Data Storage Converter
Convert bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB.
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The Data Storage Converter moves a size between byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte and terabyte, treating each step as 1,024 times the one before. Those binary multiples are what Windows uses when it reports file and drive sizes, so the tool is useful for working out why a new drive shows less space than the box promised, or how many files will fit on a phone.
Two meanings of "kilobyte"
Storage sizes are quoted in two systems that share the same names:
- Decimal (SI): kilo means 1,000, so 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Hard drive, SSD and memory card makers use this, as does macOS since version 10.6.
- Binary: kilo means 1,024, so 1 GB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. Windows reports sizes this way. Strictly these are kibibytes, mebibytes and gibibytes (KiB, MiB, GiB), names the IEC introduced in 1998, though few programs display them.
This converter uses the binary values throughout:
| Unit | Bytes |
|---|---|
| 1 kilobyte | 1,024 |
| 1 megabyte | 1,048,576 |
| 1 gigabyte | 1,073,741,824 |
| 1 terabyte | 1,099,511,627,776 |
Worked example: the "missing" space on a 1 TB drive
A drive sold as 1 TB holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, because the manufacturer counts in decimal. Enter 1000000000000, From byte, To gigabyte, and press Convert:
1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 931.322575 GB
The rows beneath show the same capacity as 0.909495 terabyte, 953674.316406 megabytes and 976562500 kilobytes. So Windows showing "931 GB" is a difference in units, not lost storage. The formatted capacity is a little lower again because the file system and any recovery partition take some room.
RAM is the exception among hardware labels. Memory chips are built in powers of two, so an 8 GB module really does hold 8 × 1,073,741,824 bytes, and the binary figure on this converter matches the box exactly.
Everyday conversions
- How many photos fit? Convert the free space to megabytes and divide by a typical file size. 64 GB is 65,536 MB, which holds roughly 16,000 photos of 4 MB each.
- Upload limits: many exam, job and government portals in India cap photo and signature uploads in KB. If a photo or signature is over the limit, resize the image to a set KB size or shrink it with the image compressor; for documents, try compress PDF.
- Internet speed: connection speeds are quoted in megabits per second (Mbps), and one byte is 8 bits. This converter has no bit units, so divide by 8 first: a 100 Mbps line moves about 12.5 megabytes per second in decimal terms, before protocol overheads.
Reading the output
Results are rounded to six decimal places, so very small values expressed in large units round to zero: a single byte shows as 0 gigabytes. Large results are printed without thousands separators, such as 1099511627776 for a terabyte in bytes, so count the digits carefully before copying a figure. The arithmetic runs in your browser.