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.

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

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