{"id":"moving-folders.how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking","url":"/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking","category":{"id":"moving-folders","title":"Moving folders"},"subcategory":{"id":"data-parking","title":"Data Parking (the two-pane mover)"},"question":"How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking?","alt_questions":["Why does my folder say 128 bytes?","Are folder sizes accurate in Data Parking?","Does the size include hidden files?","folder size wrong storage studio","Is the size shown what I'll free up?"],"short_answer":"Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, including hidden files, measured as the room it takes on disk — the same space you'd get back by moving it. A spinner means it's still being counted; refresh re-measures.","answer_markdown":"Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, measured as the room it takes up on disk — the same room you get back by moving it. Hidden files are included, because they take up real space and move with the folder.\n\nSizes fill in from the top of the list as they're worked out, quietly and at a pace that leaves your own work untouched. A folder still being counted shows a spinner, never \"0 bytes\", so an unmeasured folder can't be mistaken for an empty one just before you move it.\n\nIf something deep inside a folder has grown, use the pane's refresh button to re-measure it from scratch.\n\nSee [What does ≥ before a size mean?](/faq/moving-folders/what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean)","answer_html":"<p>Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, measured as the room it takes up on disk — the same room you get back by moving it. Hidden files are included, because they take up real space and move with the folder.</p>\n<p>Sizes fill in from the top of the list as they&#39;re worked out, quietly and at a pace that leaves your own work untouched. A folder still being counted shows a spinner, never &quot;0 bytes&quot;, so an unmeasured folder can&#39;t be mistaken for an empty one just before you move it.</p>\n<p>If something deep inside a folder has grown, use the pane&#39;s refresh button to re-measure it from scratch.</p>\n<p>See <a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean\">What does ≥ before a size mean?</a></p>","answer_text":"Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, measured as the room it takes up on disk — the same room you get back by moving it. Hidden files are included, because they take up real space and move with the folder.\n\nSizes fill in from the top of the list as they're worked out, quietly and at a pace that leaves your own work untouched. A folder still being counted shows a spinner, never \"0 bytes\", so an unmeasured folder can't be mistaken for an empty one just before you move it.\n\nIf something deep inside a folder has grown, use the pane's refresh button to re-measure it from scratch.\n\nSee What does ≥ before a size mean?","tags":["folder size","data parking","measuring"],"related":[{"id":"moving-folders.what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean","question":"What does the \"≥\" sign before a folder size mean?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean"},{"id":"moving-folders.why-is-a-folder-still-measuring-in-data-parking","question":"Why does Data Parking show a spinner instead of a folder's size?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/why-is-a-folder-still-measuring-in-data-parking"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, including hidden files, measured as the room it takes on disk — the same space you'd get back by moving it. A spinner means it's still being counted; refresh re-measures.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Moving folders","path":"/faq/moving-folders/"},{"name":"How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking?","path":"/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking?","alternateName":["Why does my folder say 128 bytes?","Are folder sizes accurate in Data Parking?","Does the size include hidden files?","folder size wrong storage studio","Is the size shown what I'll free up?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, measured as the room it takes up on disk — the same room you get back by moving it. Hidden files are included, because they take up real space and move with the folder.\n\nSizes fill in from the top of the list as they're worked out, quietly and at a pace that leaves your own work untouched. A folder still being counted shows a spinner, never \"0 bytes\", so an unmeasured folder can't be mistaken for an empty one just before you move it.\n\nIf something deep inside a folder has grown, use the pane's refresh button to re-measure it from scratch.\n\nSee What does ≥ before a size mean?","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking"}}]},"fragment":"<div class=\"wrap fl-wrap\"><div class=\"fl-layout\"><aside class=\"fl-side\" aria-label=\"FAQ topics\"><details open><summary>All topics</summary><ul class=\"fl-tree\"><li><a href=\"/faq/getting-started/\">Getting started</a> <span>70</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/freeing-space/\">Freeing up space</a> <span>182</span></li><li class=\"fl-open\"><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/\" aria-current=\"true\">Moving folders</a> <span>144</span><ul><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#basics\">How moving folders works</a> <span>24</span></li><li class=\"fl-on\"><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#data-parking\">Data Parking (the two-pane mover)</a> <span>37</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#whats-using-space-moves\">Moving from What&#39;s Using Space</a> <span>3</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#moving-back\">Moving