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Difference between Actual size and size on Disk

Hello Friends,
We are running a windows 2000 server with IIS 5.0. Whenever I try to check the size of some directory, I find Actual size and Size on Disk. There is always a difference between both the sizes, sometimes the difference is minor and sometimes it is major. Please tell me which size is to be taken into consideration while checking the size of the directory.

Thanks
Regards
Hiren Shah

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Roonaan

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Roonaan

In addition, for example having a stack of boxes containing pies. You don't want to have any two types of pies in one box. And each box can contain 8 pieces of pie. (Each pie is sliced in eight pieces, so this works out well)

Look at one file as 22 pieces of applepie and the second file as 12 pieces of chocolatepie, you'd have to use 3 boxes to store the first file in and 2 boxes to store the second. Leaving room for about 6 other pieces if you would allow 2 kinds of pie in one box. (which a harddisk doesn't).

sorry if you see this example as offending your intellegence, it isn't intended supposed to. Just wanted to write a clear example.

regards

-r-

HirenhShah

ASKER

Hello Roonaan,
Thanks for the reply. Well you have not mentioned as to which one is to be taken into consideration, the actual size or the size on disk. Please make it clear.

Thanks
Regards
Hiren Shah

Roonaan

I guess it would be the size on disk I would take into consideration, When copying you could look at the actual size if clustersize differs from original medium to new medium, and estimate the new size on disk. Depend on what you are going to do with it. If you're just looking at it not transferring or something, I would choose size on disk.

-r-

JamesDS

Roonaan
loving the pie analogy :)

Cheers

JamesDS