Folder Size

How to See the Folder Size in Vista​

information   Information
In Vista Windows Explorer you can see the size of a file in the Size column. However, the folder is left blank with no size. This will show you how to see the size for the folder.
Note   Note
This was done on purpose. On large content folders, it can take a few seconds to gather the size information for it. Now image that mulitplied by how many folders are in the window (EX: C:\Windows\System32). It could make navigating Windows Explorer an extremely slow nightmare.

EXAMPLE: Windows Explorer Folder Size Column
Size_Example1.jpg​
​





OPTION ONE
View Folder Size in a Pop-up Description

NOTE: This is turned on by default in Vista. You will still only be able to see the size of one folder at a time though.
1. Open Folder Options.​
​
2. Check Display file size information in folder tips. (See left screenshot below step 4)​
​
3. Check Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items. (See right screenshot below step 4)​
​
4. Click on OK.​
Options1.jpgOptions2.jpg​
​

5. Move the pointer over the folder you want to see the size for and let it hover. (See screenshot below)​
​
6. A pop-up will show you the Size and Date created of the folder.​
NOTE: It might take a second if the folder has a large content.​
Size_Popup.jpg​
​






OPTION TWO
View Folder Size in Folder Properties

NOTE: This method contains more details than just the pop-up description in Option One above.
1. Right click on the folder and click on Properties. (See example at top)​
NOTE: You can also select the folder, and press Alt+Enter to open the properties windows of the folder.​
​
2. You will now see the size information under the General tab. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: It might take a moment if the folder has a large content.​
​
​
Properties.jpg​
​

That's it,
Shawn



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Click to expand...
An earlier contributer....."Valek Hawke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

wrote
> You know, I'm sure this question has probably been asked and answered
> elsewhere, but for some reason my search queries don't seem to be doing
> too
> well. The question I have is this: Is it possible to get Windows Explorer
> in
> Windows Vista Ultimate to show the total size of a folder in the Details
> view? It shows it for Compressed Folders (.zip) and individual files, why
> in
> God's name can't or won't it show a cumulative total for all of the
> individual files that are saved in a particular folder? I don't want to
> have
> to use any third-party software to do this. This is functionality that
> should
> have been a part of Windows since 3.1 IMHO.

And I whole heartedly agree:

Surely the microsoft gurus could leave it to the owner of the computer to choose whether or not he or she would like to see the folder size displayed as is the file size.

In these times of information overload it is easy to loose large files and subfolders among the many unspecified folders on our computer

Is there not a fix for this erroneous shortfall available to those of us that would like to order our folders by size to easily optimise our disk space usage.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi jakrusl,

Welcome to Vista Forums. :party:

Unfortunately, not without using a 3rd party Windows Explorer substitute. :(

I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for anything new that may allow this with some hack or change in Vista, but I believe that it is one of those things that is just to hard coded. I would be nice to have it as a Folder Option to check or uncheck.

Sorry, :(
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

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    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
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    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2, 4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2, 8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
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    Logitech Z625 speaker system, Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn, APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI, Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
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    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
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    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Brink said:
NOTE: This was done on purpose. On large content folders, it can take a few seconds to gather the size information for it. Now image that mulitplied by how many folders are in the window (EX: C:\Windows\System32). It could make navigating Windows Explorer an extremely slow nightmare.
Click to expand...
I used the freeware Explorer shell extension FolderSize in XP for years, it seemed slick enough to me and that was with a much slower system. But now it seems MS have changed the way file information is obtained, FolderSize doesn't work in Vista.

But if it was done for that reason, let the ones who don't object to any sluggishness resulting have it as an option like a 9x/XP Powertoy rather than built-in.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi cpemma,

Yes, Vista has changed the way that functions. I agree with you. It would be nice to have a option to turn the Folder size on or off in the Size column like.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2, 4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2, 8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system, Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn, APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI, Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
I have a problem with my windows after I upgraded to SP1.
It seems that the General tab is missing after I right-clicked on a folder and selected properties.
The only tabs available are Security, Sharing and Customize.
As such, I can't view the size of the folder and am not able to set it as hidden or read-only. This happens to all folders (even the ones on desktop) but not to files.



Any help will be much appreciated.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi mdshaman,

Welcome to Vista Forums. :party:

Sorry it took so long to reply, but I was trying to find a solution for this strange problem. I could not find anything on the net on this. :(

Have you tried a restart to see if it was just a fluke?

You might see if running a sfc /scannow command can find and fix the problem. You can see how here if needed.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2, 4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2, 8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system, Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn, APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI, Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi,

I have exactly the same problem as mdshaman on a laptop I'm borrowing while abroad. Have you managed to fix the problem? I'm running Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit with SP1 installed.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi Jeffrey,

Sorry nothing yet. You might try running the sfc /scannow command to see if that can fix it.

I would also post this question in the Vista General newsgroup to see if someone there may have ran across this too.

Sorry, :(
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2, 4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2, 8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system, Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn, APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI, Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Brink said:
Hi Jeffrey,

Sorry nothing yet. You might try running the sfc /scannow command to see if that can fix it.

I would also post this question in the Vista General newsgroup to see if someone there may have ran across this too.

Sorry, :(
Shawn
Click to expand...

