When it comes to computers, one of the main components is the operating system (OS). It allows users to communicate with the computer in a way that we can understand. Arguably the most popular OS is Microsoft’s Windows. Windows 8 was released last year and brought with it a drastic change to the Windows environment. This change has a bit of a learning curve, for example, finding out how much space your hard drive has, or a file takes up, can be a bit challenging.
Here’s three ways you can see how much space programs are taking up in Windows 8. Before you check file sizes however, you should be aware whether these are shown in bytes, KB, MB, GB or TB.
- Bytes are the smallest measurement you will see, and are made up of eight bits (a combination of 8 1s or 0s).
- A KB is a Kilobyte and is around 1,000 bytes (1,024 to be exact).
- A MB – Megabyte – is around 1,000KB.
- A GB – Gigabyte – is around 1,000MB.
- A TB – Terabyte – is around 1,000GB.
As a reference: Most mid-range laptops will have between 500GB and 750GB.
3 ways to check file size
1. Easy – If you have an individual file or folder that you would like to know the size of, simply right click on it and select Properties. Under the General tab, look for the box that says Size and Size on Disk. The number beside these fields should be in KB, MB or GB.
2. Slightly less easy – First you need to open your PC Settings – move your mouse to the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings followed by Change PC settings. From there click onGeneral and scroll down until you see Available storage. The number is the amount of space you have left, and pressing on View app sizes will bring up a list of all installed apps and the amount of space they take up.
3. Still easy, but harder than the other two – Open the Control Panel – move your cursor to the bottom left of the screen and search for: Control Panel. Click onPrograms followed by Programs and Features. Look at the column labeled Size and a program’s size should be listed. If you can’t see it try maximizing the window. If you click on a program, you should see more information about it, including its size in the bottom right.
If there is no information about size, search by moving your mouse to the bottom left and entering the file’s name. From there you can follow step one above.
Windows 8 has many interesting features, but they will take time to figure out. If you are looking to integrate this OS into your business, or would like to learn more about how to use it, effectively please contact us today.
