Hey all.
I'm trying to install Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional.
My computer has a small partition for the default disk (where the system files are). It only left something like not more than 200MB and I've cleaned up, compressed, and tried to uninstall things. But I got other extended hard disk which has enough space for installation.

The installation guide says you need 3++GB on the default disk. Is there anyway to install it on other hard disk but able t run on my default hard disk/partition, my default OS? Well, without using softwares like VMware is it able to run it?


More information of my PC:

Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 2

Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.60GHz
2.60 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM

Default hard disk: Local Disk (H)
Total: 5.94GB
Free: Not more than 200MB

Old Partition (Can't run OS): HP_PAVILION (C)
Total 68.5GB
Free: About 8GB

New Extended Disk: Local Disk (D)
Total: 186GB (200GB)
Free: About 30GB

P/S: The (C) and (H) are partition from the same disk while (D) is a unique unpartitioned disk.

All file systems are in format of NTFS.


Hope you guys can help.
Your help will be appreciated.
Thanks.


Xizhe

I would format that larger drive and put three partitions on it, two for the pair of OSs and one for files. You can set it up so that you can boot from either OS. I would wipe the smaller one and use it for backup storage.

Well, they all contains important documents. So, can't format. And if you ask me to backup, format and restore, I would say I have no other disk to store backups. Any other ideas or any other way?

Back up you files with CDs or DVDs.

Well, it's a expensive and not a safe way to do back-up. I've got 160GB++ to backup, how many CDs/DVDs you think it'll need?

That's the safest backup method. And you should already have backups anyway.

A backup in another partition on the same hard disk is no backup at all. If the drive has a motor seizup or a headcrash, ALL of the partitions are gone.

My rule is that, unless you have two copies on two independently removable media, you don't really have a backup.

Well, m backups are on another Local Disk. If wanna backup on DVDs, I'll need like more than 50 pieces. Anymore suggestion?

Another option would be to invest in a utility like Acronis's True Image or Norton's Ghost to clone your hdd.

Well, I have Norton Ghost 10.0, but I don't exactly know how to use it.

You're gonna love this, the best advice that has been given prior to using this is to back up all of your important information. If you make a mistake you could lose that information.

How did you wind up with the figure of 160GB of material that you need to backup?