The Multi-Boot Configuration Handbook

Splitting Files Across Partitions

When you're designing your disk layout, you might be tempted to minimize the number of partitions each OS uses. For example, you might think you could get by with a single partition for each OS, at least on a single-disk computer. There are advantages to splitting up a single OS into multiple partitions, however, even on a single-disk computer. Of course, you can also go too far in this direction and produce an unmanageable mess. The key is in moderation. As a general rule of thumb, 2–4 partitions work well with most OSs.

Reliability Advantages of Multiple Partitions

One oft-cited reason for splitting an OS's files across multiple partitions is reliability. Modern hard disk hardware is pretty reliable, on the ...