I often find myself throwing my hands into the air and barking “Fucking Microsoft!”.  It’s not my fault.  I really think they analyze my dreams and seek out ways to bring my nightmares to life.

I have been, for years, using FolderSize to seek out the fat on a Windows installation and trim it out.  It’s really useful.  It adds a remarkably simple functionality into the Explorer which Redmond hasn’t managed to add in for themselves.  With this service installed and running you are able to substitute a Folder Size column in Explorer for the usual Size column.

Why would anyone want to do that?

Well, the Size column only shows file sizes.  The Folder Size column also shows file sizes, but it also shows sizes for folders.  Clever name, eh?

But, why would anyone want to do that?

Ok, look, suppose you’ve run out of harddrive space.  And further suppose you can’t find anything on your desktop or in your My Documents which explains why suddenly your 75GB drive is full.  You’re gonna have to start at the root of the drive (C: probably) and dig through every folder to look at every file size contained therein, or right click on every folder and make guesses about how that folder’s size might relate to what’s in it.  If you have a column showing folder sizes right alongside (well, above) the file sizes you don’t have to right-click on every sub-folder trying to figure out which of the twenty-odd folders in this folder is using 10GB which it shouldn’t be.

Trust me, if you are looking for a huge, unnamed, unknown file or folder this is an extremely valuable tool.  Download it for XP and take it for a spin.  It runs as a service so you can turn it on and off as your needs require (and save resources when they don’t).

Well, apparently in Vista Microsoft ditched the API the developer of FolderSize was using to give his application life.  So, in the world of Vista FolderSize is currently dead.  Dead in a way that requires a re-write.  Lame.  Bad, Microsoft; no bone.

So, what’s a fella ta do?

Well, I found this application from JAM Software called TreeSize Free.  It doesn’t integrate with Windows Explorer, but it pulls up a familiar (enough) window in which your folders are displayed.  Running the program from its icon will only bring up your C: drive.  If you want to scan another local drive (network drive scanning is apparently offered in the not free version), there is a handy right-click option to open that drive (or folder) in TreeSize Free.

You can download FolderSize Shell Extension here or FolderSize Explorer Extension (which I prefer) here.

You can download TreeSize Free here.

Happy hunting.