Im having the exact same problem??? Saw it today, its every folder??? You 2 guys who had this issue, have you used vlite to alter youre Vista DVD´s somehow??? Maybe its vlite?? Or what else could it be? Please if anyone knows an answer, please tell us?
 

My Computer

System One

Hi HaZe303,

The problem is occurring on an OEM version of Vista that came preinstalled on a Toshiba laptop. The only things I've done are install service pack 1 and switch the language from Spanish to England using a 3rd party application. Either one of those could be causing the problem. I'm running the scan disk as I type and will let you know if that solves anything.
 

My Computer

System One

Apologies if this is out of contect of this thread :o

Not being able to show folder size in Vista (as you could in XP) is frustrating (dare i say dumb).

A work around is to use a freeware program called Free Commander.

It shows Folder Sizes and can do lots of nice thinks Windows Explorer can only dream about.

From the site:
FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock. You can take FreeCommander anywhere - just copy the installation directory on a CD, USB-Stick or even a floppy disk - and you can even work with this program on a foreign computer.


Main features in FreeCommander:
  • Dual-panel technology - horizontal and vertical
  • Tabbed interface
  • Optional tree view for each panel
  • Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format
  • File viewer inside archives too
  • Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read)
  • Nested archive handling
  • Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu
  • Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders
  • Wipe files
  • Create and verify MD5 checksums
  • File splitting
  • File properties and context menu
  • Calculation of folder size
  • Folder comparison / synchronization
  • Modification of file date and attributes
  • Folder / program favorites
  • File searching (inside archive too)
  • File filters for display
  • User defined columns for detailed view
  • DOS command line
  • Multiple language support
Click to expand...
Here is a link to the program site

http://www.freecommander.com/

cheers

Ps works with x64 but may have some issues as yet
 

My Computer

System One

vista_man said:
Apologies if this is out of contect of this thread :o

Not being able to show folder size in Vista (as you could in XP) is frustrating (dare i say dumb).

Ps works with x64 but may have some issues as yet
Click to expand...


You shouldnt need any programs, it worked fine before, and does not anymore?? That is strange. The only reason I can think of is that vlite somehow altered something in my vista installation that did this?? Thx for the post thou.

Jeffreybolle said:
Hi HaZe303,

The problem is occurring on an OEM version of Vista that came preinstalled on a Toshiba laptop. The only things I've done are install service pack 1 and switch the language from Spanish to England using a 3rd party application. Either one of those could be causing the problem. I'm running the scan disk as I type and will let you know if that solves anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thx. Post back if you find some solution? Thx.
 

My Computer

System One

Hi all..
Actually my laptop came preinstalled with Japanese Vista and I've copied the English MUI to the respective folders in Vista so that i can use both Japanese and English as the language on the laptop.
It seems that when I'm in the Japanese language environment, the general tab is available. Only in the English environment it is missing. Since it was there (in English) before I installed SP1, I'm guessing SP1 is the culprit. However, scan disk does nothing to help so I'm still stuck. :cry:

To Haze303: I did not use vlite, so no help there pal. sorry.

To Jeffreybolle: So how's the scan? Any help to you?
 

My Computer

System One

mdshaman said:
Hi all..
Actually my laptop came preinstalled with Japanese Vista and I've copied the English MUI to the respective folders in Vista so that i can use both Japanese and English as the language on the laptop.
It seems that when I'm in the Japanese language environment, the general tab is available. Only in the English environment it is missing. Since it was there (in English) before I installed SP1, I'm guessing SP1 is the culprit. However, scan disk does nothing to help so I'm still stuck. :cry:

To Haze303: I did not use vlite, so no help there pal. sorry.

To Jeffreybolle: So how's the scan? Any help to you?
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you, im 100% sure its Vista SP1 that is the culprit, I was using a homemade MUI for Swedish Vista that is supposed to work in SP1, but as it seems is not 100% working atm. So I re-installed with English only and my problem is gone. BUt now the Wave1 versions of SP1 are out, so this issue should be old as of now?? Thx for all youre replies, this is why WWW is so great.
 

My Computer

System One

This was done on purpose. On large content folders, it can take a few seconds to gather the size information for it. Now image that mulitplied by how many folders are in the window (EX: C:\Windows\System32). It could make navigating Windows Explorer an extremely slow nightmare.
Click to expand...

I agree that by allowing this feature as a default would be a huge tack on resources, but I believe there has to be a more either sinister (okay a bit excessive) or embaressing reason that Mikesoft continues to refuse integrating it into OS's. I mean, if it's about resources, then let it be a selected feature. Certainly if third party peeps can make this happen then the good folks at Mikesoft could do it in a snap :geek:.

I mean, for at least forever, I've always had to rely on third party applications of which a dos application "Xtree" remains my favorite of all and I weeped when OS upgrades separated me from this app. Sure, it's got that whole Dos thing going for it, blue with subtle shades of white for borders :confused: , but heck it sure works like a dream.

Anyways, I apologize for getting offtrack. I just feel that MicSoft COULD incorporate this feature but just WON'T. :cry:

But while typing this reply I did happen upon Ztree which I'll have to investigate further. Apparently it's XTREE revived, but I'll have to see about that.

Cheers.:party:
 

My Computer

System One

Hello Siskoray, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Yes, it would be nice to have it as a selectable option.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2, 4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2, 8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system, Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn, APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI, Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
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