File Manager Displays Actual Total Disk Space

 Last reviewed: March 8, 1996
Article ID: Q90994
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1

SUMMARY

When you use Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT File Manager, the total disk size displayed in the status bar may differ from the specified formatted size of the disk.

For example:

  • 1.44 megabyte (MB) disks display as having 1.38 MB total space.
  • 1.2 MB disks display as having 1.15 MB total space.
  • 720 kilobyte (K) disks display as having 713K total space.

MORE INFORMATION

While these totals may seem incorrect, File Manager is actually displaying the exact amount of total disk space based on 1K actually being 1024 bytes and 1 megabyte being 1024K.

File Manager determines the amount of space on a disk by using the following formula:

(Allocation units * number of bytes in each allocation unit)/1024/1024

For example: 

   1.44 Disk: (2847*512)/1024/1024 = 1.39013671875 megabytes
NOTE: Microsoft Windows 3.1 File Manager displays total disk space in kilobytes rather than megabytes. As a result, 1.44 MB disks display as having 1.423K.

KBCategory: kbtool kbdisplay
KBSubcategory: wfw wfwg
Additional reference words: 3.1 3.11 win95 floppy winnt

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Last reviewed: March 8, 1996
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