How to Search for Empty Folders in Windows 11

Trying to declutter your life on your Windows 11 PC, or just keep things orderly? Either way, sorting through countless folders can be exhausting enough, without having to stop and check which folders are empty. If only there were a way to quickly check.

Oh wait, there is! A few actually, and in this article, we’ll show you how to utilize them.

How to Search for Empty Folders in Windows 11

You have several choices when it comes to hunting down empty folders on your machine. From built-in solutions to third-party ones; from simple to more advanced, there are many ways to get the job done. Let’s get started.

Windows Explorer Search

Perhaps the quickest way to see which folders are empty in any given directory is to use the search bar at the top-right of any Explorer window. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open the directory you want to check.

Step 2. Type the following into the search bar: “kind:folder size:empty or empty:”. Then press “Enter.”

Step 3. The search function will show all files and folders taking up 0 bytes.

Another, less effective technique is to arrange folders in a directory by size, though this is slower and won’t work for hidden folders.

Command Prompt

Command Prompt is a more complicated, but no less effective way to check for empty folders. By entering the right command line, you can check any directory. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and type in “cmd”, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run as Administrator.

Step 2. In Command Prompt, type your file path, beginning with “cd” and press “Enter.” For example: “cd %USERPROFILE%\Documents”.

Step 3. In the directory, the format of your command will look like this: “dir /[drive letter] /B [lists file names] /S [if you want to search subdirectories] | find “0 Folder(s)”.

Step 4. Press “Enter” and Command Prompt will display a list that matches the criteria.

Using PowerShell

PowerShell scripts provide useful ways to automate tasks, cutting down complex code into the simple click of a menu option. There are plenty of .reg files created by users that will add the option to locate empty folders into your context menu. All are free and easy to download.

A good one can be found here.

Simply download and double-click to install and the option will be added to your context menu.

Third Party Tools

If getting into scripts and Command Prompt seems a bit too daunting for you, the good news is there are plenty of third-party tools that make empty folder detection a breeze. Many organizing apps will include the feature as a part of their whole product offering.

In addition, many of these tools allow you to automatically delete empty folders after identifying them, something the default Windows solutions don’t allow for.