Windows Explorer’s Details view finally showing folder sizes is not a magic trick — it’s the result of two small, well-engineered tools working together: the ultra‑fast indexer Everything and the File Explorer mod host Windhawk, joined by a community mod that injects folder‑size data into Explorer’s Size column. Gigazine’s recent walkthrough lays out the exact install and setup steps used to make this work, and the technique is now widely discussed in the Windows community. (gigazine.net)
Windows File Explorer historically does not show folder sizes in the Size column. Microsoft’s design choice is deliberate: folder size is not a stored attribute and computing it requires recursively summing the sizes of all files and nested subfolders, which can be I/O‑heavy and slow if attempted for every folder in a directory listing at once. That tradeoff — performance and responsiveness versus inline completeness — is why Explorer limits folder‑size calculation to explicit actions (Properties or hover) rather than populating a Size column by default. Multiple community explainers and Microsoft forum posts echo this rationale.
Third‑party tools have long filled the gap. Disk analyzers such as WinDirStat, TreeSize, WizTree, and others report folder sizes by scanning or indexing storage and present results outside Explorer. What’s new — and what Gigazine documents — is using Windhawk’s mod to make Explorer itself display those folder sizes inline by asking Everything for the numbers. This preserves the native Explorer UI while giving you the convenience of an at‑a‑glance Size column for folders. (gigazine.net)
However, consider these firm recommendations before adopting it widely:
Source: GIGAZINE https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260210-explorer-folder-size/
Background / Overview
Windows File Explorer historically does not show folder sizes in the Size column. Microsoft’s design choice is deliberate: folder size is not a stored attribute and computing it requires recursively summing the sizes of all files and nested subfolders, which can be I/O‑heavy and slow if attempted for every folder in a directory listing at once. That tradeoff — performance and responsiveness versus inline completeness — is why Explorer limits folder‑size calculation to explicit actions (Properties or hover) rather than populating a Size column by default. Multiple community explainers and Microsoft forum posts echo this rationale. Third‑party tools have long filled the gap. Disk analyzers such as WinDirStat, TreeSize, WizTree, and others report folder sizes by scanning or indexing storage and present results outside Explorer. What’s new — and what Gigazine documents — is using Windhawk’s mod to make Explorer itself display those folder sizes inline by asking Everything for the numbers. This preserves the native Explorer UI while giving you the convenience of an at‑a‑glance Size column for folders. (gigazine.net)
What the Gigazine guide shows (short summary)
Gigazine’s step‑by‑step article demonstrates these core actions:- Install Everything, the fast file indexer, and enable its Index folder size option so Everything calculates and stores folder sizes in its database.
- Install Windhawk, a lightweight mod host that can inject small enhancements into Windows shell processes without replacing system files.
- Use Windhawk’s Better file sizes in Explorer details mod and set it to use Everything for folder sizes.
- Restart or refresh Explorer; the Size column now shows folder sizes in Details view. (gigazine.net)
How it works: technical anatomy
Everything: a real‑time index with optional size metadata
- Everything builds an in‑memory database of file and folder entries (reading NTFS MFT and other sources) and can optionally index file size and folder size in real time. When folder size indexing is enabled, Everything maintains size metadata for folders so queries about “how big is this folder?” are answered instantly from the index rather than by scanning the disk. The Everything options and documentation explicitly show the Index folder size setting and describe the tradeoffs (additional memory per file/folder).
Windhawk: safe, transparent mods injected into explorer.exe
- Windhawk is a modular host that injects well‑scoped “mods” into Windows processes (e.g., explorer.exe) without replacing system binaries. Each mod ships with source code for inspection, and the Windhawk platform exposes settings and process exclusions. The Better file sizes in Explorer details mod intercepts Explorer requests for Size column values and either queries Everything or computes sizes itself if Everything is not present.
The mod: Everything integration vs manual calculation
- The mod has two primary modes:
- Everything integration — ask Everything for folder sizes (fast, near‑instant when Everything indexes sizes; recent Everything 1.5 builds and the mod’s SDK3 support greatly speed queries).
- Calculated manually — use Windows Shell APIs to enumerate and sum sizes on demand (works without Everything but is slower and can impact responsiveness). Windhawk exposes options to enable manual calculation only while holding Shift or to enable always‑on at the cost of potential lag.
Why this is an effective approach — benefits
- Native UX, minimal retraining. You retain Explorer’s interface and behaviours while gaining folder sizes inline — no need to learn a new file manager.
