Bootcamp formatting advice

[studer58]

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro with 120 GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, with Snow Leopard OSX only. While recording a 90min concert with 8 tracks to Reaper late last year, I had no clicks or pops. A week later I recorded a similar length concert with same number of inputs, using the same project template, and got crackles and pops ! Nothing that I can tell had changed in the intervening week, no updates or other preference changes. I know these things can come out of nowhere, and the causes are very hard to pin down.

So now I have upgraded the SSD to a 256GB 850 EVO, and I want to Bootcamp so I can run both Windows XP Pro 32 bit and 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) as required, since I want the ability to switch between the Windows and OSX partitions.... then I can use the best (least glitchy one) for recording. I'll transfer files to my home Win 7 PC for editing, so the MacBPro is for concert capture only.

Why the old OS's .....because they work quite happily with my ageing hardware interface (Audiofire 8), and i see no compelling reason to update. So my question relates to formatting the Windows partition....would you recommend NTFS or FAT32 for it ?

Since a typical concert, even with 8 to 12 tracks (max) running at 24 bit, 44.1 or 88.2 will generate less than 10GB....that's the maximum I see myself requiring, before closing the capture and transferring it out via a USB drive.

Do you see any distinct disadvantage to using FAT32 in this particular context...or any other compelling reason to use NTFS (and what about exFAT, as an additional option) ?

I'm thinking of allocating 80 GB for each partition (XP and OSX), and leaving the rest unclaimed to assist in SSD garbage collection, as over-provisioning

Thank you for any advice you can lend in this regard

[515bonner]

Originally Posted by studer58

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro with 120 GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, with Snow Leopard OSX only. While recording a 90min concert with 8 tracks to Reaper late last year, I had no clicks or pops. A week later I recorded a similar length concert with same number of inputs, using the same project template, and got crackles and pops ! Nothing that I can tell had changed in the intervening week, no updates or other preference changes. I know these things can come out of nowhere, and the causes are very hard to pin down.

So now I have upgraded the SSD to a 256GB 850 EVO, and I want to Bootcamp so I can run both Windows XP Pro 32 bit and 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) as required, since I want the ability to switch between the Windows and OSX partitions.... then I can use the best (least glitchy one) for recording. I'll transfer files to my home Win 7 PC for editing, so the MacBPro is for concert capture only.

Why the old OS's .....because they work quite happily with my ageing hardware interface (Audiofire 8), and i see no compelling reason to update. So my question relates to formatting the Windows partition....would you recommend NTFS or FAT32 for it ?

Since a typical concert, even with 8 to 12 tracks (max) running at 24 bit, 44.1 or 88.2 will generate less than 10GB....that's the maximum I see myself requiring, before closing the capture and transferring it out via a USB drive.

Do you see any distinct disadvantage to using FAT32 in this particular context...or any other compelling reason to use NTFS (and what about exFAT, as an additional option) ?

I'm thinking of allocating 80 GB for each partition (XP and OSX), and leaving the rest unclaimed to assist in SSD garbage collection, as over-provisioning

Thank you for any advice you can lend in this regard

If memory serves me correctly, I believe that with bootcamp you can only allocate 32gig for the windows partition. Correct me if I am wrong.

Rob

[studer58]

Originally Posted by 515bonner

If memory serves me correctly, I believe that with bootcamp you can only allocate 32gig for the windows partition. Correct me if I am wrong.

Rob

I believe it goes like this: if your Windows partition is less than 32GB, you get to choose whether to use FAT32 or NTFS. If you choose a Windows partition size greater than 32GB, or if you're installing Windows 7 and above, then you must use NTFS