Actual Storage Capacity

• 1
  Memory Stick and other flash memory is divided into units of information called bytes.blau image by pe-foto from Fotolia.com
  
  Read the card capacity from the label. This is a rough estimate of how many bytes are available on the Memory Stick. The smallest unit of computer memory is known as a bit. Bits are grouped into information packages called bytes, with eight bits making one byte.
  
  
• 2). Older cards will be classed in megabytes (MB), or millions of bytes. Newer cards will be classed in gigabytes (GB). Some cheaper cards may be classed in gigabits (Gb). Divide this number by eight to get the number of bytes on the card.
  
  
• 3). Insert the card into an adapter and plug it into a personal computer through a USB port. Some computers have slots that allow you to plug the Memory Stick directly into the computer; you can use that option if it is available.
  
  
• 4). For Windows-based personal computers (PCs), plug in the Memory Stick and go to "My Computer." The Memory Stick should appear as an additional drive or removable disk. Right-click on the icon for the Memory Stick and select "Properties."
  
  
• 5). The Memory Stick properties will be displayed giving three items of information about capacity. The "Capacity" tells you the total number of bytes available. The "Used Spaced" tells you how many bytes are being used. "Free Space" tells you how many unused bytes are available for storage.
  
  
• 6). When you plug the Memory Stick into a Macintosh computer, a USB icon will show up on the desktop. Double click the icon to find out the drive size, space used and space available. Macintosh does not show cleared disk space for items put in the trash; you have to empty the trash to free up the disk space.
  
  
• 7). Associations define "GB" differently. Microsoft Windows defines a GB as 1,073,741,824 bytes or 2 raised to the 30th power. This means that Windows will report the drive size numerically correctly, but the reported GB size will be less by about 7 percent.