How you set up your partitions depends highly on how you want your computer organized and how you will use it.  I don't see anything wrong with your setup, but only you can say what exactly will work best.

I don't know if it is really necessary to defragment a a new install.  Usually deframentation isn't necessary until the system has some time to delete files you stop using within the file system to create fragmentation.  Maybe I'm missing soemthing.

Also, I'm not sure where you are installing the motherboard and scsi drivers to if the OS isn't installed yet.  Usually, this is part of the process of installing the OS.

MrMagoo --

<<"I don't know if it is really necessary to defragment a new install">>

** believe your correct, i was referring to a "clean install".

<<"I'm not sure where you are installing the motherboard and scsi drivers to if the OS isn't installed yet.  Usually, this is part of the process of installing the OS">>

** thanks for clarifying that.  this is the text i found regarding the step sequence:

<<"The BIOS must boot from the  CD-Rom drive. To begin, access the BIOS/CMOS settings and look for the Boot Sequence.  Make sure it's set to "CD-Rom" before the "C" drive.  After installing the OS from the boot SCSI CD:  boot the CD .. the screen goes blue .. at the bottom on the grey strip it says  "press F6 to install SCSI drivers" .. do that and now install the mobo SATA drivers from the floppy.. then continue on">>

Yup.


This looks like a good setup.  What SCSI controller?   Generally i unplug all drives except what i am installing on.  Do the OS install, so it shows up as C:\ (installed and it showed up as F once)

More than likely, you are going to have to:
POST
Bios Setup
SCSI RAID controller setup
Boot to windows 2000 CD to install (f6 at the beginning for SCSI drivers)
Partition
Install first OS, drivers, updates
Reboot to XP disk, f6 again,
Install on the 2nd partition on the OS drive, load drivers, and updates
Then install and begin your partitioning of the other drives (will have to use onboard raid/scsi raid controller config to do this)


Just as a note, why W2k and XP.  I can understand 98 and XP for legacy apps, or some form of  Linux/BSD and XP for functionality or swaping files, or Server 03 and XP (rare, but still understand able, 1 machine practicing DNS/DHCP/AD setup).  But 2000 and XP are the two closest relatives in the Windows OSes.  XP is built on 2k and just has increased functionality.....Ever considered a vmware solution, use that to boot 2k inside xp in the rare times you want it?

The partitioning will be both part of the process and inside windows.  You will have to partition the original windows partition in the setup.  But you can partition all the others from inside windows.


This is what i recommend.  Start with the ONLY the 36.7 gig drive in there, and 1 cd drive, and a floppy drive.  

Turn it on and let it post (see all the hardware).  Then press 'del' to enter the bios.  Make sure to set up any options you want at this time.

Boot to a windows CD (would start with xp), as it boots, when it first goes to the blue screen, you have an option to load drivers ( it will say press f6)  YOU MUST HIT f6 at this time.

You should have your scsi card boot drivers loaded onto a floppy drive.  It will then ask you to load the drivers for the scsi card, and you will load them.  Then you will go to partitioning of the 36 gig and do it how you want it. (looks like you want 2 partitions on this drive)

Then let it finish the windows setup.  At this time, load all drivers and service packs for XP.  

Then shut down, and install the rest of your hard drives.  You will have to install the 2  250s on your raid controller and use the motherboard setup (right after post)  There will probably be some settings in the bios to enable, then setup in the sata raidcontroller setup.  Boot back up to your xp drive, and then go about partitioning your drives as you see fit ( either use windows or partition magic)

Now you have a full set of drives under 1 OS, and all partitioned out like you want them.

then repeat the install process to put 2k in the other partition of the 36 if you want.  





Here is why i recommended VMWARE.  It is a solution outside of windows, and vmware desktop is free.  This will let you emulate another operating system inside of windows.  It will almost be like a remote desktop, and you could load into windows 2000, inside XP.  

As a note, since both 2k and XP are built on the NT kernel, and are 32 bit etc, there are very very few apps that will run on 2k but not on xp.  Its not simple, but then, neither is a dual boot multi partition system.  

If you dont plan on using 2k very often, the vmware setup is what i recommend.  That way you arent wasting time booting and rebooting, and setting up and maintaining a huge partition setup.  You say you want easy, but then have this large and complicated dual boot scheme.  doesnt jive.

Tnelson --

just as a sidenote.. i have a reg version of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 in which i can pdf documents.  i've been using it inside W2k, even though on the system requirement 'readme' it says compatable with W98/NT. 

this should not be able to run on W2k, though it does and i doubt it would install on XP.  so there's an example of why i would want to use 2000 and Xp.