not others, you have to defrag all the files more often and it also takes longer. Multiple small partitions can be defragged much more quickly than the same number of files all in one partition. And when the files are organized in partitions you only have to defrag some files, but never "static" data like Acid loops and installed programs.

My recent three-part series from Keyboard magazine explains these issues in detail, and it's now on my Articles page:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/articles.html

Also, I think it's a myth that an audio computer should never access the Internet. I've always used one computer for everything with no problems, or reduction in track and plug-in count. You do have to know how to configure things properly, but DAW users ought to know that stuff anyway. :D

--Ethan

Well Ethan , this is just a personal reason based on my past experience w/ the net and viruses. Maybe I'm being a little too bias , but after countless encounters w/ removing bugs , worms , and etc. you get a little concerned when it comes to downloading data. Yea I have the latest Symantec virus definitions but that works occasionally and after the fact. I have several partitions on three drives (2 ide & 1 scsi) and have'nt had any issues. I take what I learn from you guys to heart because this is "Pro Talk". But on the other hand I still can't get with the internet thing and recording precious files together.

Ethan I saw one of your responses in the "worm" article by Opus about "firewalls". I though about that and I'm definitely considering a decent firewall as well as a battery backup system. I'll check out your article in keyboard magazine too. Thanks

Dabs,

> I still can't get with the internet thing and recording precious files together. <

I know that many people recommend not having 'net access on a music computer. And maybe that's good advice for someone who's not comfortable setting up and maintaining a computer. But there's no inherent reason the two can't coexist fine. In fact, regardless of whether you make music on your 'net computer, you still need a firewall and to know how to avoid viruses. You don't want your online computer hosed either!

While you're at my site, see my article "Avoiding email viruses." I'll also mention that I haven't used an anti-virus program in about a year, since I got my current computer. Between my hardware firewall, ZoneAlarm Pro which quarantines suspect emails, and Ghost backup images, I've had not even one problem and I've never had to restore anything.

--Ethan

There's just something inherently horrendous about sharing a PC with three siblings who think they "KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNWO ABOUT TEH INTARNET!!!!!11". After two catastrophic system failures with significant loss of work, I was about to go insane.

Now, thankfully, I do everything from surfing to games to project hobbies to work on a laptop that is only accessible by me. No problems at all so far.

Don't do anything stupid, take precautions, and things should be fine.

by the way, i reinstalled windows and all is well now in disk management.

but i dunno why and how it happened.

i should add that this is not my "prime" DAW, only a second computer for internet and Steinberg "system-link" Nuendo.
my main DAW doesn't see an Net connection at all :D

Hey Fabrice , how do you like the "system link" feature provided w/ SX? I posted a article somewhere in Daw World about this (cool). I don't have a problem having the net on my PC , but like you , I'd set it up on a secondary setup. :cool:

Dab, i haven't thoroughly tried system-link.
so far, for me, it's a great way of taking the load off my main DAW by playing the video on the 2nd computer.

i use nuendo 2.01 on the main and nuendo 1.61 on the 2nd.
i do sound to pictures.

Fabrice,

I also work like Ethan,

I use multiple partitions on my system, i work with NT and also my laptop which is 2000 professional, and i do this for a variety of reasons.

Some of it coming from my "old" days as a unix administrator.....

The only things in my c: drive are operating systems files....... I allow nothing else on there........

My d: and e: drives are all my program files..... and drives f: through n: are my data drives.......

This allows me to handle maintenence easier... keeps my files seperated in a manner that allows me to deal with it just like regular filing cabinets........ I do not mix accounting with specifications with drawings with letters to the owner.

In my puter i set it up the same - acounting data is seperate from anything else - as is cadd data - as is music data - and then i have the general "filing cabinets" broken out by project.

Much nicer than having to drift through tons of stuff unrelated to what i want or need.

PLus - if i have worked extensively inside of say my general data "folders" - when i defrag i don't have extra things being moved around to accomodate fragmented files that come before them.

As far as partitions go - they can be easily manipulated after set up using programs like Partition Magic.......

You can change formats (i.e. say FAT to FAT32 to NTFS)........ and you can do this with relative safety even while data resides on the drive. You can also unpartition and join drives on the same hard drive.

PLease always back up just in case before doing any of this........ but i deal with these things all the time with great success.

Happy Hunting

Rod