Show folder size in explorer

[GooGuiz]

Summary of the new feature/enhancement

Add the sum of the size of all files contained in the size file zone of the file explorer.

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

[AssafTzurEl]

Might take forever on large folders (think about selecting C: on the left pane: Now the PowerToy has to go through Program Files, Windows, and all other huge folders.
Suggested alternatives:

1. Have a toolbar checkbox/switch in the toolbar you can activate to get the folder sizes (it will have to be deactivated when you change folders, or maybe start blinking when it encounters huge folders)
2. Create a tool that shows folder sizes and can be launched from Explorer (my personal favorite is Steffen Gerlach's Scanner, and it even has some kind of Explorer integration)

[Asagrim]

This worked fine with a Windows XP shell extension called Folder Size on my 266MHz PII MMX 18 years ago, and I would very much like to see it return, it was one of the reasons it took me ages to switch to Windows 7, I even skipped Vista for it. Those who find this feature to be missing from Windows Explorer already use alternatives, 3rd party software like WinDirStat or Folder Size (different from the aforementioned shell extension), and are quite aware of how much time it takes to calculate all this from a root folder, so dismissing the suggestion just because it would take too much time for someone who wouldn't want to bother enabling the feature the first place because of that is just not logical.

[skagon]

I'll second this one.
Had been using "Folder Size" way back when, on my AMD Athlon XP (or was it the K6?) and I would very much like to see that functionality return.

[crutkas]

Agree, this would be cool. also would help me track down where i left those pesky VMs when i need to clear disk space

[imjuniper]

I'm not sure how they do it, but at my workplace (it's where you can make the greatest purchase), we have a special internal tool that does that. It's a separate file explorer actually, but it has that feature. It says "calculating size" when it doesn't have the results yet and it's pretty quick, much quicker than when checking properties, at least it feels like it. There's ways to download the tool online, I think. I can't provide files though since they're closed source and I'd lose my job.

[malham88]

I would like this also - I still install foldersize now, but it would be better not to rely on too many 3rd party apps. Its easier to trust the code from a reliable source.

[scala65]

Well, if something like this can work in MacOS, why shouldn't it work in Windows...?! :-)
More seriously, I guess some kind of low-priority process could take care of the calculation without perturbing user activity.
Moreover, this is already done for folders in the recycle bin, although in that case it might be done as a static one-off calculation.

[Jay-o-Way]

Large folders (high in the root dir) take quite a lot of time to calculate "by hand", but isn't this information already available somewhere in the MFT? Oh wait, when you open the Properties window of a folder, it explorer also calculates the size on request.

Maybe, we can start with information that Windows Search has? Or use the "desktop.ini" file in basically every folder, to store its size?

[Jay-o-Way]

Hold on, Explorer already has the ability to show size info in the hover tooltip of (some, not all) folders. There must be a way to tap into that.