Question Why is SSD on new laptop 29% full?

[is-data]

After using Mac computers since the late 1990s, I have bought a Microsoft Surface laptop 13.8", 16/256 - which I think is exceptional. However the SSD only has 170GB free space. I have searched numerous PC websites and forums but can't find the answer. Is this normal for Windows 11; and if not how do I clean-up the Hard Disk.
This is not really a problem but it seems very full for a new, out-of-the-box laptop.
Thank you for any help

 

[SkyNetRising]

Why is SSD on new laptop 70% full?
I have bought a Microsoft Surface laptop 13.8", 16/256 - which I think is exceptional.
However the SSD only has 170GB free space.

170GB free out of 256GB (238GB usable space) is 71% free or 29% full (not 70% full).
Used space is 238 - 170 = 68GB
Quite normal disk usage for windows 11.

 

[Zerk2012]

After using Mac computers since the late 1990s, I have bought a Microsoft Surface laptop 13.8", 16/256 - which I think is exceptional. However the SSD only has 170GB free space. I have searched numerous PC websites and forums but can't find the answer. Is this normal for Windows 11; and if not how do I clean-up the Hard Disk.
This is not really a problem but it seems very full for a new, out-of-the-box laptop.
Thank you for any help

I believe the 16/256 is saying 16GB of memory and just a 256GB drive so about 170GB left would be about right.

 

[is-data]

Many thanks for your replies - really helpful and prompt. I thought that may be the case and fortunately it is not a problem at all; I was just worried I was doing something wrong as I am new Windows.

 

[is-data]

170GB free out of 256GB (238GB usable space) is 71% free or 29% full (not 70% full).
Used space is 238 - 170 = 68GB
Quite normal disk usage for windows 11.

Sorry about that, I meant 170GB free, and have now corrected the question.

 

[LordVile]

Well formatting generally takes 10% which knocked you down to 225~ windows is 20-30GB which takes you to 195~ and the rest will be random stuff that’s also installed by default in.

Oh and windows uses binary bytes rather than decimal bytes but advertises in decimal so you lose some 20GB~ storage there. (macOS uses decimal so you don’t see this)

 

[helper800]

Many thanks for your replies - really helpful and prompt. I thought that may be the case and fortunately it is not a problem at all; I was just worried I was doing something wrong as I am new Windows.

Windows itself can be about 30gb and a pagefile with 16gb of RAM will be abou 32gb of storage space used. 68gb used with nothing else on the device seems about right to me, though there may be some GBs of bloatware from Microsoft.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Well formatting generally takes 10% which knocked you down to 225~ windows is 20-30GB which takes you to 195~

No. That's not, how it works.

256GB drive capacity is is actually 256'000'000'000 bytes (not 256GB).
When you convert to GB you get 256'000'000'000/1024/1024/1024 = 238GB
There is no way to get 225GB from 256GB.

If you take 240GB drive for example, then actual capacity is 240'000'000'000/1024/1024/1024 =223GB.
That's probably where you got this 225GB number.

 

[LordVile]

No. That's not, how it works.

256GB drive capacity is is actually 256'000'000'000 bytes (not 256GB).
When you convert to GB you get 256'000'000'000/1024/1024/1024 = 238GB
There is no way to get 225GB from 256GB.

If you take 240GB drive for example, then actual capacity is 240'000'000'000/1024/1024/1024 =223GB.
That's probably where you got this 225GB number.

256000000000/1024 =250,000,000KB
250000000/1024 =244,140.625MB
244140.625/1024 =238.419GB

You have to do it for every conversion

After than you lose formatting which is another 10% and windows. Formatting isn’t the same as conversion from decimal to binary.