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160G HDD is only 150G???

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Name: fazz
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:17:05 Pacific
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2
CPU/Ram: 2.5Ghz / 512MB
Product: Intel Celeron / Cosair
Comment:

I have just installed a new 160 Gig Samsung SV1604N Hard Disk Drive on my system, the BIOS see's it as a 160G, but windows xp only see's 150Gig using 'diskmgmt.msc' is there somthing wrong with the drive or windows, and how can i fix it or should i just settle for what i have??

Thank's in advance



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Response Number 1
Name: mikee611
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:23:54 Pacific
Reply:

Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS. This is normal

mike


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Response Number 2
Name: trdj
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:25:47 Pacific
Reply:

There is some drive size lost to the OS for the partition/clustering/Raid/whatever information that is retained on the drive.

I think a 10g loss on 160 is probably about normal, I have lost near 20 on my 250g.

I never really got into *what* exactly that space is used for so sorry I can't be more specific and I am not sure there is a way to override it.

Maybe someone else can offer better advice.

l8r

Michael

Live, Love & Google!


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Response Number 3
Name: trdj
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:32:56 Pacific
Reply:

ahhh... very good post on the matter:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=118330

it's not always related to data being stored on the drive, but how the manufacturer's report their drive size vs. how windows usese it. Check this post for more info.

It's exactly right for mine: 250 -> 232.83

Live, Love & Google!


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Response Number 4
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:40:56 Pacific
Reply:

Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS. This is normal.

Says who?

i_XpUser


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Response Number 5
Name: trdj
Date: March 7, 2006 at 12:44:39 Pacific
Reply:

also (just to simplify on the article) if you right-click on the (drive letter) on under "My Computer" you will see the actual number of bytes (how some manufacturer's/apps report drive size). Mine was indeed 250,056,704,000 bytes (thus the rating of 250 G HD) and by the time I divided it down 3 times by 1024 (1 for Kbytes, 1 for Megs, 1 for Gigs) I did indeed end up with my current size of 232.8 that windows displays.

Great article.. and thanks for the post.. got me off my butt to find the answer. :)

Michael

Live, Love & Google!


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Response Number 6
Name: mesich
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:03:59 Pacific
Reply:

Hello everyone,

"Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS".

I knew there was a reason I continue to use FAT32!

Best Regards and Wishes,
Mesich, Webmaster of mesich.com
Currently stored on a temporary webhost.


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Response Number 7
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:10:28 Pacific
Reply:

Hi all -

Once again where's the evidence (links) that says ?Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS". and why.

i_XpUser


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Response Number 8
Name: trdj
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:10:31 Pacific
Reply:

> "Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS".

Sheesh... everyone is doggin the help. :-/

My response wasn't much better, but it is nice to preface with "I think" or "In my experience" whenever it's not an absolute fact... allows the user to know the reply may not be concrete and keep looking for an answer.

Thanks.

Michael

Live, Love & Google!


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Response Number 9
Name: fazz
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:12:59 Pacific
Reply:

Now that i look my 125 Gig Drive also has 10gig missing so maybe your right, but i shall keep searching as now i want to know what this spcae is used for.


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Response Number 10
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:12:59 Pacific
Reply:

I agree everyone is trying to help but giving misinformation does a lot of harm to those who come to us for help. This is why I am trying to get the facts out for the 10GB for NTFS.

i_XpUser


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Response Number 11
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:15:18 Pacific
Reply:

OK everyone - believe whatever you want. I don't care!

i_XpUser


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Response Number 12
Name: mesich
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:18:39 Pacific
Reply:

Hello everyone,

Hi XpUser,

I fairly certain you know I was joking. I would produce some facts but they just don't exist. :-)

Best Regards and Wishes,
Mesich, Webmaster of mesich.com
Currently stored on a temporary webhost.


0

Response Number 13
Name: fazz
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:24:29 Pacific
Reply:

If anyone ever find's out for a FACT that windows has to use this space on our HDDs then please try and post the reason here, thanks for all the help you guys are offering. :-)


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Response Number 14
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:27:08 Pacific
Reply:

Hello everyone

Hi mesich, of course I know that.

For everybody else - read Post 11. Believe all you want. Be more misinformed as you like :-)

i_XpUser


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Response Number 15
Name: mesich
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:29:49 Pacific
Reply:

Hi fazz,

Windows has nothing to do with it, neither does the file system. It is simply a differece in the way hard drive manufactures report the drive size and how windows reports it.

Read the link provided by trdj above.

Best Regards and Wishes,
Mesich, Webmaster of mesich.com
Currently stored on a temporary webhost.


0

Response Number 16
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:34:15 Pacific
Reply:

Various Drive Sizes and their Binary and Decimal Capacities

i_XpUser


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Response Number 17
Name: mesich
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:34:54 Pacific
Reply:

Hello everyone,

This link explains it very well and also has a chart, for those like myself that would rather look at the pictures than read. :-)

Best Regards and Wishes,
Mesich, Webmaster of mesich.com
Currently stored on a temporary webhost.


0

Response Number 18
Name: mesich
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:35:55 Pacific
Reply:

Hi XpUser,

Great minds do think alike. :-)

Best Regards and Wishes,
Mesich, Webmaster of mesich.com
Currently stored on a temporary webhost.


0

Response Number 19
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:36:05 Pacific
Reply:

Oh my mesich - we used the very same link :-)

i_XpUser


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Response Number 20
Name: Sabertooth
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:48:38 Pacific
Reply:

OK guys, simple math craps on the "Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS" theory.


According to HDD manufacturers:

160,000,000,000 bytes = 160GB

According to Windows: 160GB = 149GB

160,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 149.011612


Correspondingly it also unloads on "Now that i look my 125 Gig Drive also has 10gig missing so maybe your right" assertion too. End of story.

125,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 116.415322

According to Windows: 125GB = 116GB.

When Google isn't your best pal


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Response Number 21
Name: XpUser
Date: March 7, 2006 at 13:51:47 Pacific
Reply:

LOL...Hey saber - you need to revise the theory- it should read...

OK guys, simple math craps on the "Windows occupies 10gigs from 160gigs for NTFS" AND FAT32 theory

i_XpUser


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Response Number 22
Name: Sabertooth
Date: March 7, 2006 at 16:06:59 Pacific
Reply:

Yeah, my bad........:-)

When Google isn't your best pal


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Response Number 23
Name: Chuck 2
Date: March 7, 2006 at 20:53:28 Pacific
Reply:

In other words, for example---
The Decimal Capacity of a 40GB HDD is
40GB
The Binary Capacity is
37.25GB

My 60GB HDD is 55.78

OR see
http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/145975.html


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Response Number 24
Name: Lupin3rd
Date: March 9, 2006 at 00:34:29 Pacific
Reply:

On a 125Gig HD your cluster size would be 32KB. Thats very ouch espcially if you only have small files like 16KB or less. Remeber folks the bigger the drive the bigger the cluster size. To say i have a 15gig drive i use for prattling about on and my NTFs partition for XP took 8 meg as it's slack drive spaec(once again read those links or whatever :P).


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Response Number 25
Name: XpUser
Date: March 9, 2006 at 07:12:45 Pacific
Reply:

Default Cluster Size for FAT and NTFS Explained

i_XpUser


0

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