2006-12-20 05:38:51 · 11 answers · asked by I SLEEP TO DIE. 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
This is because of formatting, the harddrive must be formatted so that windows can read it and put files onto it. formatting takes some space up, the bigger the harddrive, the bigger the formatting.
i had a 120gb harddrive, ended up only haveing 111gb after formatting! I also have a 1gb flash drive, and now i only have a 956MB flash drive.
no big deal, but it has to happen.
i hope this helps
2006-12-20 05:42:10 · answer #1 · answered by Oh, It's, Ohhhh 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hard drive manufacturers advertise higher space than they really provide. It's 40GB raw which comes out to be 40000000000 bytes. However, some of that space is used by drive information. The result is that you get reported only 37GB instead of 40GB.
It's annoying, but that's what happens. Complain to the manufacturer if that bothers you, but it's the same with all manufacturers.
2006-12-20 05:42:01 · answer #2 · answered by The Alchemist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is perfectly normal. The size you see advertised is the theoretical maximum data that can be stored on the drive. However there has to be a 'road map' so that the computer can find all your data. Hidden on the hard disk is a what amounts to a table of contents that tells the computer where your files are stored. This table of contents can be pretty big because it has to track where every single piece of data is that you wish to save on your hard disk. When you format the drive this area is reserved and that is why it seems like you have less actual storage space than you would expect.
It has nothing to do with how many bytes are in a kilobyte, how many kilobytes are in a megabyte and how many megabytes are in a gigabyte. The answer to this question is the same no matter how you measure the free space on the hard disk. Using a term like gigabyte simply allows you to use a smaller sounding number like 37.
2006-12-20 06:00:39 · answer #3 · answered by ZCT 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
that is a rounding situation. Technically, there are 1024 Bytes in a KiloByte, 1024 KiloBytes in a Megabyte, 1024 MegaBytes in a Gigabyte, and so on... In practice, besides the indisputable fact that, they use kind of 1000 Bytes in a KiloByte, and so on... So the extra area for storing a force has, the extra the extremely and calculated values fluctuate. On a 120Gb, for instance, there is each from time to time as a lot as a 10 GB discrepancy, or maybe more beneficial on larger drives.
2016-12-01 00:21:23 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Almost everyone else who answered has it wrong. That extra 3 GB is not used for file information, partition information, etc.
It has to do with the confusion between decimal and binary meanings. In decimal system, kilo, mega, giga indicate a factor of 1000 difference. Hence kilobyte means 1000 in decimal terms, but 1024 in binary terms.
Anyway, if you see how it translates to HDD space measurements. 40GB refers to the decimal value, as in 1000*1000*1000 bytes. But in binary, it really is 1024*1024*1024 bytes.
If we do a conversion 40 GB * 1000 * 1000 * 1000 / 1024 / 1024 / 1024, we get 37.25 GiB (GiB refers to the binary meaning of kilo, mega, giga).
EDIT: For the rest of the clueless answerers, it does not take 3GB to store the partition table and filesystem metadata. In fact, it's significantly smaller.
2006-12-20 06:01:41 · answer #5 · answered by csanon 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In the computer world 1 Kilobyte isn't 1000 bytes its 1024 bytes so a 40 GB HD shows up as 37 GB.
Happens all the time.
2006-12-20 05:50:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
You may have a hidden partition. Especially if you have a Dell, Compaq, Gateway...Some of them come with a system backup on a seperate partition.
Try using software like Partition Magic or Acronis Disk Director to view/modify your partitions. Back all data worth keeping before messing with partitions, and have a installation disk ready just incase.
Or Diskview (free), but this is limited to NTFS partitions:
http://www.milannemec.com/diskview.html
It does happen that hard drives come out to less space than advertised, but 3 gigs? Really? It may be something else.
2006-12-20 05:42:19 · answer #7 · answered by π² 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
At factory when the hard drive is just made yes...but when OS is loaded on and other bits and bobs including Factory settings etc, it's less
2006-12-20 05:46:24 · answer #8 · answered by matty_boy1989 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are using windows than the chances are that windows is using the other 3 gigs for free space. it does this so that it can create all of its folders according to the drive size.
2006-12-20 05:47:29 · answer #9 · answered by Fate 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
3 gb are used for storing inforamtion that makes the hard drive run.
2006-12-20 05:48:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