One computer for trading and general use?

[CWBC]

I know the general advice is have a completely separate system for trading from the computer you have for general use. However this doesn't really make sense for me from a space and cost point of view unless absolutely necessary.

I was wondering if dual booting two separate operating systems either from one partitioned hard drive or from two completely separate hard drives within the same machine would be considered a safe and sensible alternative to having two completely separate systems.

Can anyone give me any advice on this?

 

[intradaybill]

Get a small notebook for general use. Never mix the two. Web full of viruses.

 

[CWBC]

Thanks for the reply. Would you mind explaining why my dual boot idea wouldn't work?

From what I know if I was using a separate partition on the hard drive or an entirely separate hard drive for general use then any potential problems I picked up from general use would be isolated from the trading partition.

 

[dc2000]

I know they are rare but until you have had a virus that kills your hard drive you do think well why do i need two computers
or the 2nd thing is a power company failure just as your wanting to exit the market

Both these have happened to me the first just locked the screen and whiped part of the hard drive this was then no good as it hit sector 0 first I even had norton antivirus.

the 2nd was 2004 a position was good then power cut for 2hrs couldnt get through on my mobile 2hrs later position had collapsed.

these days I have main computer with UPS and laptop with a standby laptop close by I know it sounds overkill but there is nothing worse than being in a trade and your IT failing

 

[Earthling]

Get a small notebook for general use. Never mix the two. Web full of viruses.

I agree with intradaybill. The added advantage is, the "general use" computer can have everything trading-related loaded on it, in case its needed as a quick backup if the trading computer crashes suddenly.

Edit - oh, I see thats what dc2000 was saying too.

 

[CWBC]

Ok, thanks guys. I do have a laptop as well, so that could be used as backup, but I'll take your advice. The safest and most sensible (also simplest) route does seem to be to just keep things separate.

 

[Bint_Crusher]

I know the general advice is have a completely separate system for trading from the computer you have for general use. However this doesn't really make sense for me from a space and cost point of view unless absolutely necessary.

I was wondering if dual booting two separate operating systems either from one partitioned hard drive or from two completely separate hard drives within the same machine would be considered a safe and sensible alternative to having two completely separate systems.

Can anyone give me any advice on this?

Dual boot is good provided it is using 2 seperate hard drives. Being in the industry some 20 years I have always had several networked systems and when I first started trading I had a dedicated trading system, fine until you go away for a few days and have to rely upon a laptop. The answer there I've found is to have a dedicated business laptop with all the latest security software and use it purely for trading with maybe the odd email to a coach or a word document to record trades. NEVER NEVER use it to surf PORN.whistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistling

 

[the_coumiester]

Dual boot is good provided it is using 2 seperate hard drives. Being in the industry some 20 years I have always had several networked systems and when I first started trading I had a dedicated trading system, fine until you go away for a few days and have to rely upon a laptop. The answer there I've found is to have a dedicated business laptop with all the latest security software and use it purely for trading with maybe the odd email to a coach or a word document to record trades. NEVER NEVER use it to surf PORN.whistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistlingwhistling

Dual-booting is still on the same hardrive, unless it's two different as Bint stated. Should you get a massive virus and have to wipe your hard-drive, you'll lose everything. Plus, you can use a decent business-styled laptop and be mobile if you're traveling, and should you have a power-outage or something unexpected, your laptop battery will save you there.

A PC for general use, and one for trading is the best way to go.