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In Windows XP Explorer one can turn on Status Bar which shows, among other things, the total size of all the files in the current folder, or if the cumulative size of the selected files. How do I get the same at-a-glance information in Windows 7?

Selecting files doesn't count as it stops after 15 files, and it's rare that I'm concerned about total size with that few files (it's pretty easy to estimate in my head).

thanks.

UPDATE: Information derived from the context menu (select > r-click > properties) isn't "at a glance", and not as smooth as selecting files and clicking the details link at the bottom in any case. Thank you for fleshing out more of the available routes though.

Yes Q19232 is similar to this one, though it is not a duplicate. That question is about looking for easy free-space on disk stats and this one is easy used-space by contents of this folder stats.

The answer for both is the same though. You can't! Hopefully someone will figure how to get this lost feature back with a shell extension or something.

9
  • When selecting you can still click "Show more details" in the details pane. Unless you have folders selected this will show you the total file size.
    – Joey
    Nov 5, 2009 at 22:57
  • 4
    +1 this is also one of the few things I miss in Windows 7!
    – fretje
    Nov 5, 2009 at 23:01
  • i think this is the tenth time or so this question has been asked here. it has been explained elsewhere, they have removed this feature because of "user anxiety ..."
    – Molly7244
    Nov 5, 2009 at 23:27
  • @Molly: any links?
    – fretje
    Nov 5, 2009 at 23:31
  • 6
    In "user anxiety", they should have defined "user". I can understand that novice users who barely do anything may not use the status bar or care about file-sizes, but how in the world would it lead to confusion or anxiety? By simplifying the OS for "grandmothers", they have created massive anxiety for the rest of us. Why could they not have simply left it available but disabled? The status bar is still there; why did they remove the sizes from it? >:-|
    – Bobson
    Sep 30, 2011 at 1:31

15 Answers 15

21

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Apparently there isn't an easy way, which is why the above freeware program was developed

3
  • thanks for the heads up on this interesting project. I like the new start menu so don't think I'll use it but it's good to know there is an alternative. (also, don't use community wiki until you know how it works here, c.f. meta.stackexchange.com/questions/23482/…) Jul 28, 2010 at 16:54
  • 1
    This is perfect!!! You only need to install the Classic Explorer plugin and it will show the size exactly how you need it, plus the Up button is amazing!!
    – HaxElit
    Dec 28, 2010 at 17:19
  • This is the correct answer. Classicshell fixes a number of regressions in the explorer interface.
    – Fopedush
    Aug 7, 2013 at 20:01
7

If you navigate up one level, and right-click and select "Properties..." of the folder, it will tell you the total file size of the folder. You can also right click the background of the folder (not on a file) when you are browsing it and do the same thing.

However, this will also include the size of all subfolders.

4

Right-clicking and selecting Properties displays the total size of whatever files and folders you have selected. If you right-click the "background" of the folder window, Properties gives you the total size of the folder, including any subfolders.

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It looks like this behavior will return in Windows 8, with a limit of 99 selected files.

If you need more than that, read my other answer on how to select them and get to their properties...

1

Another Open source Windows file manager

http://www.explorerplusplus.com/

0
1

I haven't seen this mentioned but I highly recommend JdiskReport. It is a small Java app that actually gives you a disk space report that includes all sub folder for the selected drive or folder but then allows you to drill down into individual folders. It reports the size of each subfolder and of "Files in this Directory". I have nothing to do with this program other than being a long time happy user.

http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/

Chris

1

Folder Size Explorer is another option, simple and free:

Folder Size Explorer is a simple and free Windows Explorer clone with the added ability to calculate folder sizes.

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1

There is an open source software that works on windows 32 and 64 ! foldersize

0

This allows you to very quickly select a bunch of files that must be constraint to some size.

  • Hold CTRL and ALT together and select the items you want.

  • As ALT is hold, you can double click or press enter on one of the items to access the properties.

  • Repeat the last two steps and release the keys when you are done selecting.

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0

Go to Organize, then in Layout menu check Menu bar. go to View in the menu bar, you can check the option of Status bar.

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  • that opens a pane at the bottom, but the pane doesn't show file sizes unless one selects 15 or fewer. At least that's what happens for me: i.imgur.com/xE30wKO.png May 22, 2013 at 16:44
0

I find TreeSize works really well for this.

I have TreeSize Professional on my machine, but there is also a freeware version.

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Someone posted this, and it works, I can highlight while scrolling and it adds up the number and added size on the go

Go to Organize, then in Layout menu check Menu bar. go to View in the menu bar, you can check the option of Status bar.

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I had the same problem. I figured that when you select "Organize" and then under "Layout" you click on "Details pane" it shows the file properties. I am happy to have found this out, was scratching my head intermittently [since it was not the most important thing in the world :-)]

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I can open a powershell prompt in the folder and run:

(dir -rec)|%{$s+=$_.length/1MB};$s+=" MB";$a

This will return total folder size in MB.

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First, you need to select the file or folder then press the alt+Enter button together. It shows all properties of the file or folder.

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