How long does it take to go through 100 files? A timed test: by hand vs. a file viewer
Going through a folder is not hard, it is slow. You open a file, look at it, close it, decide, move to the next. Multiplied by a hundred, that adds up. We wanted to know how much time actually goes into it, so the developer of GetSpace timed the same 100-file job twice: once by hand in Finder, once with a keyboard-driven file viewer. Here are the numbers, the limits of the test, and what you can do with tools you already have.
The test and the result
The job: go through 100 files and sort each one into keep or trash. Two rounds with the file sets swapped, so neither set had an advantage. Both sides were allowed to use bulk delete, and every run was checked against an answer key.
By hand in Finder it took about 11 minutes in one round and about 8 in the other, roughly 9 on average. With GetSpace it took about 4 and about 3 minutes, roughly 3.5 on average. That is less than half the time for the same result.
How far to trust these numbers
Not very far, and that is worth saying plainly. The test was done by one person, who is also the developer of the app that was tested, on a laptop with 8 GB of RAM, in two rounds. It is not a lab study. The video of the test is sped up; the clock in it shows real time. Your folder, your files and your habits will give different numbers. The direction is what matters: the time goes into the switching, not into the looking.
Where the time goes when you do it by hand
Per file, the steps repeat: click the file, open the preview, look, close the preview, move it to the trash or leave it, find the next file. Each step is only a second or two. But 100 files times five steps is 500 small actions, and each one pulls attention away from the actual question: do I still need this?
What helps with built-in tools
You can cut a lot of that before installing anything.
Sort first, then look. Sorting by kind or by size puts similar files next to each other, so you decide on whole groups: old installers, screenshots, large videos.
- On Mac, press the space bar for Quick Look and use the arrow keys to move to the next file without closing the preview.
- On Windows, turn on the preview pane in File Explorer (Alt + P).
- Select a whole group with Shift or Command (Ctrl on Windows) and move it to the trash in one step.
- Work in short blocks of 15 to 20 minutes, so the decisions stay quick.
What a file viewer changes
A file viewer removes the switching. It shows one file at a time, large, and the decision is the input: one key for keep, one for trash, one for skip. There is no preview window to open and close, and nothing to drag. Deleting still goes to the system trash first, and a summary comes before anything is removed, so speed does not cost safety.
When it does not pay off
If you know exactly which file you are looking for, search in Finder or Explorer is faster. If you only want system junk gone, a system cleaner fits better. And for a folder of ten files, there is not much to save. The gain grows with the number of files you have to look at one by one.
Try it on your own folder
GetSpace is a keyboard-driven file viewer for Mac and Windows. It runs locally and needs no account. Time yourself on a real folder and compare.
- Choose the folder you want to go through (for example Downloads) and note the time.
- Go through the files with the arrow keys, space bar for the large preview.
- Check the summary and confirm. The files then sit in your system's trash.
GetSpace is a Mac and Windows app, so it doesn’t run on phones. Email yourself the link and download it on your computer.
Email me the linkFree to start · 200 files on day one, then 50 a day · No account