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Show size of selected files

J

jettoblack

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 1, 2006
70
0
Hey guys, my apologies if this has been asked a lot before, I tried searching the forum but didn't find anything relevant.

I want to know if there's any way of showing the total size of selected files/folders in the status bar at the bottom of a finder window, similar to what Windows has. Finder only shows you the total free HD space, which is useful, but knowing the size of selected files is MUCH more useful to me.

For example, say I'm trying to archive a folder containing many gigs of small files to multiple DVD-Rs. I need to select 4.3GB worth of files. On Windows, this is incredibly easy: just ctrl-click until the total size (as reported on the status bar) reaches just under 4.3GB.

On OSX, this is incredibly time consuming and annoying. You have to select some files and then hit Option-Cmd-I to see the total size (and poor you if you forgot the Option key and end up opening a ton of single file info windows which have to be closed one by one). Then if the size isn't right, you hit Cmd-W to close the info window, change your file selection, and hit Option-Cmd-I again, ad infinium. Oh and if you accidentally double-click while doing this Cmd-I, click, Cmd-W dance, you'll end up opening/executing all of the selected files, which can mean hundreds of windows and programs opening suddenly.

Does anyone know of a utility or something which can show the selected files' total size in the folder status bar? Or any other easy way to do this? Thanks!
 
T

TH-Gunner

macrumors regular
Mar 28, 2008
231
0
Instead of "Get Info," use "Show Inspector." Do it the same way you would go to "Get Info," except hold down Alt/Option before you click. "Get Info" will turn into "Show Inspector." It's a floating window, so you can continue clicking your Finder windows and icons and it will stay on top. It will also update as you select new files. Try it.

1. Open up a Finder window (Applications folder will provide the best example.)
2. Right-click a file/program
3. Hold Alt/Option
4. Choose "Show Inspector"
5. Now hold Apple/Command and click other files. They will be added to the selection and therefore the Inspector window.
 
U

Undecided

macrumors 6502a
Mar 4, 2005
704
168
California
TH-Gunner said:
Instead of "Get Info," use "Show Inspector." Do it the same way you would go to "Get Info," except hold down Alt/Option before you click. "Get Info" will turn into "Show Inspector." It's a floating window, so you can continue clicking your Finder windows and icons and it will stay on top. It will also update as you select new files. Try it.

1. Open up a Finder window (Applications folder will provide the best example.)
2. Right-click a file/program
3. Hold Alt/Option
4. Choose "Show Inspector"
5. Now hold Apple/Command and click other files. They will be added to the selection and therefore the Inspector window.
Click to expand...

I realize this is old but thanks! I just love discovering new tricks on Macs.
 
B

Blanch

macrumors newbie
May 2, 2011
1
0
Good Tip

Right click/ command click, same diff. Thanks for the tip, I knew this was possible, just not how. The multiple item list stays in place when re-selecting alternate multiple items. Useful for compressing files into a certain size zip
 
keskeseksa

keskeseksa

macrumors newbie
Jul 6, 2011
15
0
Thailand
"User Obnoxious"

OSX 10.7 has brought marvelous new features, however I feel the developers of 10.7 have now crossed the line between "user friendly" and "user obnoxious" (remember the little Microsoft robot?).
I am a person who has never used a PC because my brain does not function like a PC.
I used MS in the past, as well as Adobe PageMaker.
MS and Adobe are now banned in my computer because they have become too complicated for my day-to-day use, and I can always find a lighter Mac-friendly application that fulfills my needs.
Are some of these 10.7 developers ex-PC people? Probably so.
The above subject is a typical example: why are we not able to choose whether we want to be able to see the size and number of Folders/Files? Why?
Why the need to go to Inspector?
Another example is the window shown when shutting down the system.
Each time I am forced to uncheck "Reopen windows when logging back in".
I NEVER want to reopen windows when logging back in.
Why can't we have a choice?
Truly it's becoming "user obnoxious".
Let's hope these features will be corrected.
 
C

coolspot18

macrumors 65816
Aug 16, 2010
1,051
90
Canada
keskeseksa said:
Are some of these 10.7 developers ex-PC people? Probably so.
The above subject is a typical example: why are we not able to choose whether we want to be able to see the size and number of Folders/Files? Why?
Why the need to go to Inspector?
Another example is the window shown when shutting down the system.
Each time I am forced to uncheck "Reopen windows when logging back in".
I NEVER want to reopen windows when logging back in.
Why can't we have a choice?
Click to expand...


They're probably not ex-PC people because:

1. Windows Explorer shows you the selected file size in the status bar
2. Windows doesn't prompt you to reopen Windows

So in some sense, Windows is more friendly than OSX these days.
 
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