PC101-Personal
Computer 101
What
is the difference between Memory and
Disk Space?
Memory is
HW that stores both system and user data
in a very efficient and speedy
way. However, the information is volatile, i.e. it is only in
memory while there is power to the computer, so when you shutdown and
turn the power to your computer off, all information in memory is
erased.
When you start your computer 
the
next time the
system writes what information it needs to process into memory
again.
How much memory your PC has is important to the
overall speed of
your system, as no matter how fast your CPU
is, if you don't have enough memory the CPU
will not be able to function at its full potential. For
more info see the question: When I buy
a
computer what do all
those hardware numbers mean?
Disk Space is HW that also stores
both system and user data. However it does so in a more permanent
manner, i.e. the information is actually recorded in the disk drive and
remains there whether it has power or not. The way it normally
gets removed is if it is deleted by you via the Delete
command or by Uninstalling SW.
The size of
your disk also is important for system efficiency, as a
full and/or fragmented disk
will greatly slow down your overall system response. Memory and
disk space often work together, i.e. if the system runs out of memory
it will use some disk space as if it were memory (called the Page File), however, as I said, this is a
much slower way of handling information than real memory; also
important and frequently used data on your disk drive is written into
memory for quicker access.
There are several other questions
on monitoring
and
housecleaning your
disk drive, but basically you can monitor disk usage and access
the tools for maintaining your disk by:
- Open My Computer
- Right click on your Hard
Disk Drive (usually C:\)
- Select Properties
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