- Performance (when indexed). Because Everything keeps a live index, the mod can fetch folder sizes quickly without triggering recursive disk traversals for every folder in view; queries are answered from memory. Windhawk’s SDK3 glue with Everything 1.5 is reported to produce large speedups in query time.
- Configurable safety/performance tradeoffs. The mod lets you choose Everything integration (fast), on‑demand manual calculation (safe, but slow), or a hybrid (Shift key to compute manually). That flexibility helps users tailor behaviour to their machine and workload.
- Open and auditable. Windhawk publishes mod source code so the behaviour is transparent — valuable for trust and security audits compared with closed‑source shell extensions.
Known drawbacks, limitations and risks
Before you install anything, consider these realistic tradeoffs and risks.Performance and memory
- Extra memory for indexing. Everything documents that enabling folder‑size indexing uses additional memory (bytes per folder/file). On very large filesystems with millions of entries, the memory footprint can be non‑trivial. If you index many network shares or external media, performance and memory cost increase.
- Manual calculations are slow. If you choose the manual calculation path (no Everything), Explorer will need to enumerate folders when asked, which can cause pauses, especially in directories with deep trees or many items. Windhawk offers Shift‑only compute to reduce this impact, but user experience differs with workload.
Compatibility & stability
- Explorer injection carries risk. Injecting mods into explorer.exe can interfere with other shell components. The Windhawk GitHub and community threads record occasional incompatibilities — for example, interactions with Windows Search and other system processes that required process exclusion settings for stability. The Windhawk team and mod author actively patch these, but Windows updates could create new issues.
- Mod bugs exist. Community issue trackers show intermittent reports (e.g., all folders showing the same size when using Everything integration in certain versions), indicating the path is practical but not flawless. If you rely on exact numbers for critical tasks, validate with a second tool.
Security concerns
- Third‑party trust and code injection. Although Windhawk emphasizes transparency (mods ship with source code), injecting code into shell processes is an elevated risk compared with running an independent analyzer. Only install mods from reputable authors, review the source if you can, and keep backups or a recovery plan. Community vetting helps, but it’s not a substitute for organizational policy review if you manage sensitive machines.
Alternatives and when to choose them
If the Windhawk + Everything approach isn’t suitable for your environment, consider these alternatives grouped by use case.- If you want a standalone analyzer (no Explorer injection):
- WinDirStat — classic treemap visualization for deep analysis (no Explorer integration).
- WizTree — extremely fast by reading NTFS MFT directly.
- TreeSize Free / Professional — TreeSize Free gives quick scans; Professional adds scheduled reports and deeper features.
- SpaceSniffer — visual block view, useful for intuitive discovery.
- If you want inline Explorer integration but prefer a commercial, supported shell extension:
- TreeSize Shell Extension (part of TreeSize) or commercial file managers (Directory Opus, XYplorer) provide folder‑size columns with vendor support and enterprise licensing options.
- If you need instant path queries across large NTFS volumes:
- Everything on its own (use its UI or command line) will show folder sizes and allow fast searches without changing Explorer. Use Everything’s built‑in UI when you need one‑off lookups.
Step‑by‑step: How to implement the Windhawk + Everything solution (verified and annotated)
The Gigazine article gives a clear sequence; below is a vetted walkthrough with extra hardening steps and caveats.- Prepare and backup
- Create a System Restore point or image before modifying system behaviour. This is precautionary but recommended if you’re injecting mods into explorer.exe.
- Install Everything
- Install Everything (standard installer or portable).
- Open Everything → Tools → Options → Indexes and enable Index file size and Index folder size (this is required for the integration to return folder sizes). Allow Everything to finish building its index. (gigazine.net)
- Configure Everything (optional tuning)
- If you are tight on RAM, weigh the memory cost of folder indexing. Everything shows approximate memory per file/folder in its options. If you index network locations, be mindful that indexing remote paths can increase CPU and network activity.
- Install Windhawk
- Install Windhawk and start it. Windhawk’s documentation emphasizes stability and transparency; review its docs and the specific mod’s source before proceeding.
- Install the mod “Better file sizes in Explorer details”
- From Windhawk → Find Mods, search for “Better file sizes in Explorer details,” install the mod, and accept the risk prompt.
- In the mod settings, choose Enabled via Everything integration to get the fast, index‑backed folder sizes. If you prefer no external dependency, select manual calculation, but expect slower behaviour. (gigazine.net)
- Test and harden
- Restart Explorer or sign out and sign in. Open a File Explorer window in Details view; add the Size column if not present, and check that folder sizes populate.
