How to Check Folder Size in Windows 11
Folder size checking in Windows 11 reveals how many gigabytes a specific directory takes up on your hard drive so you can free up space when storage gets full. Default Windows file explorer views hide total folder sizes to keep system performance fast, making built-in properties or third-party tools necessary for storage audits.
Checking any directory takes just a few clicks by opening the item menu to spot heavy space hogs like a 50 GB game install or old movie downloads that slow down your computer.
Right-click the folder and select “Properties” to see its total size. Alternatively, hover your mouse cursor over the folder in File Explorer for a quick size estimate. This helps manage disk space effectively.
View folder size in File Explorer
File Explorer lets you check folder size in Windows 11 by opening the menu for any directory. Right-click the folder you want to measure and select Properties from the list. The Properties window opens, showing the exact size in bytes and gigabytes alongside the total number of files and subfolders inside.
- Open File Explorer .
- Find the folder you want to check.
- Right-click on the folder.
- Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
Look for the “Size” and “Size on disk” fields to see how much space that folder uses. 
The Properties window for a folder displays its creation date and the total number of files contained within it. This information helps you track when a folder was first made and how much content it holds.
How to view folder size by hovering your mouse
Hovering your mouse pointer over a folder provides a fast way to check folder size in Windows 11 without opening any menus. Point your cursor at the folder and wait for a second. A small pop-up tooltip appears next to the cursor showing the total size of everything inside that directory.
- 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.
This tip might not work for every single folder on your computer, but it serves well for a quick look.
Advanced Tip: Using the Command Prompt
Command Prompt lets you check folder size in Windows 11 using text commands instead of the graphical interface. Open Command Prompt from the Start menu and type the dir command followed by the file path to calculate the exact storage space used by all files in that directory.
Run the dir /s command to check the size of a specific directory (another word for a folder). This command lists all files and subdirectories within the chosen directory, showing their total size. Using `dir /s` helps you understand how much space a folder occupies on your drive.
dir C:\Users\GenericUser\DocumentsThis command lists 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.
Checking folder size in Windows 11 helps you find large files and manage your storage space. You can view how much space a directory uses by opening its Properties window in File Explorer, hovering your mouse pointer over the folder, or running a quick command in Command Prompt.
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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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