Show Me Microsoft Windows XP (2nd Edition)

As you work with files, folders, and programs, you should know the size of the disk and how much space remains available. A disk can store only a limited amount of data. Hard disks can store large amounts of data (in gigabytes), while removable disks, such as a floppy or ZIP disk, store smaller amounts (in megabytes). For example, a floppy disk is limited to 1.4 MB of data. You can use the Properties command on a disk to display the disk size or the amount of used and free space, and to change a disk label, which is a name you can assign to a hard or removable disk. Besides checking hard disk drive or floppy disk information, you can also use the Properties command on a folder to find out the size of its contents. This can be helpful when you want to copy or move a folder to a removable disk or CD.

Determine Free Space on a Disk

With a disk in the drive, click the Start button, and then click My Computer.

Right-click the drive, and then click Properties.

On the General tab, identify the amount of free space on the disk.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

A 1.44 MB floppy disk holds about 3,000 pages of text . A 1.44 MB floppy disk is capable of storing approximately 1.4 million characters , or about 3,000 pages of information.

For Your Information

Understanding File Sizes

When you create a file, it takes up space on a disk. Files with text are smaller than files with graphics. The size of a file is measured in bytes. A byte is a unit of storage capable of holding a single character or pixel. It's the base measurement for all other incremental units, which are kilobyte, megabyte, and gigabyte. A kilobyte (KB) is 1,024 bytes of information while a megabyte (MB) is 1,048,576 bytes, which is equal to 1,024 kilobytes. A gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,024 megabytes.

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