A powerful and efficient PowerShell script for analyzing directory sizes with visual tree display, administrator privilege handling, and comprehensive error management. Calculate total file sizes within each directory with color-coded output and File Explorer-like hierarchical visualization.
Requirements: PowerShell 5.1+ (Windows PowerShell) or PowerShell 7+ (PowerShell Core)
- Directory Size Calculation - Calculates total file sizes per directory (aggregates all files within each folder)
- Directory-Only Analysis - Shows folder sizes without individual file listings
- File Explorer-Like Hierarchy - Tree structure display with box-drawing characters (compatible with PowerShell 5.1+)
- Size-Based Color Coding - Visual highlighting of large directories (Red >10GB, Magenta >5GB, Yellow >1GB)
- Performance Optimized - Fast mode option for improved calculation speed
- Flexible Depth Control - Specify exact analysis depth from current directory only to unlimited
- Administrator Privilege Detection - Automatically detects and validates elevated permissions
- Clean Output - Quiet operation by default with visual indicators for access issues
- Access Control Handling - Gracefully handles permission-denied scenarios
- Formatted Output - Human-readable size formatting (KB, MB, GB, TB)
- Simple Interface - Minimal parameter set focused on essential functionality
# Analyze current directory only (default)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Users\YourName\Documents"
# Analyze with subdirectories (2 levels deep)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2
# Unlimited depth analysis
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "D:\Projects" -Depth 0# Require administrator privileges (will exit if not admin)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Windows" -Depth 0 -RequireAdmin
# Fast analysis with optimized performance
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2 -FastMode
# Save output to a text file
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2 -SaveToFile "analysis.txt"
# Deep analysis with clean output (default quiet operation)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\" -Depth 3
# High-performance system analysis with file output
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Windows\System32" -Depth 0 -RequireAdmin -FastMode -SaveToFile "system_analysis.txt"Note: The tool operates quietly by default with clean output. Access restrictions are indicated by [!] markers and summarized at the end.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
-Path |
String | Required. The directory path to analyze |
-Depth |
Integer | Analysis depth level (1=current only, 2=one level deep, 0=unlimited). Default: 1 |
-RequireAdmin |
Switch | Require administrator privileges (exit with error if not admin) |
-FastMode |
Switch | Use optimized enumeration for better performance (may use more memory) |
-SaveToFile |
String | Save the complete directory tree output to a UTF-8 text file |
Note: The tool operates quietly by default, showing only essential information with visual indicators [!] for access restrictions.
## ⚡ Performance Optimization
The tool includes several performance enhancements for faster directory analysis:
### FastMode Option
```powershell
# Standard mode (balanced performance and memory usage)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2
# Fast mode (optimized for speed)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2 -FastMode
- Optimized Enumeration - Single call to get files and directories when using FastMode
- Reduced Function Calls - Minimized overhead in recursive processing
- Smart Progress Updates - Less frequent progress indicator updates in FastMode
- Efficient Memory Usage - Standard mode balances speed and memory consumption
- Fast File Counting - Optimized file size calculations
- ✅ Large directories with many subdirectories
- ✅ System analysis where speed is prioritized
- ✅ Sufficient RAM available (uses more memory temporarily)
- ❌ Memory-constrained systems (stick to standard mode)
- ❌ Network drives (may not provide significant benefit)
The -Depth parameter controls display depth while always calculating complete directory sizes by scanning all files within each directory:
-Depth 1(Default): Shows only root directory total (calculates all files in all subdirectories for accuracy)-Depth 2: Shows root + one level of subdirectories (with accurate totals including all files in deeper levels)-Depth 3: Shows root + two levels of subdirectories (with complete file size calculations from all subdirectories)-Depth 0: Shows complete directory tree (unlimited display and calculation)
📊 The tool scans ALL files in ALL subdirectories for accurate size totals, regardless of display depth. This means a folder shown at depth 2 includes the total sizes of ALL files contained within it and all its subdirectories, even those directories not displayed.
- File Enumeration - Scans all files in each directory
- Size Aggregation - Sums up individual file sizes per directory
- Recursive Totaling - Includes subdirectory totals in parent directory sizes
- Display Formatting - Shows human-readable sizes (KB, MB, GB, TB)
# Show only total Program Files size (includes all subdirectories in calculation)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 1
# Show Program Files + immediate subdirectories (with accurate totals)
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2
# Complete tree display and calculation
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 0The script includes administrator privilege detection and validation:
- Detection: Automatically detects if running with admin privileges
- Validation: Can require admin privileges with
-RequireAdminparameter - Clear Feedback: Shows admin status and provides helpful error messages
- Manual Elevation: Users must manually start PowerShell as Administrator when needed
- Graceful Fallback: Continues with limited access when admin not required
- System directories (e.g.,
C:\Windows,C:\Program Files) - User profile directories of other users
- Protected application data folders
- System-level temporary directories
The script provides color-coded, formatted output with File Explorer-like hierarchy:
Directory Size Analysis
======================
Path: C:\Program Files
Analysis Depth: 3 levels
Administrator: True
Analyzing directories Complete!
