Should I Get Windows 8.1

Theisman · October 6, 2013

Windows might, not have your SAS controller drivers. It does for most SATA controllers, but as it's not a server version of Windows, it might not have them on the disk.

You'll know when you get to this screen:

If Windows 8 doesn't support your SAS controller your HDD will simply not be found, on rare occasion, Windows will detect your drive, but the entire setup will be corrupted in some fashion, and end up with a broken Windows at the end. But this is rare, it's usually Windows setup (no mater the version of Windows), miss detected your SATA or SAS controller, and loaded up the wrong driver. But again, very rare, it's less true now, than back in Vista days, due to improvement of SATA/SAS controllers, drivers, and well Windows setup.

When you get to the above screen, and your HDD is not being detected, click on "Load Driver" button/link, and then insert your disk (you can swamp Windows disk with your disk where you have the drivers) or USB drive, which has the SAS drivers on it. The drivers MUST be extracted, as Windows cannot execute ".exe" files.. as well.. Windows is not installed, let alone the fact that the driver won't know where to install itself, as no Windows is there.. you just has this setup loaded on your RAM

Wow man thanks. Im a little new to partitions and stuff. For my 600GB drive do I just make one large partition and will Windows make its own OS partion? Or will I have to make a likt 20GB partition for the OS?

GoodBytes · October 6, 2013

On the same screen above, notice the blue link that says: "Drive Options (Advanced)", when you click on it, additional options will reveal itself, to allow you to format, delete, or create a new partition.

You cannot create a partition if you have data on the drive, using Windows setup. You'll need to use special partition software like J-Parted (free) which you burn onto a disk, and boot from, which will move data as you partition your drive, to ensure that your data won't be corrupted. It's of course a lengthy process. but not choice.

Now assuming the drive has nothing you care about and ready to wiped out:

In Windows setup on the above screen, where you already click on "Drive Options (Advanced), you can just select the correct drive on the list, then select delete partition (this will format it as well), and click on create, and enter a size, then click on create a again for yours second partition with the rest of the drive space. Finally be sure to select the right partition and click on Next, to have Windows be install in it.

I recommend a partition of 75-100GB for Windows.

While Windows takes 16GB, you need some level of frees pace for defraging, and well you need space for:

-> Programs shared files (even if you install the program on a different drive, they sometimes need to put files where Windows is installed. This is usually true with large scale software like Office, or PhotoShop, or Visual Studio, as examples)

-> Temp folder. All your programs uses the temp folder to store stuff when the program runs, (and many don't bother clearing it once they are done/close).

-> Windows Updates

-> Driver temp file when you install them (C:\AMD, C:\Nvidia, C:\Intel, etc.), which are not cleared once the setup is done/

-> AppData\Local -> Folder containing programs cache. your web browser being the most consuming one. Also, include Windows account cache

-> AppData\Roaming -> Folder containing programs configurations

-> C:\ProgramData -> Hidden Folder containing files or configurations that must be shared with other user accounts if any.

-> page file, hibernation file, swap file (new to Win8)

-> System Restore (allows you to take your system back in time in the case of system failure or issue)

and more (but usually <10MB)

Assuming you are moving all your data (Document, Picture, Videos, etc..) to your D:\ partition, 75GB is playing it REALLY safe. You'll probably have 30GB free, once everything is installed, and you used all your software for a while.

Theisman · October 6, 2013

On the same screen above, notice the blue link that says: "Drive Options (Advanced)", when you click on it, additional options will reveal itself, to allow you to format, delete, or create a new partition.

You cannot create a partition if you have data on the drive, using Windows setup. You'll need to use special partition software like J-Parted (free) which you burn onto a disk, and boot from, which will move data as you partition your drive, to ensure that your data won't be corrupted. It's of course a lengthy process. but not choice.

Now assuming the drive has nothing you care about and ready to wiped out:

In Windows setup on the above screen, where you already click on "Drive Options (Advanced), you can just select the correct drive on the list, then select delete partition (this will format it as well), and click on create, and enter a size, then click on create a again for yours second partition with the rest of the drive space. Finally be sure to select the right partition and click on Next, to have Windows be install in it.

I recommend a partition of 75-100GB for Windows.

While Windows takes 16GB, you need some level of frees pace for defraging, and well you need space for:

-> Programs shared files (even if you install the program on a different drive, they sometimes need to put files where Windows is installed. This is usually true with large scale software like Office, or PhotoShop, or Visual Studio, as examples)

-> Temp folder. All your programs uses the temp folder to store stuff when the program runs, (and many don't bother clearing it once they are done/close).

-> Windows Updates

-> Driver temp file when you install them (C:\AMD, C:\Nvidia, C:\Intel, etc.), which are not cleared once the setup is done/

-> AppData\Local -> Folder containing programs cache. your web browser being the most consuming one. Also, include Windows account cache

-> AppData\Roaming -> Folder containing programs configurations

-> C:\ProgramData -> Hidden Folder containing files or configurations that must be shared with other user accounts if any.

-> page file, hibernation file, swap file (new to Win8)

-> System Restore (allows you to take your system back in time in the case of system failure or issue)

and more (but usually <10MB)

Assuming you are moving all your data (Document, Picture, Videos, etc..) to your D:\ partition, 75GB is playing it REALLY safe. You'll probably have 30GB free, once everything is installed, and you used all your software for a while.