Where should I install games on windows 7 ultimate 64?

[Crafty]

Where should I install my games to on windows 7 ultimate 64? I ask this question because a friend has told me that I shouldn't install games and non OS programs in the OS partition. I have normally just installed games and things where windows 7 has decided to install them. My games are installed to C: program files x86, but is this guy right? Should I have them installed somewhere else and where exactly is the OS partition he talks about? Thankyou!!

[Rustys]

I have normally just installed games and things where windows 7 has decided to install them.

Installing in the default directory like you are is correct.

The only thing I would not put on the OS partition are files (music, documents, downloads...) or if I do keep them backed up in case they system hic-ups.

Should I have them installed somewhere else and where exactly is the OS partition he talks about?

I would not you can install them sometimes they software may not work properly.  The OS partition is you C drive where windows is installed.

[osmo]

It is up to you really, the only reason that I don't like installing games on the same drive as the OS, is the fact, if you get a virus, or have to re-format, and reinstall windows, you will still have all your games. if you are like me, and have a TON of games, re-installing all of them takes a long time. so if you have it on another hard drive, you will lose your Save games and things, but you will not have to re-install all your games.
  Also, I have Steam www.steampowered.com so the thought of downloading over 45gb of game data seems insane

The only thing I would not put on the OS partition are files (music, documents, downloads...) or if I do keep them backed up in case they system hic-ups.
I would not you can install them sometimes they software may not work properly.  The OS partition is you C drive where windows is installed.

{@ Rustys} I have never run into an issue with this. I have even run some of my games straight from a USB drive. For a lot of my LAN parties I have put the games on flash drives and have my friends run them right from them.

[Rustys]

{@ Rustys} I have never run into an issue with this. I have even run some of my games straight from a USB drive. For a lot of my LAN parties I have put the games on flash drives and have my friends run them right from them.

yes and no.  Should you wipe windows you loose the referances (where the information is stored.)  If you have not noticed we both stated some not all.

[Crafty]

He has just given me a bit more info on why he wouldn't install games on the OS drive of windows 7 64bit. He reckons that this section of the harddrive is always checking for viruses and malware and that this can give you a performance hit on games by slowing them down and things. He talks like he knows a bit, but  is he right? I don't want to argue about something I know nothing about.

@osmo - I have always used a hardrive backup program called Acronis, I would never be without one of these backup programs now. This program has save me the hassel of reinstalling everything many a time because it takes the computer  back to a time before the problems began. Say I get a virus on my computer, or my windows becomes corrupt, or even if my harddrive dies, all I do is click on my backup file and sit back while my computer installs everything back the way it was.

[Allan]

Put the games anywhere you like and stop listening to your friend. He has no idea what he's talking about.

[osmo]

Put the games anywhere you like and stop listening to your friend. He has no idea what he's talking about.

 

[BC_Programmer]

Heh... my organization is so unorganized, half the time I have no idea where a given game/program is installed.

Originally, the idea was to put games in D:\games, so I have 88 folders there with different games/source ports/etc. but at the same time I have most "newer" games in the appropriate C:\Program Files folder, since they have both 64 bit and 32-bit editions and I have no idea how they would work if installed elsewhere. This in addition to the fact that Most of my C: was empty at the time.

As for reinstallation, though, I  back up absolutely nothing but a few of my programming project folders. I've lost years worth of work that I have yet to "recover" and let me tell you, the inconvenience of having to reinstall a few programs pales in comparison to the prospect of rewriting an entire application.

Also, I have a sort of "redundancy" for older files, since they are also present on the drives from my older computers, in the exact same setup (since I just cloned their contents to whatever my new drive was).

He reckons that this section of the harddrive is always checking for viruses and malware and that this can give you a performance hit on games by slowing them down and things. He talks like he knows a bit, but  is he right? I don't want to argue about something I know nothing about.

See, here is the difference  between you and you're friend; you state outright that you know nothing about the subject; whereas they don't either but pretend they do. He is just making stuff up.