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Calculate all folder sizes

How do I calculate the size of multiple folders at once?

I'm trying to find the largest folders on my Dropbox, so I can delete them. I'd like to calculate the file size of all folders on my account. I can calculate the folder sizes one by one following the directions in this forum, but when I select multiple folders, the "calculate size" option is no longer available.

thanks!

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Accepted answers

Здравко

@invisiblehelmet wrote:
How do I calculate the size of multiple folders at once?
..., but when I select multiple folders, the "calculate size" option is no longer available.
...

Hi @invisiblehelmet,

Hm...🤔 strange... I just tried and and it seems working:

After click on "Calculate size" the size of all folder start calculating... and next some time finishes. It calculates folder by folder sequentially, so may take some time if you have lot of files.

All comments

Здравко

@invisiblehelmet wrote:
How do I calculate the size of multiple folders at once?
..., but when I select multiple folders, the "calculate size" option is no longer available.
...

Hi @invisiblehelmet,

Hm...🤔 strange... I just tried and and it seems working:

After click on "Calculate size" the size of all folder start calculating... and next some time finishes. It calculates folder by folder sequentially, so may take some time if you have lot of files.

invisiblehelmet

Thanks! Your screenshot helped! It appears I had a few files included in my selection of folders and that made the "Calculate size" option go away. Thanks!

ScreamUser1

There is no menu option for CALCULATE Size.

I've changed browsers.

I've cleared the cache

I've run a browser in troubleshooting mode.

I can not calculate a folder size

ScreamUser1

OK. Here is the resolution I found:

1. Size needs to be visible in the column headers.

Clicking on the header will only sort it or have no effect.
Hovering and waiting for a HAND to appear changes the click functionality of the mouse, allowing you to choose what columns are visible.

2. Now, Calculate Size can be found

Once Size is visible in the column, select the folder you wish to to know about
Click on the ellipsis button [...] that is on the right side of that folder's row.
A menu will appear that now includes Calculate Size

Jay

Hi @ScreamUser1, thanks for the info. The steps to calculate the folder size are available in this article as well, if you need further assistance.

tttrue

sorry to respond to an older thread, but since it was on the same topic i wanted to see if anyone had any feedback. i noticed the calculate size is no longer available for multiple folders, but is available for individual folders. I opened a ticket with support and was told the multiple folders size is no longer available. i wanted to see if this is truly the case and if so why such a useful feature would be removed. we cant sync all of the folders and use explorer/finder, that isnt a valid workaround.

Rich

@tttrue wrote:
i wanted to see if this is truly the case ...

Yes, it appears that's the case.

There is a workaround, though it would require you to add another level to your folder structure. When you calculate the size of a folder, all subfolders within will also display their size.

Create a new folder at the top of your Dropbox and move all other folders into it. When you then calculate the size of that new folder, you'll see the size of all the subfolders within it when you navigate into that folder.

I didn't test this with all of my data, but I did check the size of a large (50GB, 864 subfolders) folder at the top of my Dropbox, and every subfolder within had the size displayed.

Здравко

Hi @tttrue,

As seems every consecutive redesign of either application or website is confirmation that Dropbox does only restrictions the users 🤷 unfortunately. The issue is that "Calculate size" entry is completely stripped out of top ellipsis menu (not just for multi-selection, but at all). Bad design decision! The only place where you were being able initiate such an action (size of multiple folder calculation) was there, but it's no more. That's it.

Andywinter

I imagine Dropbox doesn't want people to know the size of their folders because that would make it easy to delete larger ones to save space - when of course they want us to buy MORE space. Pure commercial decision.....

sysadminz

Same problem but I don't see ellipses --- I'm seeing Create, Upload, Create Folder. Screenshot 2024-02-08 at 7.18.33 AM.png

Здравко

@sysadminz, The ellipses are still there (a bit bellow, when you have selected folders), but "Calculate Size" is stripped unfortunately. 🤷

изображение.png

Jay

Hi @sysadminz, the ellipsis would be on the right of the folder when viewing it from the parent folder above, like so.

Здравко

@Jay, The topic is for multiple folders selection! 🙋 Why was this stripped?

Andywinter

@Jay Indeed - but this thread is about calculating the size of ALL folders - and that function does not exist. Obviously Dropbox would prefer users to purchase additional space rather than providing a tool that would help us to do housekeeping.

sysadminz

@Здравко

So if I am reading the tea leaves correctly from here and another posts, this functionality used to be there but has been removed. Right? @Jay can you comment on why removed and how we get it back? Thanks.

Nancy

Hi everyone, hope it’s OK to jump in.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to comment on product decisions, but I can surely pass on the feedback to our team. We'll share any updates on this here.

Thanks!

Jacob21

Well if this isnt a reason to go to Google drive instead I dont know what is. "unable to comment on product decisions" ... Just make it easy for us to use your product as efficiently as possible.

hsandt

Здравко

This doesn't work anymore. The top 3-dots button still appears when selecting multiple folders, but doesn't show Calculate size anymore, just a few commands like Move and Download:

When clicking on the 3-dots button on the right of a single folder line, it cancels multi-selection and only selects the clicked folder.

So currently you have to Calculate each folder size one by one...

Здравко

@hsandt wrote:
This doesn't work anymore. The top 3-dots button still appears when selecting multiple folders, but doesn't show Calculate size anymore, just a few commands like Move and Download:

When clicking on the 3-dots button on the right of a single folder line, it cancels multi-selection and only selects the clicked folder.

So currently you have to Calculate each folder size one by one...

Yes, it is so unfortunately. 🤷 Better don't rely this gets changed. It's always easier to remove something - something ready and working...🤦 (even when no clear why)

volcs0

I assume this is intentional - they make it hard to find the largest folders, making it difficult to clean up your Dropbox and forcing you to buy more storage. They took the feature away purposefully.

PFSE

That and they very abruptly ended the unlimited plan we were on giving us 30-days to relocate TB's worth of data.