Software that indexes and lets the user browse it?

[Achint2000]

I've recently come across a chkdsk issue where it deleted 30 GB from my Win10 SSD drive and now it won't boot. I'm on Windows 7 on the same SSD (Dual Boot).

Now, I'm planning on formatting the Win10 drive. Is there any software which can index all directories and files with their created/modified dates and attributes, size and stuff?

So that if I ever need to know what files were placed and what their sizes were. Just like browsing a normal hard drive from Windows Explorer, but the files won't actually be there.

 

[Ralston18]

Just to be sure that I understand the full scope of your question:

The plan is that before you format the Win10 drive you plan to copy the folders and files to another drive. Then run software that will index the copied folders and files resulting in a searchable list.

There are a number of products out there that will capture and record folder and file information. For example:

https://www.raymond.cc/blog/print-all-file-and-folder-contents-to-text-or-printer/

Google "directory listing software freeware" or use similar words and phrasing to identify other products.

Do be careful about downloading any given offering - some sites will try to trick you into loading something else and/or try to attach some other unwanted application.

You can do much the same on your own via the DIR at the command prompt.

E.g. Reference link:

https://www.poftut.com/windows-dir-command-tutorial-examples-list-files-file-information/

There are other links.

In the past I have redirected the command results in to a .txt or .csv file that is in turn opened using database software. Then use the database to open, search, sort, report, etc..

Much easier to do and you can customize the database to suit your own requirements.

 

[Achint2000]

Not exactly. It's about 21GB Data still there, which has windows and user files, program files, etc.
I'm kinda having a hard time explaining what exactly I want here...

All I want to do, is index the drive and then be able to browse THAT INDEX as if it was all still there, the file names show, their sizes show but none of the data is actually there.

Example, I go to K: (my win10 drive) => K:\Windows\System32 and I see all these dll and exe core files there. Let's say I'm looking for "winload.exe"

Now, what I want from that index, is to be able to open it like windows explorer, go to system32 folder, see all the file names, their created dates, attributes and sizes, to be able to see winload.exe there, but it'll be just the filename and it's size, the file won't actually be anywhere.

I have about 5 TB HDDs and a 256 GB SSD, with some partitions and it's hard to keep track of all files, so something like that will come in handy.

UPDATE: Just checked out Directory Report. That's almost exactly how I needed it, but it's not complete freeware.

This is almost exactly how I wanted it:

This same kind of UI and the same thing I want is with dirlister as well.

But I want it to look exactly like this in this software.
If I save it in any of the formats, XML/HTML/TEXT, etc, it doesn't look like an explorer window (which im too used to).
Is there a way in which it can be saved and reopened by this same program and have the same GUI as from the image?

 

[Ralston18]

I am not sure about this:

"All I want to do, is index the drive and then be able to browse THAT INDEX as if it was all still there, the file names show, their sizes show but none of the data is actually there."

So you are just creating a list/index of folders and files, copying the list somewhere, deleting the actual files, but still need to search the list/index using a browser - correct?

You may be able to duplicate the desired look via Powershell's Get-Childitem and Convert to HTML.

Similar to what is being shown in the following links:

https://4sysops.com/archives/building-html-reports-in-powershell-with-convertto-html/

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/5mf2y0/csv_to_html_report/

Overall, unless some exactly ideal application is found, you may have to consider the trade-offs you are willing to make.

Learning Powershell some as time and circumstances warrant. Have not tinkered with HTML outputs. Going to put that on my "list".

 

[Alabalcho]

Open command prompt (you might do that with elevated privileges), execute "dir C:\ /a /s >c:\filelist.txt". You will get a text file with every file on your C: drive, with its size, and last modified date. If you need to see where a file is residing - open the file on NotePad, Ctr-F the file name, scroll a page or two to see which folder it resides for. YOu can also have a file with fill pathname on every file listed.

 

[Achint2000]

@Alabalcho, I already described that I don't want it in a txt format, I want to be able to browse it as if it was a real directory without actual files. I won't ask here if I wanted that.

 

[Ralston18]

Wondering about the "browse" requirement per se. What is driving that - just personal preference?

Thought about the need for the "ghost directory" and how it might be used. Maybe just to see what file was there sometime in the past and maybe no longer really there in a live folder.

No issues with that but the simpler the solution (e.g. Alabalcho's suggestion) the better.

The more hoops you jump through or have to workaround just means that some future change may undo the entire ghost directory. Or the freeware becomes pay or just simply dropped and no longer supported. Both happen on a regular basis.

As for browsing per se that is okay. However, I would suggest that a searchable database based on "files.txt" and some front end database engine would be far more useful.

Just thinking out loud here - no criticisms intended or implied.

 

[Achint2000]

Personal preference, yes. And also, that when I reinstall Win10 and if I ever need to know where exactly some specific files were, it'll be much easier than searching a text file or an HTML file than having it to look like an actual directory. I've had a big share of Windows issues :\

I couldn't find a program that could do this anywhere else.

Couldn't it be any text/HTML file which opens in the software itself and still looks like the way I want? All I need is the GUI like windows explorer...
If there's still nothing, I'll just work off with what I have.

UPDATE: Nevermind. I created small indexes with every software and just got annoyed and formatted the drive. xD
Thanks for all the help