🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <01bbd8b8$49535240$6b8faec7@zycom>, SAN <snag01@sprynet.com> wrote:
> I have a small problem or may be a big problem. 
> When I go to Windows Explorer and RIGHT click on C: drive, and go to
> PROPERTY, I get a used space value of 502 MB.
> Now when I go back to windows explorer and LEFT click on C: drive and go to
> EDIT and click on SELECT ALL (now all the files and dir are highlighted). I
> next go to FILE and click on PROPERTY and I see that it starts counting the
> size of all files in C: drive and gives me a number of 334 MB(all in C). 
> Also I have chosen the option of "SHOW ALL FILES" in the VIEW, OPTION menu.
> I have a 1GIG hard drive.
> My question is why is there this difference of 166 MB?
> I have defragmented my HD, also did a thorough check for errors and found
> none, still I could'nt get the same value.
> If you could do the same thing and if you get the same value or little
> difference can you please let me know.
> I would very much appreciate your help. Thanks

     That's because all of your 1 GB disk is a single partition.  A FAT
file system (which all Microsoft systems except NT use) divides each
partition into clusters and there can be no more than 64K clusters AND
there must be a power of 2 of them.  Thus on a disk with a bit over
1 GB you have 32KB clusters.  Since on average, the last cluster of
each file will be only half full, you waste 16KB per file.  Actually
much more if you have may very small files.  Wasting 16KB per file, if
you have 10,000 files on your disk, you will lose 160MB.

     The only solutions are, live with it, repartition your disk into
several smaller partitions, wait for FAT32, or get NT.  

     In fact creating a .99GB partition will result in 16 KB clusters
and you will recover half the wasted space.  Unforuntately you will
have to backup and restore everything on your disk in order to
repartition.

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Frank Sandy                                     fsandy@tiac.net