Folder
Size 2.6
shows sizes of folders seen in Explorer windows! In Windows 2000 and XP, shell extensions can augment Explorer's columns to show you Folder Sizes right where they should be, as shown in the screenshot. In Windows Vista and higher (7 and 8), Explorer is not as customizable. Try the new beta client for Vista and higher that opens pop-up Folder Size windows that track open Explorer windows! They kind of get in the way, so there's also a tray icon to toggle them off. I'm trying to keep it light and elegant, not too complicated...
Here's a shot of the Windows Vista/7/8 client.
There are some problems:
- Sizes are difficult to interpret correctly! Since Windows Vista, the system makes use of hard links, where the same physical file can appear in multiple directory entries. This has the effect of making the Windows directory appear larger than it really is! I think the best solution is to split Size into two concepts: Logical Size and Physical size. I've started this, but it's not working yet.
- The background service is difficult to manage with Windows's UAC model. The system-permissions service should really be abandoned in favour of user-level caches. The service already does this internally. This would work better with multiple accounts in Windows XP too.
- Background scanning is not optimized: Windows Vista/7/8 support I/O priorities, which should be used to keep scanning fast while keeping the system responsive.
- Popup windows frequently cover up Explorer's Close button. The popups auto-size and position, but it's tricky. Ideally, simple UI behaviour would handle many usage styles: small or maximized Explorer windows, single or multiple monitors, etc.
