Che1 IG Lab 1.3.2.2 Data-Storage-Capacity
Che1 IG Lab 1.3.2.2 Data-Storage-Capacity
Che1 IG Lab 1.3.2.2 Data-Storage-Capacity
Objectives
Determine the amount of RAM (in MB) installed in a PC.
Determine the size of the hard disk drive (in GB) installed in a PC.
Determine the used and available space on the hard disk drive (in GB).
Check other types of storage devices (floppy, CD-ROM, DVD).
Background / Preparation
The storage capacity of many PC components is measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB). These
components include RAM, hard disk drives, and optical media, such as CDs and DVDs. In this lab, you will
determine the capacity and space available for various computer components.
The following resources are required:
Computer with Windows XP installed
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Computer operating
system
and service pack
information
Computer processor
type, speed, and
memory
c. In this example, the computer processor is a Pentium 4 processor with a clock speed of 3.20
gigahertz (GHz). Clock speed is a measurement of the number of cycles per second that a processor
is capable of doing. The number of cycles impacts the number of instructions per second that the
CPU can process. A higher clock speed generally means that a processor is capable of executing
more instructions per second.
The computer has 448 MB of RAM available for the CPU.
d. Check your computer and determine the amount of RAM available to the CPU. How much RAM is in
your computer? _______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The answer will vary depending on the RAM installed in each computer
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c. Determine the size of the hard drive on your computer. What is the total size of the hard drive in GB?
____________________________________________________________________________
The answer will vary depending on the hard drive installed in each computer
d. Keep the Local Disk Properties dialog box open for the next step.
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Step 3: Determine the free space and used space on the hard drive
a. In the Local Disk Properties dialog box, the used and free space is shown in both bytes and GB
above the Capacity.
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b. How many drive letters are shown in the window that appears? _________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The answer depends on the hardware installed, but there will be at least one and most likely two
(hard drive and CD/DVD drive). There could possibly be more if there is a floppy drive, a USB flash
drive, or a network drive
c. Right-click on a drive icon other than C: and select Properties. The Removable Disk Properties
window appears.
d. Select the Hardware tab, which provides information on each device and whether it is working
properly.
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Step 5: Reflection
a. Why is it important to know the amount of RAM in your computer?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
This will determine the type of OS that you are able to run as well as which application programs can
be used. Generally the more RAM in a computer system the better
b. Why is the size of a hard drive as well as the space being used important?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The size of the hard drive gives an indication of the total number of files that can be stored on the
drive. This includes the operating system, application programs as well as any data associated with
these programs. Generally the larger the drive size the better
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