folders back</a> <span>9</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#safety-verification\">Safety and verification</a> <span>11</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#folders-in-use\">Folders an app is using</a> <span>7</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#drive-and-interruptions\">Drive disconnects and interrupted moves</a> <span>5</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#rules\">Rules and Auto Rules</a> <span>18</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#specific-folders\">Moving specific folders</a> <span>14</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#cloud-destinations\">Moving folders to a cloud account</a> <span>6</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#messages-and-problems\">Messages and problems</a> <span>10</span></li></ul></li><li><a href=\"/faq/apps/\">Apps</a> <span>146</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/external-drives/\">External drives</a> <span>169</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/finder-location/\">Finding things in Finder</a> <span>70</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/cloud-accounts/\">Cloud accounts</a> <span>158</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/icloud/\">iCloud &amp; iCloud Photos</a> <span>168</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/data-transfers/\">Data Transfers</a> <span>119</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/backups/\">Backups &amp; restore points</a> <span>126</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/delta-drive/\">Delta Drive, Delta Trust &amp; My Drive</a> <span>125</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/bridge-devices/\">Bridge &amp; your devices</a> <span>111</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/duplicates/\">Duplicate files</a> <span>74</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/junk-yard/\">Junk Yard</a> <span>113</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/tuhi-assistant/\">Tuhi, your storage assistant</a> <span>105</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/settings/\">Settings &amp; keep-time</a> <span>88</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/performance-battery/\">Performance &amp; battery</a> <span>62</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/privacy-safety/\">Privacy &amp; safety</a> <span>85</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/licensing-payments/\">Licensing &amp; payments</a> <span>131</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/troubleshooting/\">Troubleshooting &amp; messages</a> <span>180</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/comparisons/\">Comparisons &amp; alternatives</a> <span>75</span></li><li><a href=\"/faq/mac-storage-basics/\">Mac storage basics</a> <span>315</span></li></ul></details></aside><div class=\"fl-main\"><nav class=\"fl-crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><ol><li><a href=\"/\">Home</a></li><li><a href=\"/faq/\">FAQ</a></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/\">Moving folders</a></li><li aria-current=\"page\">How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking?</li></ol></nav>\n<form class=\"fl-search\" action=\"/faq/search\" method=\"get\" role=\"search\" data-fl-search>\n<label class=\"fl-visually-hidden\" for=\"fl-q\">Search the FAQ</label>\n<input id=\"fl-q\" type=\"search\" name=\"q\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Search 2,816 questions…\" autocomplete=\"off\" spellcheck=\"false\">\n<button type=\"submit\">Search</button>\n<div class=\"fl-suggest\" role=\"listbox\" hidden></div>\n</form>\n<article class=\"fl-entry\">\n<p class=\"eyebrow fl-eyebrow\"><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/\">Moving folders</a> · <a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/#data-parking\">Data Parking (the two-pane mover)</a></p>\n<h1>How are folder sizes measured in Data Parking?</h1>\n<p class=\"fl-short\"><strong>Short answer:</strong> Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, including hidden files, measured as the room it takes on disk — the same space you&#39;d get back by moving it. A spinner means it&#39;s still being counted; refresh re-measures.</p>\n<div class=\"fl-answer\"><p>Each folder shows everything inside it at every depth, measured as the room it takes up on disk — the same room you get back by moving it. Hidden files are included, because they take up real space and move with the folder.</p>\n<p>Sizes fill in from the top of the list as they&#39;re worked out, quietly and at a pace that leaves your own work untouched. A folder still being counted shows a spinner, never &quot;0 bytes&quot;, so an unmeasured folder can&#39;t be mistaken for an empty one just before you move it.</p>\n<p>If something deep inside a folder has grown, use the pane&#39;s refresh button to re-measure it from scratch.</p>\n<p>See <a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean\">What does ≥ before a size mean?</a></p></div>\n\n<p class=\"fl-meta\">Last reviewed <time datetime=\"2026-10-01\">October 1, 2026</time></p>\n\n<section class=\"fl-related\"><h2>Related questions</h2><ul><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/what-does-the-greater-than-sign-before-a-size-mean\">What does the &quot;≥&quot; sign before a folder size mean?</a></li><li><a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/why-is-a-folder-still-measuring-in-data-parking\">Why does Data Parking show a spinner instead of a folder&#39;s size?</a></li></ul></section>\n<p class=\"fl-formats\">Also available as <a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking.md\">Markdown</a> and <a href=\"/faq/moving-folders/how-are-folder-sizes-measured-in-data-parking.json\">JSON</a>.</p>\n</article></div></div></div>"}