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Will a System Failure Only Affect the Drive with the OS Installed?

October 21, 2025 3 answers
Asked by CuriousCat123
I have a question about what happens if my system goes down. If I install CachyOS on my C drive but have D and E drives that I want to auto-mount, will a major issue with the OS only affect the C drive? I'm assuming that if I have to reinstall the system, it won't mess with the other drives, especially since they're formatted in NTFS and not essential for the OS itself (even though some programs like Steam might need them). I just want to confirm this to be sure. Also, any tips on backing up my C drive before I format it would be great, especially to keep things like my Firefox settings.
CachyOS drive partitions Linux OS installation system backup System Operations

Answers

TechieGamer9
Yes, if your OS on the C drive gets messed up and you can't fix it, you can format and reinstall without touching your D and E drives. Just double-check that you’re formatting the right drive. As for backups, I use Rescuezilla to create a disk image a few times a year. It keeps my system ready to go if I need it.

BackupNinja88: Good point about confirming the drive! Backups are key, so it's smart to keep a clean image.

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TechSavvySam
If your other drives aren't mounted when you reinstall, they won’t be affected. Just be cautious; it’s hard to mess them up unless you really try. And yes, if dual-booting is involved, be very careful with your boot partitions; those can get tricky and may need extra attention.
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LinuxGuru42
Remember, Linux doesn't really use the "C drive" concept like Windows; it's more about partitions. If you format the partition with your OS, the data on the other partitions should be safe, assuming you don't accidentally format the whole drive. Just make sure you know what you’re working with. And for backups, investing in an extra drive is a straightforward solution to keep everything safe without risking data loss.

PartitionPro47: Exactly, just understand how your drives and partitions work, and you should be good! Plenty of tools help with backups too.

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