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CD Freaks Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
why do you loose space on your hard drive when you format it? i thought that it was there to erase data on it.
is there any way to reclaim all (or even some) of the data lost when formatting?
also is it possible to estimate as to how much space will be lost when the drive is formatted?
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: CT USA
I'm sure this has already been answered plently of times, but rather than say "Use the search" I'll just answer.
Manufacturers sell the drive based on 1GB=1000MB, 1MB=1000kb 1KB=1000bytes, etc.
Hard drives are formatted like this: 1GB=1024MB, 1MB=1024kb, 1KB=1024bytes, etc.
So you're not really losing anything, it's just deceptive marketing. So *I think* 1GB actually equals 1073.741824MB, but I probably did the math wrong (1024(b)x1024(k)x1024(m)). So for every GB you lose ~74MB. Works out for me, I've got 2 120GB drives, using 74MB/GB "loss" I should have 8880MB less when formatted, Windows shows it as (roughly) 111GB.
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Iron City Sampler
Join Date: Jan 2002
It's not deceptive marketing at all. Hard drive manufacturers are following the standard of the storage industry and the rest of the world.
To everyone else in the world using the metric system, kilo = 1,000, mega = 1,000,000, and giga = 1,000,000,000.
The binary based 1,024 multiple Nerdabytes capacity system is used nowhere else in the world, and is a confusing remnant of inaccurate nomenclature that has outlived its usefulness (if it ever had any).
See Storage Capacity Measurement Standards
Join Date: Jan 2010
I'm curious how you came up with the conclusion that "The binary based 1,024 multiple Nerdabytes capacity system is used nowhere else in the world, and is a confusing remnant of inaccurate nomenclature that has outlived its usefulness (if it ever had any)."? Have computers stopped using binary? Last time I checked computers still operate on a base2 system, not base10. So in the computer world where hard drives live a byte is still equal to 1024 and always will be (until they come up with another mechanism). So you better get used to the numbering system and the differences (wrong or right), because they aren't going anywhere.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Honah Lee
Re: why do you loose space on your hard drive when you format it?
I nominate this for the bump-of-the-week award!
Can anyone beat this 7 year 1 month bump?
@pparcell: Welcome to the forum!
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Join Date: Mar 2012
The only weak link in computer technology is the inventor. If only computers could design computers they would be much better at it. Oh crap they're still floored anyway being invented by humans. doh!
Join Date: Oct 2008
It is all about ignorance in converting from binary to decimal or vice versa.
they sell drives based on X Billion bites
That the number shows up SMALLER when counted in the nearest binary equivelent (actually a larger numbe by 2.4%))
it REALLY isn't relevant in the greates scheme of things