Partition Mgmt etal

[P D Sterling]

Scenario: I am a very old, DOS-based guy, having set up and formatted
disks, and done a number of basic maintenance tasks. I am handed a 40GB
drive, which I have wanted for some time. I install same. I format same.

When the format is done, I appear to have lost 5GB of storage, and upon
investigation find I have a virtual partition which I did not create and
do not want. I also cannot seem to delete it.

Now this may or may not relate to being an administrator. For the last
couple of releases of Windows, I have been annoyed with "user accounts"
and such. This is a naked desktop computer with no network and no bells
and whistles.

As we no longer get documentation in hand, which can be taken into the
bathroom and read in depth, I am fearful of venturing into unknown
waters. Can someone point me to how to format my 40GB disk and get 40GB
of value out of it?

Secondary complaint: I did find instructions on partition management,
which I have printed off, and for some unknown reason does not have the
URL whence it came. It says, "Open Computer Management (Local)." I
cannot *find* Computer Management (Local).

Oh, fine print: to open Computer Management, open Control Panel, click
on Performance and Maintenance . . . guys, gals, there is no applet for
Computer Management, Performance Maintenance, or anything else.

I was only able to get their through a hyperlink in the help document I
have, which I got by opening My Computer, going to Help, and typing
"delete partition."

I don't *want* to log off, because I am not certain how to log back on.
I resent having to log on to my own computer, as it is MY personal
property which I bought and paid for, and fail to see how I have to be
authorized by some other agency! Help of any sort would be gratefully
appreciated. You don't realize this, but other people come to me for
help, and this makes me feel quite inadequate!
--

Regards,

P D Sterling
New York, Texas & Texas, New York

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Scenario: I am a very old, DOS-based guy, having set up and formatted
disks, and done a number of basic maintenance tasks. I am handed a 40GB
drive, which I have wanted for some time. I install same. I format same.

When the format is done, I appear to have lost 5GB of storage,

What does "lost" mean? Exactly what are numbers are you seeing and
where?

Are you aware of the following, which has always been true, even back
in DOS?

All hard drive manufacturers define 1GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes, while
the rest of the computer world, including Windows, defines it as 2 to
the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. So a 40 billion byte drive is
actually about 37.5GB. Some people point out that the official
international standard defines the "G" of GB as one billion, not
1,073,741,824. Correct though they are, using the binary value of GB
is so well established in the computer world that I consider using the
decimal value of a billion to be deceptive marketing.

and upon
investigation find I have a virtual partition which I did not create and
do not want. I also cannot seem to delete it.

Again, please be specific. Exactly what are you seeing and where?

Also exactly how did you format the drive?

Now this may or may not relate to being an administrator. For the last
couple of releases of Windows, I have been annoyed with "user accounts"
and such. This is a naked desktop computer with no network and no bells
and whistles.

As we no longer get documentation in hand, which can be taken into the
bathroom and read in depth, I am fearful of venturing into unknown
waters. Can someone point me to how to format my 40GB disk and get 40GB
of value out of it?

You can not, because what was sold to you as a 40GB drive is actually
around 37.5GB.

 

[Bill in Co.]

What does "lost" mean? Exactly what are numbers are you seeing and
where?

Are you aware of the following, which has always been true, even back
in DOS?

All hard drive manufacturers define 1GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes, while
the rest of the computer world, including Windows, defines it as 2 to
the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. So a 40 billion byte drive is
actually about 37.5GB. Some people point out that the official
international standard defines the "G" of GB as one billion, not
1,073,741,824.

Yes, and that has been one thing that still gets on my nerves, because that
truly was the original definition of the prefix Giga (i.e. one billion),
just as Mega is one million, Kilo is 1000, etc, dating back to the Greeks, I
do believe.

I think you're right (IIRC), it would have been better if they came up with
new terms like GBi (or something to indicate binary) when using powers of 2
for this stuff. I think it would be less confusing that way.

But thanks for restating all this again in this post, Ken.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Yes, and that has been one thing that still gets on my nerves, because that
truly was the original definition of the prefix Giga (i.e. one billion),
just as Mega is one million, Kilo is 1000, etc, dating back to the Greeks, I
do believe.

I think you're right (IIRC), it would have been better if they came up with
new terms like GBi (or something to indicate binary) when using powers of 2
for this stuff. I think it would be less confusing that way.

They did. Such an abbreviation (GiB) *does* exists, but the problem is
that it came about too late, and has never become common usage. I've
never seen a disk drive advertised as 112GiB, or even 120GB (112GiB),
and I never expect to see one. For all practical purposes, hardly
anybody knows bout it, and the attempt to introduce the GiB
abbreviation is dead.

Besides the drive manufacturers would rather call it 120-something
than 112-something. A higher number sounds bigger.

So people still get confused.

But thanks for restating all this again in this post, Ken.

You're welcome. Glad to help.