Wrong calculation of folder size by Windows

Anonymous
2018-06-28T18:16:18+00:00

Hello,

I noticed today that my Windows system does not properly calculate folder sizes.

I'm actually trying to make a backup of all my personal and work content. When I check the whole backup folder size under properties, It shows me around 10 Gb. But when I open this big folder and select a subfolder, It show me 30 Gb... This is kind of really annoying and I think it's a major issue Microsoft should fix ASAP.

I would like to say (because I didn't find anywhere else to post it) that in my opinion, Microsoft lacks ways of collecting feedback from his clients. There is nowhere we can manually report bugs and crashes.

In any ways, I think that showing correct folder sizes is a really basic task that an Operating System should be able to do. Such a bug is inacceptable for a leader like Microsoft, and I honestly consider going along with Apple if this issue does not get quickly fixed. My computer will soon need to be changed in anyways.

Meanwhile, if some of you guys have found ways to go around this major issue, feel free to share them :). Thank you!

Here is my technical information :

Intel Core i7-3720QM 2.60 GHz

64 bits

Windows 10 family version 1803

Installed on 2018-06-20

O.S. version 17134.112

Many thanks is advance,

Antoine

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author
DaveM121 931.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2018-06-28T18:35:14+00:00

Hi Antoine_795,

It is widely reported that version 1803 of Windows 10 has introduced a bug into Explorer.exe

It is because it cannot read the metadata of files correctly, it mixes up the size and dimensions for example

Therefore it cannot calculate the size of a folder, especially if it has sub-folders, it also cannot calculate the spare space on a hard drive . . .

In the meantime, while we are waiting for Microsoft to fix this bug:

Click the link below to download a small free utility called Treesize - it is a great utility . . .

Using that tool, you will instantly see the size of all folders (always missing form File Explorer) and where space is being used on your hard drive . . .

https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-05-20T08:08:57+00:00

    more than 1-years MICROSOFT cannot FIX this BUG ???????????????????????

    maybe we need think in feature about LINUX?

    ..I have some problem, win10 cannot calculate filder size..

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-05-20T16:12:37+00:00

    @Rohn007

    Actually, this forum would be a good place for users to express the problems they encounter with Windows or Microsoft. You might think the so-called "Feedback" sites are the proper channels, but your own experience seemed to suggest that they don't pay much attention there either. 

    The main purpose/value in highlighting problems in this forum is that of providing information to other users that might have the same or similar problems. So at least they know that many others have encountered these problems and Microsoft has not done anything to solve them even after years. For this case (wrong calculation of folder sizes), if a thousand people used the feedback channels and Microsoft does nothing, I won't hear anything about them. But from the large number of posts in this thread (as well as several similar ones), I at least know that the problem is not specific to my  computer and that it is more than likely a Windows 10 problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-05-21T08:11:11+00:00

    MAN

    over 1 year passed. 

    FIX IT, I PAID FOR IT!

    Otherwise vuck off!

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-05-22T00:38:56+00:00

    i can say that the latest version of windows finally FIXED the issue (Windows 1903)

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