You can easily extract the file names and their details from the Windows 10 folders and subfolders as long as you have MS Excel 2010 (a product that comes along with MS Office suite) or above installed on your PC. Where Excel 2016 and above have a built-in add-in called Power Query, you must manually download and install it on the 2010 and 2013 versions of your MS Excel to follow the method explained in this guide.
You can download Microsoft Power Query for Excel (.MSI file) from the given link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=39379. Once downloaded, you can double-click the .MSI file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Power Query for 2010/2013 version of MS Excel.
Note: In some cases, you may also have to get to File > Options, select Add-ins from the left pane of the Excel Options box, select COM Add-ins from the Manage drop-down list, click Go, check the box representing the Power Query you just installed, click OK, and back on the Excel Options box, click OK again to make Microsoft Power Query for Excel available for you to use.
Once you’re sure that your MS Excel has Power Query (built-in or installed manually), here’s how you can extract the file names and their details from a folder and all its subfolders in Windows 10:
Step 1
Launch MS Excel
Double-click the Excel shortcut from the desktop (or click the icon from the taskbar or from the Start menu), and click Blank workbook. This launches MS Excel and opens a new blank worksheet for you to work on. Alternatively, you can also continue to Step 2 if you have an already opened worksheet.
Step 2
Get to the Data ribbon
Click Data from the top of the ribbon. This opens the Data ribbon. The options here allow you to perform various tasks that are extremely complex and time-consuming if done manually.
Step 3
Select target folder
Click Get Data from the Get & Transform Data section, go to From File > From Folder, click Browse from the Folder box, browse and click the folder you want extract the names of the files from (CV Templates for this example), and click OK. This selects the folder and tells MS Excel that the selected folder is the one that contains the files names and details of which you want to extract, and takes you back to the Folder box. You can notice that the Folder path field is now populated with the path of the folder you just selected.
Step 4
Extract the file names
Click OK on the Folder box, and click Load on the next box that appears. This exports all the file names and their corresponding details to the selected worksheet. You can now go ahead and save the Excel file to your preferred location, and use the extracted information as needed.
You can download Microsoft Power Query for Excel (.MSI file) from the given link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=39379. Once downloaded, you can double-click the .MSI file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Power Query for 2010/2013 version of MS Excel.
Note: In some cases, you may also have to get to File > Options, select Add-ins from the left pane of the Excel Options box, select COM Add-ins from the Manage drop-down list, click Go, check the box representing the Power Query you just installed, click OK, and back on the Excel Options box, click OK again to make Microsoft Power Query for Excel available for you to use.
Once you’re sure that your MS Excel has Power Query (built-in or installed manually), here’s how you can extract the file names and their details from a folder and all its subfolders in Windows 10:
Step 1
Launch MS Excel
Double-click the Excel shortcut from the desktop (or click the icon from the taskbar or from the Start menu), and click Blank workbook. This launches MS Excel and opens a new blank worksheet for you to work on. Alternatively, you can also continue to Step 2 if you have an already opened worksheet.
Step 2
Get to the Data ribbon
Click Data from the top of the ribbon. This opens the Data ribbon. The options here allow you to perform various tasks that are extremely complex and time-consuming if done manually.
Step 3
Select target folder
Click Get Data from the Get & Transform Data section, go to From File > From Folder, click Browse from the Folder box, browse and click the folder you want extract the names of the files from (CV Templates for this example), and click OK. This selects the folder and tells MS Excel that the selected folder is the one that contains the files names and details of which you want to extract, and takes you back to the Folder box. You can notice that the Folder path field is now populated with the path of the folder you just selected.
Step 4
Extract the file names
Click OK on the Folder box, and click Load on the next box that appears. This exports all the file names and their corresponding details to the selected worksheet. You can now go ahead and save the Excel file to your preferred location, and use the extracted information as needed.