File Manager Displays Maximum Disk Space of 1.99 GB (128794)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q128794

SUMMARY

Windows NT and Windows 95/98 support the creation of primary partitions and logical drives that are larger than 2 gigabytes (GB). When you run File Manager in Windows version 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 to view a large Windows NT drive, the maximum disk space (available or total disk space) displayed is 1.99 GB.

MORE INFORMATION

Since Windows version 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 operate with MS-DOS, they are limited to a 16-bit FAT drive. The maximum cluster size for a 16-bit FAT drive is 64K, or 65,536 bytes (where 1K = 1,024 bytes). In addition, the maximum cluster size in MS-DOS is 32K, or 32,768 bytes. Therefore, the maximum logical drive size in MS-DOS is calculated as follows:

32K x 64K = 2,048 MB = 2 GB

Although the maximum disk space that File Manager reports is 1.99 GB in Windows version 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups version 3.11, you can still access data stored on the FAT, HPFS, and NTFS drives larger than 2 GB.

The maximum partition sizes under Windows NT are:

File SystemMaximum Partition Size
FAT2^32 bytes (4 gigabytes)
HPFS2^41 bytes (2,048 gigabytes)
NTFS2^64 bytes (16 exabytes)


NOTE: 16 exabytes equals 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 bytes.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/16/2004
Keywords:KB128794
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.