When I open Explorer and look at the properties of a file it will show three different sizes. For example I look at a random file and it says Size: 206KB (211,325 bytes), 212,992 bytes used. I'm confused. Which is the true size? I use Windows 98se.
2007-01-20 04:42:02 · 3 answers · asked by stelcha 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Programming & Design
Windows 98 uses FAT32 file system which reserves 32 kb of filesize minimum for any file. So, add 32 0.44 kb of space lefts behind unused in 206 kb file. Thats why the actual size of the file is 211,325 bytes... but windows has reserved 212,992 bytes for it where you can not claim the unused portion.
2007-01-20 04:58:09 · answer #1 · answered by hmmm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
208 * 1 024 = 212 992 is the number of sectors/bytes reserved for the file (in 4, 8, or 16 k chunks depending on the system settings, but not 32 as 13*16 is 208)
211,325 is the actual bytes used by the file so far. If you wrote a program to do a byte read, you would have to read 211,325 bytes to get them all. The rest of the space is random trash left on the drive from other files, etc. When the difference between 211,325 and 212,992, 1667 is used up, the operating system will add one whole 2/4/8/16K chunk to the file size assigning the block to the file list.
2007-01-20 13:51:11 · answer #2 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first two numbers are actually the same. 1024 bytes = 1kb. I'm not exactly sure what the last number is, but I assume it has something to do with the way Windows 98se stores file references, perhaps due to the file system being FAT32. In windows XP there are only the first two numbers.
2007-01-20 13:00:17 · answer #3 · answered by merlinn31 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