Greetings Jagpal & list--

> Frank,
> If one can install OS without FDISK as you suggest, then why bother FDISK ?
> What is big deal about FDISK ?

Installation of an OS presumes that some partitioning (and formatting)
has already been done to allow this to happen.  In the case of Win9x and similar, fdisk creates the partitions which are then formatted and can then accommodate an OS, programs, and data. Among other reasons for becoming familiar with fdisk is that it can be used to create more than one
partition on a physical drive. With four partitions, for example,
you may install the operating system on one, programs on a second,
use the third as a dedicated "swap drive", and the fourth for data.
Just observe certain size restrictions and recommendations,
and you could create a more efficiently organized disk that
is more "OS-efficient" (with an adequately sized swap
file on a partition by itself) and easier to back up
(all the user-created stuff is on a partition by itself).

Just something to think about . . .

Paul A. Shippert
Library Media Specialist
Margaret Brent Middle School
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and I'm hovering like a fly
waiting for the windshield on the
freeway." Genesis
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