I asked this question before but forgot to mention some details. I do not have an OS installed. I don't have any partitions. I have formatted my drive and it now says this.
Size 149.05GB
Used 0.00GB
Unused 149.05GB
And there is a sticker on the front of my computer that says 160GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive.
2007-10-24 13:23:15 · 12 answers · asked by jack 5 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
To all dummies that think I have an OP. I don't!! Diden't you read the above?!
2007-10-24 13:36:18 · update #1
Two possible reasons
1. The formatting sets the drive up for storage by organizing it into chunks. If the chunks don't exactly match the length of each track, then the formatted capacity is less than the total. Imagine an auditorium with varying length rows, but a show where everyone with tickets comes in groups of 4. Some of the rows may come out even, but some will have 1, 2, or 3 seats left over. So the total seating capacity might be 3997 but the 4up seating capacity might be 3640.
Alternately, in order to sell more drives, the capacity is reported in decimal where a gigabyte is 1,000,000,000 while the computer system reports from a binary base where a gigabyte is 1024x1024x1024 so a binary gigabyte is bigger than a decimal gigabyte thus they are fewer on the same space.
2007-10-24 13:35:04 · answer #1 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There's room needed on a drive for bad sectors and a master file table. The MFT has the index for all the addresses for your format. You'll never get the maximum size out of what they say the drive is. Also, when you calculate a megabyte, it's actually 1024 bytes and not 1000. Hope this was helpful, I asked my computer wizard hubby. It's all Greek to me!!!!!
2007-10-24 20:32:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The formatting of the drive and boot sector take up some space. Perfectly normal.
My 250 GB drives show up as 232 GB when formatted.
2007-10-24 20:26:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The operating system and programs that may have came with the computer take up a certain amount of space. I think that is only the OS that is taking up that space since it says there is 0 GB being used.
2007-10-24 20:26:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because the drive is rated at 1000 per gig while the system reads it at 1024 per gig. Thats totally normal.
2007-10-24 20:28:58 · answer #5 · answered by s j 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes the manufacturer "bumps up" the label for sales even though there isn't a full 160GB of usable space.
2007-10-24 20:27:06 · answer #6 · answered by _Kraygh_ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its the bits and bytes still
Because it is GB divide the number by 1.072
160 / 1.072
1.072 comes from 1.024 * 1.024 * 1.024
You take it 3 times because GB has three sets of 000 (1,000,000,000)
Ignore the people that keep talking about the OS, they need to read
2007-10-24 20:26:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
some of the space if used for starting the computer and making sure stuff stays on you hard drive.
2007-10-24 20:26:46 · answer #8 · answered by Ryan 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
due to hidden system files needed to run the computer
2007-10-24 20:26:47 · answer #9 · answered by Carlo 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
your operating system takes up space
2007-10-24 20:26:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