Disk space on 1.44" disks=1.38MB
Geert Ercken
When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying something like 1.44MB
free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that disk in the Windows
Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone know why?
Thanx
Geert
Belgium
Herbert Daum
that. You have the correct information.
--
Herb Daum
Data Power
data...@nospam.aisl.bc.ca
Remove "nospam." to reply
Geert Ercken <geert....@alz.be> wrote in message
news:80pcqc$f6e$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net...
Dudly
It is because format tells you the total space on the disk, including areas
you can't use for storage like the root directory and system files. Explorer
tells you how much actual free space is ob the disk.
In article <80pcqc$f6e$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net>, "Geert Ercken"
Sébastien CROES
tracks. Just reformat it (with the complete format option and it will send
you a message at the end).
Sébastien CROES from France
scr...@club-internet.fr
Geert Ercken <geert....@alz.be> a écrit dans le message :
80pcqc$f6e$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net...
Steve Shattuck
> Hello,
> When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying something like 1.44MB
> free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that disk in the Windows
> Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone know why?
1.38MB times 1024 times 1024 = 1.44 bytes. Same capacity, different numbering base.
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愷_
(__
___)teve st...@shattuck.net
Ken Blake
news:80pcqc$f6e$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net...
> Hello,
> When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying
something like 1.44MB
> free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that
disk in the Windows
> Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone
know why?
One megabyte is 1024 x 1024, or 1,048,576 bytes. Multiply
that by 1.38 and you have 1,447,035 bytes.
So you have 1.38 megabytes, which is the same thing as 1.44
million bytes.
These are just two different ways of expressing the same
thing.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup.
Bob
>
> Perhaps the system puts some files on your diskette or your diskette has bad
> tracks. Just reformat it (with the complete format option and it will send
> you a message at the end).
>
> Sébastien CROES from France
> scr...@club-internet.fr
>
> Geert Ercken <geert....@alz.be> a écrit dans le message :
> > Hello,
> > When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying something like
> 1.44MB
> > free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that disk in the
> Windows
> > Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone know why?
> >
> > Geert
> > Belgium
> >
> >
When you format the floppy it is read with actual bytes on it. 1 kb=
1024 bytes but windows explorer reads it as 1 Kb having 1000 bytes that
is the way most people read bytes rounded off to the nearest 0. This
same rule applies to your hard drive right click on C: drive & read the
different values my hard drive I refer to as 10gigs it is 10,222,206,976
bytes actual & is read as 9.51gb. It is just the way windows reads. I
hope this helps. Bob
PCForrest
Steve Shattuck <st...@shattuck.net> wrote in message news:ucZX3.14437$hI6.1...@typhoon.southeast.rr.com...
> Geert Ercken <geert....@alz.be> wrote in message news:80pcqc$f6e$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net...
> > Hello,
> > When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying something like 1.44MB
> > free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that disk in the Windows
> > Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone know why?
>
Your math sucks, Steve. No way does 1.38MB * 1024 * 1024 = 1.44 bytes.
To Geert, the original poster:
The actual size of a standard floppy disk is 1,457,664 bytes which equates to 1.39MB.
That is: divide the number of bytes (the true capacity) by 1,048,576 (or 1024*1024).
A 1,456,000 capacity disk (although unusual) equates to 1.38MB. There's probably
some bad sectors on the disk, or it is badly formatted and in need of repair...use Scandisk.
The 1.44MB stems from the fact that drive and disk manufacturers can't seem to get
it into their heads that a kilobyte is actually 1024 bytes - and not the 1000 bytes that
they use. Therefore, a 1.44MB disk implies 1,440,000 bytes - which is close, but not
close enough.
The only figure you can rely on here is the byte value shown in the drive's properties.
Any figure expressed as MB, KB, GB or whatever, will always be inaccurate due
to the rounding that takes place. But when you see two values that seem to conflict
(1.44MB and 1.38MB) always go with the lower value, as it is closer to the true
capacity than this decimal-binary mumbo-jumbo.
E.g., a 17.1GB drive is actually only 16.1GB. As you can see, drive manufacturers
can easily make their drives look far bigger than they actually are, and therefore more
attractive to the unwary purchaser. The larger the drive, the bigger this discrepancy
becomes.
For more info:
http://www.pcforrest.co.uk/how_many_bytes.htm
Hope this helps,
--
PCForrest
www.PCForrest.co.uk
PCForrest
Bob <bobb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:3830A036...@hotmail.com...
> "Sébastien CROES" wrote:
> >
> > Perhaps the system puts some files on your diskette or your diskette has bad
> > tracks. Just reformat it (with the complete format option and it will send
> > you a message at the end).
> >
> > Sébastien CROES from France
> > scr...@club-internet.fr
> >
> > Geert Ercken <geert....@alz.be> a écrit dans le message :
> > > Hello,
> > > When I format a 1.44" diskette, I get a summary saying something like
> > 1.44MB
> > > free (1.456.000 bytes). This is OK. When I select that disk in the
> > Windows
> > > Explorer, the status bar says 1.38 MB free. Does anyone know why?
> > >
> > > Geert
> > > Belgium
> > >
> > >
>
> When you format the floppy it is read with actual bytes on it. 1 kb=
> 1024 bytes but windows explorer reads it as 1 Kb having 1000 bytes
No - it does not. Windows ALWAYS uses a 1024 byte KB. It is drive
manufacturers who use a 1000 byte KB. See my other post in this thread.
--
PCForrest
www.PCForrest.co.uk
Hans
hmmm I guess my calculator is broke then.....*wondering*
greetz,
hans
russell marx
megabyte (1,048,576 and you will get 1.39 MB) In other words a 1.44 floppy
holds only 1.39 mb of data. Sort of like k or GB with disk space.
regards
PCForrest <nob...@home.co.uk> wrote in message
news:80qstj$ps9$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
Commander Keen
John Dulak
> THAN IF IT READS AS 1.38MB HOW AM I GOING TO FIT MS-DOS 6.22 ONTO 3 FLOPPYS IT'S HOW DO I FIT A 1.44MB FILE ONTO THERE NOT WHY IT'S LIKE THAT
>
You need to format the floppies with a format program that can do a DMF format
to get 1.68 Meg. One such utility is Winimage. There *may* be others that run
under DOS.
http://www.winimage.com/winimage.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_Media_Format
HTH & GL
John
--
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