Basic Windows Tutorials - Figuring Out how Big a File is

Computer files are measured in units called "bytes" (pronounced "bites"). A byte roughly translates into a character or letter. For example, if I type "Love & War", I have typed in 10 bytes (7 letters, 1 symbol, 2 spaces). Special formatting codes such as Bold, Italics, or Underline add bytes to the document, as well as different fonts or font sizes.

Bytes are measured in the metric system, which won't be unfamiliar to you if you live outside the US. But for those of you that are confused when you buy a 2-Liter from the grocery store, this table may help you figure out what people are talking about when they refer to a Megabyte.

The reason that the number of "actual bytes" is different from the "rough size" is due to the fact that computer numbers always have to be 2 to the power of X. If you don't understand, don't worry, it won't affect you.

Floppy Disks hold about 1.44 MB. CD's hold about 600-700 MB. Hard Drives hold anywhere from 800 MB to 20+ GB.

Text is not the only information that takes up room on your disk. Images and Graphics are recorded in bytes as well.

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