220-802 · Question #370
A user recently purchased a new PC with a 500GB hard drive. However, they are reporting that their C. Drive is only 420GB. Which of the following BEST explains this?
The correct answer is D. A Factory Recovery Partition is using the 80GB. The missing capacity on a new PC hard drive is almost always due to a hidden factory recovery partition that manufacturers create to allow users to restore the system to factory defaults.
Question
A user recently purchased a new PC with a 500GB hard drive. However, they are reporting that their C. Drive is only 420GB. Which of the following BEST explains this?
Options
- AThe manufacturer blocks off that 80GB so that user cannot exceed the drive space.
- BThe file system is using the 80GB for tables.
- CBIOS and systems files are hidden in the 80GB.
- DA Factory Recovery Partition is using the 80GB.
How the community answered
(32 responses)- A3% (1)
- B3% (1)
- C13% (4)
- D81% (26)
Why each option
The missing capacity on a new PC hard drive is almost always due to a hidden factory recovery partition that manufacturers create to allow users to restore the system to factory defaults.
Manufacturers do not block off drive space to prevent users from exceeding capacity; all available formatted space is accessible to the user.
File system metadata and allocation tables consume only a small amount of space (typically under 1 GB) and cannot account for an 80 GB discrepancy.
BIOS firmware is stored on a separate chip on the motherboard, not on the hard drive, and system files visible to the OS are already included in the reported C: drive size.
PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo reserve a hidden partition - typically ranging from 6 GB to over 20 GB - containing a factory image of the operating system and pre-installed software. This partition does not appear as usable space in Windows Explorer but consumes physical drive capacity, explaining the discrepancy between the advertised 500 GB and the visible 420 GB. Disk Management will reveal this partition.
Concept tested: Factory recovery partition consuming hard drive space
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-recovery-environment--windows-re--technical-reference
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