New hard drive space question.

[timeth]

Hi folks,

I just bought a 500GB solid state hard drive but haven't formatted it to use with PCLinuxOS yet. When I plug it in, the computer says the size is only 465GB. I then did a little research and found out about the difference between binary and decimal readings.

My question is, is there any software that can correct the number so that it reads 500GB? And if so, is there really any point in correcting the reading? Should I just use it as it is?

Just a follow up question too. Is there anything different I need to do when formatting an SSD? Anything to watch out for?

Thanks   

[rubentje1991]

Are you using KDE, or ...?

[timeth]

Oh yes, I am. Sorry.

[Xenaflux]

just show the numbers as they are.
You may/might need the real numbers whenever you have a problem
We all have those number smaller than we dreamed about when we bought.

as for formatting an SSD drive....best to start with a search on this forum, and after reading ask questions when in doubt.
But you knew that already, isn't it 

[rubentje1991]

Oh yes, I am. Sorry.

I am not on my pc at the moment; but somewhere in the Control Center (I think in localization), you can set if you want the sizes in KB, KiB or Kb... (or something like that)
=> changes what you see as space  
Description of the different possible values is in the configuration dialog itself..
=> such as 1 ... is 1000 ....
           1 ... is 1024 .....
           1 .... is 1000 with some extra fix...

If you don't find it, just say, and I'll give more detailed instructions later 

[Bald Brick]

Oh yes, I am. Sorry.

I am not on my pc at the moment; but somewhere in the Control Center (I think in localization), you can set if you want the sizes in KB, KiB or Kb... (or something like that)
=> changes what you see as space  
Description of the different possible values is in the configuration dialog itself..
=> such as 1 ... is 1000 ....
           1 ... is 1024 .....
           1 .... is 1000 with some extra fix...

If you don't find it, just say, and I'll give more detailed instructions later  

I am at my PC. So: 'Configure Your Desktop'->'Locale'->'Other'->'Byte size units:'.

But this setting won't necessarily help when you run non-KDE programs.

[JohnW_57]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/271049-14-500gb-hard-drive-shows-space-comp

1GB according to the disk manufacturers is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. According to how the operating system (and the rest of the computing world) calculates it, it's equal to 1,024 megabytes, which in turn are equal to 1,024 kilobytes, which are themselves equal to 1,024 bytes. So one GB as per the disk manufacturer is really 1,000,000,000 / (1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024) = .931GB as measured by everybody else. So a "500GB" disk has 500 x .931GB of storage, or 465GB.

JohnW

[rubentje1991]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/271049-14-500gb-hard-drive-shows-space-comp

1GB according to the disk manufacturers is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. According to how the operating system (and the rest of the computing world) calculates it, it's equal to 1,024 megabytes, which in turn are equal to 1,024 kilobytes, which are themselves equal to 1,024 bytes. So one GB as per the disk manufacturer is really 1,000,000,000 / (1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024) = .931GB as measured by everybody else. So a "500GB" disk has 500 x .931GB of storage, or 465GB.

JohnW

But you can "fix" this (for KDE) following the advice of Bald Brick 

[pags]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/271049-14-500gb-hard-drive-shows-space-comp

1GB according to the disk manufacturers is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. According to how the operating system (and the rest of the computing world) calculates it, it's equal to 1,024 megabytes, which in turn are equal to 1,024 kilobytes, which are themselves equal to 1,024 bytes. So one GB as per the disk manufacturer is really 1,000,000,000 / (1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024) = .931GB as measured by everybody else. So a "500GB" disk has 500 x .931GB of storage, or 465GB.

JohnW

But you can "fix" this (for KDE) following the advice of Bald Brick 

...or we could tell the HD manufacturers stop stop fu...futzing with the numbers and be honest!
 

[rubentje1991]

Remember too that a SSD has some "invisible" space allocated, to assure the speed of the drive (that 'extra' space is bigger for business drives, and thus smaller for "normal", customer SSDs)...

Just for your information 

[Bald Brick]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/271049-14-500gb-hard-drive-shows-space-comp

1GB according to the disk manufacturers is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. According to how the operating system (and the rest of the computing world) calculates it, it's equal to 1,024 megabytes, which in turn are equal to 1,024 kilobytes, which are themselves equal to 1,024 bytes. So one GB as per the disk manufacturer is really 1,000,000,000 / (1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024) = .931GB as measured by everybody else.

Not everybody else. For most of this millennium the more important standards setting organization (IEC, IEEE, CIPM, NIST) have recommended that the term 'gigabytes' (with the abbreviation GB) should be reserved for decimal gigabytes (10⁹ bytes), while what used to be known as binary gigabytes (2³⁰ bytes) should be called 'gibibytes' and abbreviated GiB.

The one standardization body that doesn't agree is (somewhat ironically) the trade organization JEDEC, and 'JEDEC Units' is one of the options you can pick for KDE.

So a "500GB" disk has 500 x .931GB of storage, or 465GB.

JohnW

[pags]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/271049-14-500gb-hard-drive-shows-space-comp

1GB according to the disk manufacturers is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes. According to how the operating system (and the rest of the computing world) calculates it, it's equal to 1,024 megabytes, which in turn are equal to 1,024 kilobytes, which are themselves equal to 1,024 bytes. So one GB as per the disk manufacturer is really 1,000,000,000 / (1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024) = .931GB as measured by everybody else.

Not everybody else. For most of this millennium the more important standards setting organization (IEC, IEEE, CIPM, NIST) have recommended that the term 'gigabytes' (with the abbreviation GB) should be reserved for decimal gigabytes (10⁹ bytes), while what used to be known as binary gigabytes (2³⁰ bytes) should be called 'gibibytes' and abbreviated GiB.

The one standardization body that doesn't agree is (somewhat ironically) the trade organization JEDEC, and 'JEDEC Units' is one of the options you can pick for KDE.

So a "500GB" disk has 500 x .931GB of storage, or 465GB.

JohnW

 
Sadly, I might to too old to change...

It was the HDD manufacturers that (primarily) precipitated the situation in the first place.  Binary computers counting with binary numbers...people would get it.  But no....!!!!  HDDs need to be "easy", and (subsequently, short changed)!

 

Done my rant (for now).
 

[timeth]

Thanks for the help and comments Ruben, Bald Brick, John, Xenaflux and pags,

I'll try these suggestions and see how it goes. 

[timeth]

I am not on my pc at the moment; but somewhere in the Control Center (I think in localization), you can set if you want the sizes in KB, KiB or Kb... (or something like that)

I am at my PC. So: 'Configure Your Desktop'->'Locale'->'Other'->'Byte size units:'.

Thanks guys. I followed these instructions and changed from IEC units to Metric units. My hard drive now says 500GB available  

EDIT: Oops, I think it's not a solid state drive. I thought it was because it's so small but I can hear it whirring quietly if I hold it up to my ear. But, it has no fan vent. Now I'm not sure what I've bought    It doesn't say anything about SSD on it, just HDD.

[kizito]

Could you advise me how to achieve this in LXDE please?

I have tried through the PCLinuxOS Control Centre, LXDE and Openbox configurators but these do not have the 'Configure Your Desktop'->'Locale'->'Other'->'Byte size units:' sequence nor any obvious equivalent.

I am running fully up-to-date LXDE Edition.

Thanks