Folder Size for Windows Explorer

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Uwe (required) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:14:26 GMT

For me, "TreeSize" (http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/index.shtml), the freeware version of, is a great tool to show folder sizes, including a graphical bar.

They also do have a commercial version, but I dislike the lot of features in it.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Kris — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:26:09 GMT

I am a bit charry about installing third party shell extensions mainly because it becomes an integral part of your PC experience and let's say if there is a memory leak that the author has overlooked it, then your overall experience is affected. That being said, this is a nice addon and with Virtual Machines and snapshots, it is easy to try out third party shell extensions.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Blake Handler — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:21:13 GMT

I 've used this program for the last few versions -- but I'm not too keen on their "Vista Sucks" link on their page (^_^)

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Fujikid — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:45:49 GMT

So it crashes every once in a while, and slows down your computer. That's no reason to uninstall it. Well, if you really want to, use the Add or Remove Programs control panel. You'll have to manually fix the columns in Explorer too.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Fujikid — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:47:48 GMT

^^^^That's the bit I don't like on the foldersize site.

I agree that's no reason to uninstall it. The uninstall option simply won't be available as that's a very good reason not to install it in the first place.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

noahc — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:39:03 GMT

Fujikid,

Strange, it's never noticably slowed down my PC or caused any problems. In fact, I've been quite impressed that it has run so smoothly. Wish all my apps were that reliable.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Jordan — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:21:43 GMT

I would love nothing more than to see this work in Vista.

OK, scratch that. My preference would be to have this feature built natively into Vista. But, being as that is not the case, I would LOVE for this to be supported in Vista.

The developer posts:

"Hey, I am the developer of Folder Size. It brings a tear to my eye to see such lamentation about Folder Size not supporting Vista. Vista removes the API that I used to add the column. F*cking Vista. I don't see why they couldn't have implemented some translation layer from the old interface to their new system."

<sigh>

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Stephen — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:13:55 GMT

This does beg the question: WHY has this not been a feature built into windows for years by now? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

James — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:41:24 GMT

It goes to show how lazy Microsoft is ... it seems like such a basic failure in the Windows series, no easily read folder size!

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Bob Jones — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:57:56 GMT

And yet, if you delete a folder and check your Recycle bin, it has the 'size' column right there! So Windows knows what the filesize of the folder is, why not display it everywhere else?

Lame

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

AndyJ — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:41:47 GMT

"It goes to show how lazy Microsoft is ... it seems like such a basic failure in the Windows series, no easily read folder size!"

I suppose that depends on your point of view:

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2007/10/29/5750353.aspx

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

kbiel — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:41:02 GMT

"It goes to show how lazy Microsoft is ... it seems like such a basic failure in the Windows series, no easily read folder size!"

I never felt so put out by just right clicking the folder and choosing properties. Now who's being lazy?

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

umeca74 — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:36:51 GMT

i guess the foldersize bloke is miffed coz vista did away with column handlers altogether and thus this kind of extension and many other similar ones that are columns not associated to any file type (e.g. TSVN stuff) are foobar'd

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

omygosh — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:52:51 GMT

what a piece of crap!

you may install this app if you got a single hd not too crowded.

Try to use it with a huge raid array with, say, an average per disk 10000 subdirs and

300000 files.

Or better (or worse, it depends on your point ov view) like AndyJ pointed out,

try it on one or more clients in an even small network.

You may see the light then...

ps the light of your ranting harddisk, i meant

have a good day

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

jm — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:42:08 GMT

It has it's uses, I used to install it when I needed to clean up my drive, and disable all other times. Windows should have it built in for those who want it. It does use up resources though.

Right clicking properties is fine but when you are cleaning house it gets old quick. The Treesize works fine in vista though and it's easy, quick, free, and temporary. But it was nice having it incorporated into explorer.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Rusty — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:26:03 GMT

FIX! It is the long way around but it works. Install the free Microsoft Virtual PC into Vista (you gotta have your legit copy of XP to install into this program). Then, install folder size. Then, share your Vista drives with full rights. Then run the Virtual XP and look into your network workgroup shared Vista hard drive and it works!

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

dweezil — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:04:57 GMT

interesting problem... noodled way too long with it, but i want that info on the details pane, it seems so natural... seems like a big project... do you keep virtual XP set up for this purpose? is it worth it? i read that calculating all those sizes in explorer would kill speed... is it that bad? thanks for running interferance and making noise... maybe they will fix this in sp 8 or 9...-d

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

whooaahh — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:18 GMT

Want folder size, use a Mac. Apple introduced this long long ago, over 10 years.

Think Different..

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Molkin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:05:00 GMT

So, till no solution for Vista ?

I use http://www.whereisit-soft.com/ to scan my drives. and I have the folder size in it...

If someone need it...

Cheers

Molkin

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Riggs — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:48:28 GMT

Once this dude finds a work around for the smallest most useful plug in to what Microsoft forgot to put in again. I'm there. Foldersize is for Windows and 3rd praty file manager is for DOS and seems to have a Nag window for upgrades.

Over the Years, this utility has helped me find Viruses and extremely hidden files.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Charles — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:41:26 GMT

Windows 3.1 had this function in the file manager, but it was removed in Windows 95.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Charles — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:44:05 GMT

I forgot to mention, I do a lot of HD backups, recovering peoples data from their HDs if their computer is bad, or if it just needs reformatted. Foldersize is such a valuable tool finding out where the data on a HDD is, I couldn't work without it. I once found that Norton was keeping 80GB of log files in a normally unused directory. I would have never right-clicked that folder to find the size.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Brian — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:46:41 GMT

"Want folder size, use a Mac. Apple introduced this long long ago, over 10 years.

Think Different.."

Umm...don't think so. I own a Mac running Leopard and Apple is just as guilty of not including such obvious info to the detail view. Linux FTW this round.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

james — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:38:31 GMT

Yer Linux is generally ftw in every case..but nothing beats windows for just ease of use (even with the problems..at least there's a quickly findable fix for whatever problem crops up) unlike Mac which you cant even google for the problem cos its so retarded or difficult to describe.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Slavescu Emanuel — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:11:24 GMT

If "Windows 3.1 had this function in the file manager, but it was removed in Windows 95.", then, Micro$oft, you're doing it wrong!... Epic, epic FAIL!

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Andriy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:42:17 GMT

For Windows XP: Use ExplorerXP

For Windows Vista: Use Directory Opus although ExplorerXP works 2.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

forjo — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:51:49 GMT

I use "Idoswin Free" to see where my disk space has got to. The Option "Show Directory Size" in the "View" menu must be checked.

In other respects I use Windows Explorer, because Idoswin Free has other lacks, e.g. doesn't show Last Access column.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

JB — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:07:27 GMT

FolderSizes (http://www.foldersizes.com) is the absolute BEST of the commercial tools available. Has many advanced features, and has saved my butt many, many times.

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Dawood — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:30:26 GMT

Here's how you may enable displaying folders size without installation of any additional software:

http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/windows-howtoos/91-how-to-display-folder-size-in-windows-explorer

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

Shiraz99 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:15:31 GMT

Hey Dawood, I can not get your software to run under Windows 7

Sorry !!

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

alienYOUTH — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:49:41 GMT

I'm surprised that Microsoft hasnt thot of this in Windows 7. Anywayz, for us XP users...Dawood, ur software rocks!!!

re: Folder Size for Windows Explorer

semperfi89 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:03:11 GMT

Hay Dawood,

You say that you don't have to install software with your method... Sorry but step #1 says to download install a dll....

So I must disagree with you about that.