folderlens

a lightweight folder size analyzer for windows with explorer context menu integration.

features

• recursive scanning of folders and subfolders
• async scanning (ui doesn't freeze)
• visual usage bars showing relative size
• file type icons and color coding
• folder and file selection across directories
• analyze panel with zip and delete options
• image preview on double-click
• sortable columns (size, name, type, date)
• light/dark mode toggle
• auto-update from github releases
• right-click context menu integration
• handles "access denied" errors gracefully

installation

quick install

cd FolderLens
pip install -r requirements.txt
build.bat
python simple_installer.py  # run as admin

this installs to C:\Program Files\FolderLens and adds context menu entry.

manual install

pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py --install  # run as admin for context menu

uninstall

python simple_installer.py --uninstall

or use FolderLens_Uninstall.reg.

usage

# open gui
python main.py

# analyze specific folder
python main.py "C:\Users\Documents"

# console mode (no gui)
python main.py --console "C:\Users\Documents"

# context menu install/uninstall
python main.py --install
python main.py --uninstall

ui controls

• ☀️/🌙 - toggle light/dark mode
• ⬆ - check for updates
• 📊 - open analyze panel for selected items
• ••• - settings (icon size, preview toggle)
• ○/● - select/deselect files and folders

requirements

• windows 10/11
• python 3.9+

project structure

FolderLens/
├── main.py               # entry point, cli
├── app.py                # ui (customtkinter)
├── scanner.py            # async folder scanner
├── file_utils.py         # file type detection, formatting
├── version.py            # version info
├── updater.py            # auto-update handler
├── registry_installer.py # windows registry operations
├── simple_installer.py   # python-based installer
├── build.bat             # build script
├── requirements.txt
├── installer/
│   └── FolderLens_Setup.iss  # inno setup script
└── dist/
    └── FolderLens.exe    # compiled executable

updates

the app checks github releases for updates. to configure:

1. edit version.py
2. set GITHUB_OWNER to your github username
3. set GITHUB_REPO to your repository name
4. create releases with .exe or .zip assets

building

# build exe
build.bat

# or manually
pyinstaller --onefile --windowed --name FolderLens --collect-all customtkinter main.py

license

mit