Why is my new laptop's hard drive and RAM not fully usable?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the usability of hard drive space and RAM in a new laptop. Participants explore the discrepancies between advertised and actual storage capacities, as well as the reasons behind the reported usable RAM. The conversation includes technical explanations, user experiences, and potential solutions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the laptop's hard drive is advertised as 250GB but reports only 220GB max size and 197GB usable, questioning if this is normal.
  • Another participant suggests that the operating system may be reporting only the unused memory, and that the hard drive could be partitioned, explaining the reduction in usable space.
  • Some participants mention that hard drive manufacturers use metric measurements while operating systems often use binary, which could account for discrepancies in reported sizes.
  • There are suggestions that reinstalling the operating system or formatting the drive could potentially recover more space.
  • Concerns are raised about RAM reporting only 2.75GB usable instead of 3GB, with one participant indicating that mixing RAM chips can lead to such issues.
  • One participant emphasizes checking the BIOS for accurate RAM reporting.
  • Another participant shares their similar experience with a laptop, noting that the OS and pre-installed software account for the reduced available space.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the causes of the discrepancies in hard drive and RAM usability. While some explanations are shared, there is no consensus on a single definitive cause or solution, and multiple competing perspectives remain.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various factors that could affect reported storage sizes, including partitioning, operating system installations, and measurement differences between manufacturers and operating systems. There are also unresolved questions about the BIOS and the absence of an operating disk.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for new laptop users experiencing similar issues with hard drive and RAM usability, as well as those interested in understanding the technical aspects of storage reporting.

sportsstar469
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the laptop is supposed to have a 250GB hard drive. i was expecting it to have around 247. anyway i checked th4e specs and it says it only has a 220 gb max drive size and 197 gb is usable. s this normal? or should i complain?

also the ram is supposed to be 3gb but it says only2.75 is useable?
 
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When it says 2.75 useable, does it say "useable" or "free"? There is a difference. Also: where does it say this. What's likely happening is Windows is reporting only the unused memory on your computer.

For the hard drive: It was most likely partitioned into two partitions: a small one that contains restoration data, and another one with everything installed onto it. The 197 usable is after OS and software installation.
 
SticksandStones said:
When it says 2.75 useable, does it say "useable" or "free"? There is a difference. Also: where does it say this. What's likely happening is Windows is reporting only the unused memory on your computer.

For the hard drive: It was most likely partitioned into two partitions: a small one that contains restoration data, and another one with everything installed onto it. The 197 usable is after OS and software installation.
(sorry capsZ)
YEAH BUT WHY IS IT ONLY A 220 GB SIZE WHEN I SHOULD BE GETTING 250?
 
My HD is about 233 GB and about 15 GB is for recovery.
 
dlgoff said:
My HD is about 233 GB and about 15 GB is for recovery.

hd? d you mean hp? anyway was it supposed to be 250? i paid for a 250gb. i could see if it was 247, and 220 was useable..but its 220 and 197 is useable lol.
 
sportsstar469 said:
(sorry capsZ)
YEAH BUT WHY IS IT ONLY A 220 GB SIZE WHEN I SHOULD BE GETTING 250?

I just told you: it's been partitioned into two: small (probably around 25-30gb) with restoration data and a larger partition (around 220gb) for your OS installation. The 197gb is what's left after your OS and software are installed.
 
If you want to, you can reinstall (format everything and delete all the partitions) to get some more GB/find out the exact size.

P.S. HD = hard drive
 
rootX said:
If you want to, you can reinstall (format everything and delete all the partitions) to get some more GB/find out the exact size.

P.S. HD = hard drive

Yeah that's the only way to do it. Remember though you're HD doesn't exactly hold that much information... I've never had one that held perfectly the amount anyways.

As for the RAM that happens normally when you mix ram chips together. Normally if you want to do that you should buy 'dual'.

Check your BIOS to make sure though it SHOULD say the correct amount there.
 
Sorry! said:
I've never had one that held perfectly the amount anyways.

One factor to keep in mind is that hard drive manufactures report sizes in metric (1 kB = 1000 B) while most OSs report them in binary units (1 kB = 1024 B).*

* No, I will not use kiB, MiB, etc..
 
  • #10
Sorry! said:
Yeah that's the only way to do it. Remember though you're HD doesn't exactly hold that much information... I've never had one that held perfectly the amount anyways.

As for the RAM that happens normally when you mix ram chips together. Normally if you want to do that you should buy 'dual'.

Check your BIOS to make sure though it SHOULD say the correct amount there.

whats a bios? my laptop is weird i have to go to my computer to check out the specs. if i right click the main screen the properties option isn't there like on my old pc. also i don't have an operating disk that came with my pc? should i have gotten one? i have windows 7 if that helps? i keep getting a popup on my computer telling me to create an acer backup disk though. (acer is the brands)
 
  • #11
CRGreathouse said:
One factor to keep in mind is that hard drive manufactures report sizes in metric (1 kB = 1000 B) while most OSs report them in binary units (1 kB = 1024 B).*

This probably explains why 220 Gb is reported, and the OS and restoration probably accounts for the remaining ~20 Gb.
 
  • #12
Using that math, 250 megabytes becomes 232...and again, you didn't say where/how you are reading this, so it is tough for us to know what it means.
 
  • #13
I bought an HP not that long ago. Mine is the same as yours, 250gb hd and only 197gb available. As noted that measurement system could be part of it and then you have the huge windows OS on there, plus back up, and then all of the other programs that came with it.

Yes, you paid for a 250gb hd, and if you didn't want an OS and such on there maybe you could have requested that.
 

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