- If you encounter Windows Search or other anomalies (e.g., search bar stuck loading), use Windhawk → Settings → Advanced settings → More advanced settings to add SearchHost.exe or other problematic processes to Windhawk’s exclusion list (this fixes known conflicts reported on GitHub).
- Troubleshooting tips
- If all folders show identical sizes or values are wrong, check:
- Everything is running and indexing (Everything must be running for integration).
- Everything’s folder size indexing is enabled.
- Mod versions and Windhawk versions are compatible; check changelogs and issue trackers for known bugs.
- If Explorer freezes or performance degrades, switch the mod to Shift‑only manual calculation or disable it and retest.
Security and operational hardening (recommended checklist)
- Audit the mod source. Windhawk provides mod source code. Skim the code or ask community reviewers if you don’t read C++/C — transparency reduces but doesn’t eliminate risk.
- Limit scope. Don’t install many invasive mods at once. Keep only the minimal set you need to reduce avenues for interaction bugs.
- Exclude sensitive processes. If you see system components (SearchHost.exe, ShellExperienceHost.exe) misbehaving after install, add them to Windhawk’s process exclusion list and restart. Known fixes for search issues use this exact step.
- Monitor after Windows updates. Kernel or Explorer changes from Windows updates can break mods; test post‑update and be ready to disable Windhawk or the mod temporarily.
- Use everything as a service. Ensure Everything runs at startup (if you rely on its integration) so Explorer queries always succeed. Otherwise, the mod may fall back to manual calculation or show missing values. (gigazine.net)
Real‑world reports from the community (what users say)
Community threads and changelogs show a mix of enthusiasm and cautious notes:- Users praise the near‑instant folder sizes when Everything’s indexing is used and the convenience of staying in Explorer. Multiple community posts replicate Gigazine’s method and report success on Windows 11.
- Issue trackers and Reddit threads document occasional hangs, search incompatibilities, and rare misreported sizes; maintainers respond with fixes and process‑exclusion workarounds. Those practical reports are valuable to understand that while the path works for most users, it’s not an officially supported Windows feature and requires occasional upkeep.
Practical verdict and recommendation
If you use File Explorer as your daily file manager and want inline folder sizes without switching apps, the Windhawk + Everything combination is the best practical option today. It gives near‑native results with limited configuration and keeps you in Explorer’s familiar workflow. Gigazine’s walkthrough is a good, tested how‑to for a general audience, and the Windhawk and Everything documentation explain the technical options and tradeoffs. (gigazine.net)However, consider these firm recommendations before adopting it widely:
- For home users on a single PC: go ahead, follow Gigazine’s steps, back up first, and prefer Everything integration for performance.
- For enterprise or sensitive systems: treat the mod as an unsupported tweak. Perform risk assessment, test on a non‑production machine, and prefer supported commercial tools (TreeSize Professional, Directory Opus) if you require vendor support and predictable SLAs.
- For heavy‑use environments with massive file systems: test Everything’s memory footprint and indexing strategy before rolling it out; you may prefer standalone scanners that work offline for ad hoc audits.
Final notes and cautionary flags
- The folder‑size column shown by the mod depends on Everything’s index being current and available; if Everything stops or is disabled, the mod either falls back to manual calculation or shows no folder sizes.
- Some reported issues were fixed in mod updates; always ensure both Windhawk and the mod are up to date. Likewise, Everything’s new SDK versions (and 1.5 alpha builds) introduced faster folder‑size APIs that the mod can use; using compatible versions improves performance. Where community reports conflict, consult the mod changelog and GitHub issues for the latest fixes.
- Any claim that the combination is a perfect replacement for native folder‑size metadata is inaccurate: Windows still does not store folder sizes as a core filesystem attribute, and any inline sizes are either computed or retrieved from a third‑party index. Treat the numbers as reliable for everyday use but verify them with alternate tools if precise accounting is required. This is an important caveat when cleaning up storage or when space accounting matters for backups and compliance.
Conclusion
Gigazine’s walkthrough makes the Windhawk + Everything method accessible to anyone who wants folder sizes displayed inside Windows File Explorer. The approach neatly balances convenience and performance by leveraging Everything’s index and Windhawk’s mod injection. For most personal and small‑business users, it is a practical and powerful fix to a long‑standing Explorer limitation. For enterprise deployments and security‑sensitive environments, treat it as a configurable tweak that needs validation, tuning, and potentially a fallback to vendor‑supported tools. If you try the setup, follow the hardening checklist above, keep backups, and monitor community issue trackers for updates — that will keep your Explorer experience both informative and stable. (gigazine.net)Source: GIGAZINE https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260210-explorer-folder-size/
