# Partitioning a single-disk computer - why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925 "2007-09-29T13:29:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925/41 "2007-10-01T18:24:12Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] If you’re only reinstalling Windows, you should never need to reformat. [/QUOTE] While I agree in theory, it’s been my experience that a reformat needs to happen. Even for a relatively routine reinstall (like I generally do once or twice a year to clean out the crap. Some day I’ll get an imaging program and start using that instead.) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925/42 "2007-10-01T18:31:51Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] While I agree in theory, it’s been my experience that a reformat needs to happen. Even for a relatively routine reinstall (like I generally do once or twice a year to clean out the crap. Some day I’ll get an imaging program and start using that instead.) [/QUOTE] Agreed. A reformat may not be explicitly necessary, but it’s still considered best practice. ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925/43 "2007-10-01T18:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=drachillix] Give it a good 10GB at least, some apps dont like to play nice with other drives so you need some breathing room. If you don’t do things like ITunes and don’t use a lot of data storage 10GB as a data partition is more than enough. I usually just split them down the middle and call it good. [/QUOTE] Photoshop tells you to dedicate a scratch disk to it, or if you don’t have a separate drive, to dedicate a partition so it has room to “think” when it is manipulating multi MBs of images. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925/44 "2007-10-01T21:28:32Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Agreed. A reformat may not be explicitly necessary, but it’s still considered best practice. [/QUOTE] Especially in this day and age. From what I’ve read, there’s a growing trend of spyware and viruses that need reformatting (rather than just OS re-installation) to truly get rid of. (I can’t quite remember where I read it, or I’d provide a cite.) ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925/45 "2007-10-02T01:52:51Z")
[QUOTE=Gozu Tashoya] Especially in this day and age. From what I’ve read, there’s a growing trend of spyware and viruses that need reformatting (rather than just OS re-installation) to truly get rid of. (I can’t quite remember where I read it, or I’d provide a cite.) [/QUOTE] IME its about 20% of all badly virus infected machines cannot be cleaned by normal means. About 50% would still be more easily achieved by a clean install. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/partitioning-a-single-disk-computer-why/420925.md?page=2)