How do I see total file size info in folders in Finder?

Question

Level 1

5 points

How do I see total file size info in folders in Finder?

When I have Finder open, I can see all my folders and the contents of each but I don't see any details such as file size, and I can't figure out how to turn that on or off. I want to be able to see the sizes for each file in the folder listed along with the name; I don't want to have to Get Info for each individual file in order to see the size.

I also really want to be able to see the total file sizes of each folder - all the file sizes of the individual files added up. How do I see this? Thank you!

iMac G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Dec 25, 2005 8:59 AM

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Answer 1

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,568 points

Dec 25, 2005 9:16 AM in response to Hope Edwards

Hello Hope,

It sounds like you're viewing all of the open windows in icon mode. Press Command+2 or Command+3 for two different types of list view that will show the file name, date, size and file type. To see the total size a folder takes up, you'll still have to use Get Info on the folder. There is no total size listing in OS X as you could have the OS do in 9.x and earlier.

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Answer 2

Hope Edwards Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 26, 2005 9:12 AM in response to Kurt Lang

Okay, yes, this helps a lot. That was the info I was looking for but I had no idea about the command 2 and 3. I never would've guessed that. I also have deleted a bunch of stuff from my computer because it's running slowly and I want to find out how much stuff I deleted in to the trash - When I do GET INFO for the trash it says it's calculating the size but it never does. Is there a way to see? I'm just curious! Thank you!

And I'll check out that link, too!

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,568 points

Dec 26, 2005 10:01 AM in response to Hope Edwards

I'm looking in Tiger at the moment and don't remember if this option exists in Panther. Open your hard drive and press Command+J to open the View Options. At the bottom, there's two check boxes. One for "Use relative dates", which if turned off will cause files to always show their actual creation date instead of "Today" or "Yesterday". There's also one for "Calculate all sizes". This duplicates the older Classic command of showing the total size listing of files in a folder while in list view.

Like I say, though, I don't remember if those options even exist in Panther. I'm not sure you ever could do a Get Info on the Trash to get the total size. What you could do is make a temporary folder on the desktop. Drag everything out of the Trash into that folder and then use WhatSize on the folder to get the total. Then just toss the entire folder back in the Trash.

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Answer 4

ali brown

Level 7

26,493 points

Dec 26, 2005 10:33 AM in response to Hope Edwards

Hi Hope!

Open the Trash
Press Command + A keys, to Select All
Then press Command + I keys, to Get Info

The window that opens will show you the Trash Size.

This will work for any folder that you have open.

ali b

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Answer 5

ali brown

Level 7

26,493 points

Dec 26, 2005 10:38 AM in response to Hope Edwards

Hi Again Hope!

Something else that you may find handy to use is the Show Inspector function.

Open a folder, eg: Applications, in the Finder. Go to "File" on the Menubar and depress the "Option" key. "Show Inspector" replaces "Get Info". Click on that. Now highlight any folder/file in the originally opened window. Next highlight a different file/folder. The info will change accordingly.
Or use Commnd-Option-I key combo, when any folder window is open. The info will change as you click on different files/folders within the open window.

ali b

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Answer 6

Hope Edwards Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 26, 2005 12:11 PM in response to ali brown

Okay, great! Thanks - I tried all these suggestions! The Show Inspector is interesting; it seems like the same thing as Get Info, though, but I got it to work on several folders. I also tried the Command J and checked the box to calculate the sizes, but you're right, it shows the sizes but not the total size for the folder. I'm able to get the total size for the folder with Get Info or using Command A and Command I - those are quick.

I still wasn't able to get the total size of the trash because neither of those functions would calculate it, I guess because the trash is special, but I did put everything in the trash in a separate folder on the desktop and "got info" on that and it's 9.57GB worth of stuff (I was so curious about that!) so maybe my computer will get a little faster. Or is that just a blip and won't even matter?

Thank you to everyone for you help! I really appreciate it!

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Answer 7

ali brown

Level 7

26,493 points

Dec 26, 2005 12:52 PM in response to Hope Edwards

Hope,

Try this:

Open Trash

With the Trash window open on the Desktop, click on Select All, from the Edit menu. All of the files & folders should be highlighted.

Do not click in the Trash window.
Then from the File menu, click on Get Info.

A window should open titled Multiple Item Info, that lists how many items are in the Trash, Kind:, Size:, and Where:.

ali b

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Answer 8

marco027

Level 1

10 points

Feb 3, 2006 10:02 AM in response to Hope Edwards

You can have your total folder size by checking 'Calculate All Sizes' when you do CMD-J in a folder. This will populate the entire Size column.

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Answer 9

Dec 25, 2005 1:30 PM in response to Hope Edwards

Hello! Here's a niffty program called WhatSize that will give you all the size info you need. Tom

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21149

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Answer 10

Hope Edwards Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 3, 2006 10:05 AM in response to marco027

Oh, great - thank you! I'm going to try that when I go home.

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