File Browser

The File Browser is SharePoint Storage Explorer's deepest view — a folder tree of one library with per-file metadata, sortable and filterable, optimised for finding specific files worth attention.

Where to find it

The File Browser opens when you double-click a library in the document library view. You can also click any file row in top 100 files to land in the File Browser at that file's location.

What the view shows

A folder tree on the left and a file table on the right. The table columns:

• File name — the filename including extension.
• Size — bytes the file occupies (excludes version chain unless versions are included).
• Modified — date of last modification.
• Modified by — the user who last modified.
• Created — date of original creation.
• Created by — the user who first uploaded.
• Version count — how many versions SharePoint is retaining (populated when you ran with file-level versions enabled).
• Path — full path within the library.

Common workflows

Find the biggest file in a folder

Sort the Size column descending. The top result is the largest file in the currently-selected folder. Drill into subfolders to find the largest file under each.

Find old, large files

Sort by Size descending then filter Modified older than 12 months. Result: files that are both large and unused — high-value cleanup targets.

Spot files with extreme version counts

Sort by Version count descending. Files with hundreds or thousands of versions are usually documents being edited in-place repeatedly. Storage savings can be substantial if you can persuade owners to reduce retention or move the workflow.

Find files modified by a specific user

Filter Modified by contains — useful for HR-relevant audits or for understanding which power-users are driving growth.

Compare folders by total size

Click any folder in the tree. The status bar shows the cumulative size of that folder's contents (including subfolders). Useful for "which subfolder of this library is the biggest" questions without exporting to CSV.

Read-only by design

The File Browser shows file metadata but provides no delete, move, or modify actions. Cleanup happens elsewhere — either through the SharePoint UI, through Squirrel for automated archiving, or through your usual records-management process. SharePoint Storage Explorer's job ends at "here is what you have"; what to do about it is your decision.

Exporting a folder's contents

The Export this folder button in the top action bar produces a CSV of every file under the currently-selected folder (recursive). Filename, size, modified date, owner, and path are preserved. Useful for sharing a cleanup target list with the site owner.

See also

• Document library view — the per-library view above this one.
• Top 100 files — tenant-wide largest-files list.
• File-type breakdown — storage by extension.

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