Auto-sort downloads by file size

Auto-sorting downloads by file size can be managed differently depending on your operating system and preferred tools. Here’s how to do it on Windows, macOS, and using third-party download managers:

Windows File Explorer

To auto-sort files in the Downloads folder by file size:

1. Open your Downloads folder.

2. Right-click in an empty area and select Sort by > Size.

3. To keep this setting:

   • Click the View tab.

   • Choose Options > Change folder and search options.

   • Under the View tab in the new window, click Apply to Folders.

This will apply the sort order to all folders of the same type (e.g., general items like Downloads).

macOS Finder

To sort files by size in Downloads:

1. Open Finder and go to your Downloads folder.

2. Click View > as List.

3. Click the Size column to sort by file size.

4. To make this the default:

   • Use Command + J (View Options).

   • Set “Sort by: Size” and check Always open in list view.

Using Download Managers

If you want more automation and control, use a download manager:

Internet Download Manager (IDM) (Windows)

• Files can be auto-categorized and sorted using rules based on size.

• Go to Downloads > Options > Save to.

• Set custom paths or categories for different size ranges.

Free Download Manager (Windows/macOS/Linux)

• Automatically groups and shows file size.

• You can sort the list of downloads by size directly in the interface.

Using Automation Scripts (Advanced)

Windows (PowerShell Script)

You can run a scheduled PowerShell script to auto-sort downloads by moving them into folders based on size:

powershell
CopyEdit
$downloadFolder = "$env:USERPROFILEDownloads"
$small = "$downloadFolderSmall"
$medium = "$downloadFolderMedium"
$large = "$downloadFolderLarge"

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $small, $medium, $large | Out-Null

Get-ChildItem -Path $downloadFolder -File | ForEach-Object {
    $sizeMB = $_.Length / 1MB
    if ($sizeMB -lt 10) {
        Move-Item $_.FullName $small
    } elseif ($sizeMB -lt 100) {
        Move-Item $_.FullName $medium
    } else {
        Move-Item $_.FullName $large
    }
}

Save as .ps1 and run it via Task Scheduler for automation.

Linux (Bash Script)

Create a bash script to sort files in the Downloads folder:

bash
CopyEdit
#!/bin/bash

DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads"
SMALL="$DOWNLOAD_DIR/Small"
MEDIUM="$DOWNLOAD_DIR/Medium"
LARGE="$DOWNLOAD_DIR/Large"

mkdir -p "$SMALL" "$MEDIUM" "$LARGE"

for file in "$DOWNLOAD_DIR"/*; do
  [ -f "$file" ] || continue
  size=$(stat -c%s "$file")
  if [ "$size" -lt 10485760 ]; then
    mv "$file" "$SMALL"
  elif [ "$size" -lt 104857600 ]; then
    mv "$file" "$MEDIUM"
  else
    mv "$file" "$LARGE"
  fi
done

Set a cron job to run it daily or as needed.

These methods let you either manually sort by file size or automatically organize files based on size thresholds. Let me know if you’d like one tailored to your specific system setup.