Why is there a difference between size and size on disk?

Why is there a difference between size and size on disk?

Size is the actual size of the file in bytes. Size on disk is the actual amount of space being taken up on the disk. They differ because the disk is divided into tracks and sectors, and can allocate blocks of discrete size.

What’s the difference between size and size on disk in Windows?

Size vs Size on Disk The difference between size and size on disk is that size refers to the real size of a file, size on disk is the measure of the number of bytes the file occupies on the hard disk.

What ports do SMB use?

As such, SMB requires network ports on a computer or server to enable communication to other systems. SMB uses either IP port 139 or 445.

Is the size of a file always the same on a disk?

The space each file takes on the disk is always a multiple of the allocation unit size – and here we’re assuming each file is actually small enough to fit within a single unit, with some (wasted) space left over.

What does size on disk mean in Windows 8?

That “size on disk” indicates that a full cluster was allocated even though only one byte of storage was needed. What you’re seeing with your NAS is that Windows 8 assumes one cluster size for its “Size on disk” display and Windows 8.1 assumes another.

How to tell the difference between file size and cluster size?

When it comes to the size on disk vs size huge difference, you can check if there are lots of small files inside the folder and the cluster size is relatively large. If it is, the discrepancy will be much bigger because every single file will waste drive space.

How big is one byte file on disk?

With a 4KB cluster size, even a one-byte file will require 4KB of disk space. You can see this for yourself: Create a text file containming a single character, then look at its properties in Windows. It’ll be shown as something like “Size: 1, Size on disk: 4096”.