How to Check Folder Size in Windows 11
Do you ever wonder why your computer is running slowly? Often, it is because your hard drive is getting full. Learning how to check the size of your folders helps you identify which files are taking up the most space so you can clean them up.
When you are done, you will know exactly which folders to delete or move to an external drive to free up space. This keeps your computer running smoothly.
View folder size in File Explorer
File Explorer is the tool you use to manage your files. You can open it by clicking the folder icon on your taskbar or by pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
- Open File Explorer.
- Find the folder you want to check.
- Right-click on the folder.
- Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
A new window will open. Look for the “Size” and “Size on disk” fields to see how much space that folder is using. 
This window also shows you when the folder was created and how many files are inside it.
How to view folder size by hovering your mouse
If you want a faster way to see the size, you can use your mouse:
- Open File Explorer.
- Move your mouse cursor over the folder you want to check.
- Wait a second, and a small box will pop up showing the size.
Note that this tip might not work for every single folder on your computer, but it is great for a quick look.
Advanced Tip: Using the Command Prompt
If you prefer using text commands, you can check file details using the Command Prompt. Note that some advanced system folders require admin privileges to access.
To check the size of a specific directory, you can use the following command:
dir C:\Users\GenericUser\DocumentsThis will list the contents and the total space used within that path.
Summary
- Checking folder sizes helps you manage your storage space and improve PC performance.
- You can view folder size by right-clicking a folder and selecting “Properties.”
- Hovering your mouse over a folder is a quick way to see its size without opening extra windows.
- Regularly checking your folders prevents your computer from getting clogged with unnecessary data.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
And 3th? How to show folder size in the column ‘Size’. That would be handy too.
We the People have been begging MS to allow Folder Size to be represented in the Size column Since before Windows 95!!!! We are still waiting….This is 2022….are you kidding me!
This post lacks how to show the size of a selection of folders. By default, selecting several folders only shows the size of the first folder.
Sadly, this information is rather useless. This is neither a “handy” way to view folder sizes, nor is it practical when checking many folders for their size, for instance when wanting to free disk space. Which I would say is one of the very few times that you need to see a folder’s size in the list.
Is there no way to display the folder size in the “size” column? Not even third party programs can do that (if you manage to find one, “Folder Size” is impossible to locate and needs a secondary window to display what you want to see, nothing changes in the native explorer window).
What I see is, a “size” column. But it has been empty for all folders in existence for decades, for no apparent reason. If the reason is that calculating the size of a folder would take so long (because you need to scan the entire directory, which can take some time) then why not add a checkbox in the explorer options menu? “Display folder sizes. []” Easy. Just why does it have to be so complicated, and why does Windows seem to just deliver useless updates, for such a long time now? Since Win7, it has been going down. Win7 is best Windows, change my mind.
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