Program Files - 15.2 GB [Red - Very Large]
├── Adobe - 2.34 GB [Yellow - Medium]
│ ├── Acrobat DC - 1.8 GB [Yellow - Medium]
│ └── Creative Cloud - 540 MB [White - Normal]
├── Microsoft Office - 3.21 GB [Yellow - Medium]
│ ├── Office16 - 2.1 GB [Yellow - Medium]
│ └── Templates - 110 MB [White - Normal]
├── Windows Defender - 89.45 MB [White - Normal]
└── Common Files - 156.78 MB [White - Normal]
├── Microsoft Shared - 98.2 MB [White - Normal]
└── System - 58.6 MB [White - Normal]
Total Size: 15.2 GB [Red - Very Large]
Restricted Directories: 1
Note: [!] indicates directories with access restrictions
Size Color Legend:
Red = Very Large (>10GB) Magenta = Large (5-10GB) Yellow = Medium (1-5GB)
The -SaveToFile parameter allows you to save the complete directory tree analysis to a UTF-8 text file:
- UTF-8 Encoding - Preserves Unicode tree characters (├──, └──, │)
- Complete Tree Structure - Exact copy of console output without color formatting
- Header Information - Includes analysis path, depth, and admin status
- Summary Data - Contains total size, color legend, and restriction notes
- Automatic Directory Creation - Creates output directory if it doesn't exist
# Save to current directory
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Program Files" -Depth 2 -SaveToFile "programs.txt"
# Save with timestamp
$timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm-ss"
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Windows" -SaveToFile "Windows_Analysis_$timestamp.txt"
# Save to specific location
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "D:\Projects" -Depth 0 -FastMode -SaveToFile "C:\Reports\project_sizes.txt"Directory Size Analysis
======================
Path: C:\Program Files
Analysis Depth: 2 levels
Administrator: True
Program Files - 15,2 GB
├── Adobe - 2,34 GB
├── Microsoft Office - 3,21 GB
├── Windows Defender - 89,45 MB
└── Common Files - 156,78 MB
Total Size: 15,2 GB
Size Color Legend:
Red = Very Large (>10GB) Magenta = Large (5-10GB) Yellow = Medium (1-5GB)
- Rotating Cursor - Shows | / - \ animation during analysis
- Smart Updates - Updates every few directories to avoid flickering
- Completion Message - Clear "Complete!" when analysis finishes
- Non-Blocking - Doesn't slow down the analysis process
- 🔴 Red: Very large directories (>10GB) - Immediate attention needed
- 🔵 Magenta: Large directories (5-10GB) - Consider for cleanup
- 🟡 Yellow: Medium directories (1-5GB) - Monitor usage
- ⚪ White: Normal directories (<1GB) - Standard size
- Tree Structure - Uses ├──, └──, and │ characters like File Explorer
- Visual Relationships - Clear parent-child directory relationships
- Last Item Indicators - └── shows the last item at each level
- Continuation Lines - │ shows ongoing hierarchy levels
- Clean Alignment - Proper spacing for easy reading
- Directory Totals Only - Shows folder sizes including all files within them
- Hierarchical Structure - Indented display shows folder relationships
- File Inclusion - All files are counted in their parent directory totals
- Clean Display - No individual file listings for easier folder-level analysis
- [!] - Directory has access restrictions
- Green Text - Total size summary
- Yellow Text - Warnings and restricted directory counts
- Red Text - Error messages
- Cyan Text - Headers and tips
- Windows with PowerShell 5.1 or later
- PowerShell Core (6.0+) support
- No additional modules required
DirSize/
├── DirectorySize.ps1 # Main script
├── README.md # This file
└── LICENSE # MIT License
Checks if the current PowerShell session has administrator privileges.
Restarts the script with administrator privileges using UAC prompt.
Core function that recursively calculates directory sizes with error handling.
Converts byte values to human-readable format (KB, MB, GB, TB).
The script handles various error scenarios:
- Access Denied: Gracefully skips restricted directories
- Path Not Found: Validates paths before processing
- Elevation Failures: Provides fallback options
- Unexpected Errors: Captures and reports general exceptions
.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Users\Documents".\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "C:\Windows\System32" -Recurse -RequireAdmin.\DirectorySize.ps1 -Path "D:\" -Recurse -SkipRestrictedDirsFeel free to contribute to this project by:
- Reporting bugs or issues
- Suggesting new features
- Submitting pull requests
- Improving documentation
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
If you encounter issues:
- Check PowerShell Version: Ensure you're using PowerShell 5.1+
- Execution Policy: You may need to run
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser - Path Validation: Verify the target path exists and is accessible
- Administrator Mode: Try running PowerShell as administrator for system directories
- v1.0 - Initial release with basic directory size calculation
- v1.1 - Added administrator privilege handling and auto-elevation
- v1.2 - Enhanced error handling and visual indicators
- v1.3 - Directory-only output for cleaner folder-level analysis
- v1.4 - Added depth control parameter with flexible recursion options
- v1.5 - Simplified interface by removing -Recurse switch, depth-only control
- v1.6 - File Explorer-like tree hierarchy display with visual characters
- v1.7 - Separated display depth from calculation depth for accurate totals
- v1.8 - Added pause functionality to prevent elevated windows from auto-closing
- v1.9 - Removed auto-elevation, simplified to manual admin privilege requirement
- v2.0 - Added size-based color coding for improved large directory visibility
- v2.1 - Removed -SkipRestrictedDirs parameter, quiet operation by default
- v2.2 - Added rotating cursor progress indicator for long-running analyses
- v2.3 - Performance optimizations with FastMode option and improved enumeration
- v2.4 - Added UTF-8 file output capability with SaveToFile parameter
- v2.5 - PowerShell 5.1 compatibility fixes for Unicode tree characters
- PowerShell 5.1 (Windows PowerShell) - ✅ Fully supported
- PowerShell 7+ (PowerShell Core) - ✅ Fully supported
- PowerShell ISE - ✅ Compatible (with limited color support)
- Windows 10/11 - Primary target platform
- Windows Server 2016+ - Fully supported
- Windows 8.1 - Compatible (PowerShell 5.1 required)
The tool uses Unicode box-drawing characters for tree display, implemented with character codes for maximum compatibility across PowerShell versions.
Made with ❤️ by jantiede for the PowerShell community