How to export folder content info to CSV file using PowerShell on Windows 10

Do you have a folder with a lot of files that you want to inventory in an Excel csv file? Here's a simple way to complete the task using PowerShell.

By Mauro Huculak (@Pureinfotech) , Windows How-To Expert and IT Specialist with 22 years of experience.

June 22, 2020

2020-06-22T08:41:36-04:00

On Windows 10, sometimes, you may need to generate a csv file containing the information about a particular folder location for inventory purposes, to determine a specific information, or compare the data against another version of the folder to ensure its integrity.

You could perform this task manually, but it could take a long time. However, you can also use a PowerShell command to speed the process to a few seconds.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to use a PowerShell command to create an inventory of the content of a folder on Windows 10.

How to export list of files to csv on Windows 10

To create an Excel file containing files information from a folder with PowerShell, use these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Navigate to the folder or network location containing the files.
Type the following command in the address bar and press Enter:
```
PowerShell
```
Open PowerShell folder location
Type the following command to create an Excel supported csv list with a list of all the file names of the current location and press Enter:
```
Dir | Export-CSV PATH\TO\EXPORTED\FILE.CSV
```
In the command, make sure to update the path and name of the output file.

For example, this command saves the output to the Desktop folder:
```
Dir | Export-CSV C:\Users\username\Desktop\FileList.csv
```
Export folder info to CSV file

Once you complete the steps, the command will create a csv file containing a lot of information about the contents inside the folder, including name of files, path, dates, and more, which you can then view and edit using Excel.

The command only creates a list of the files and folders within the current location, not subfolders.