Skip to main content

How to List All Empty Directories in Batch Script

Over time, file systems can become cluttered with empty directories left over from uninstalled applications, temporary data processing, or moved projects. Finding these empty folders manually is nearly impossible, making it a perfect task for an automation script. While Windows has no single command to find empty folders, you can build a powerful tool by combining a few standard commands.

This guide will teach you how to create a batch script that recursively scans a directory tree and identifies every subdirectory that is completely empty. We will build the logic using a FOR loop and the DIR command, and then show how this can be extended into a practical script to clean up and delete these unnecessary folders.

The Core Logic: Iterating and Checking for Emptiness​

To find all empty directories, we need to perform two main actions:

  1. Iterate: Get a list of all subdirectories in a given path, including those nested deep within the tree. The FOR /D /R command is perfect for this.
  2. Check for Emptiness: For each directory found, we must check if it contains any files or subdirectories. The DIR /A command piped to FIND is a robust way to do this.

By combining these two steps, we can build a script that walks an entire directory tree and flags only the empty folders.

The Script (Report Only): Listing All Empty Subdirectories​

This is the safe, "report-only" version of the script. It does not delete anything; it simply creates a list of all the empty directories it finds.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "START_FOLDER=C:\Users\Admin\Documents"

ECHO --- Finding All Empty Directories ---
ECHO Scanning folder: %START_FOLDER%
ECHO This may take a while...
ECHO.
ECHO The following directories are empty:
ECHO ------------------------------------

REM /D: Loop through Directories. /R: Recursive.
FOR /D /R "%START_FOLDER%" %%D IN (*) DO (
    REM Check if the directory is empty by trying to list its contents.
    REM The DIR command will produce no output for an empty folder.
    DIR /A /B "%%D" 2>NUL | FIND /V /C "" > NUL
    
    REM If the item count is 0, FIND sets ERRORLEVEL to 1 (non-zero).
    IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
        ECHO "%%D"
    )
)

ECHO.
ECHO --- Scan complete ---
ENDLOCAL

How the script works:

  • FOR /D /R "%START_FOLDER%" %%D IN (*): This is the engine of the script.
    • /D: Tells the FOR loop to iterate through Directories.
    • /R: Makes the search Recursive, so it goes into all subfolders.
    • %%D: The loop variable that holds the full path of each directory it finds.
  • DIR /A /B "%%D" 2>NUL: This is the check for emptiness.
    • /A: Ensures that All items are listed, including hidden and system files. This is critical for an accurate check.
    • /B: Produces a Bare list with no headers or footers. For an empty folder, this command produces no output at all.
    • 2>NUL: Suppresses "Access Denied" errors for folders the script can't read.
  • | FIND /V /C "" > NUL: This pipe counts the number of lines produced by the DIR command.
    • If the folder is empty, DIR produces 0 lines. The FIND /C command will also find 0 lines, which causes it to set %ERRORLEVEL% to a non-zero value (typically 1).
    • If the folder is not empty, DIR produces 1 or more lines, FIND /C finds them, and %ERRORLEVEL% is set to 0.
  • IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (ECHO "%%D"): This is the final step. It checks if the ERRORLEVEL from the FIND command was non-zero, and if so, it prints the name of the directory, confirming that it is empty.

Extending the Script to Delete Empty Directories​

danger

This is a destructive operation. A script with a logic error could delete folders you intended to keep.

Always run the report-only version first to verify the list of targets.

To modify the script to delete the empty folders, you simply replace the ECHO "%%D" command with an RD "%%D" command.

REM ... inside the FOR loop ...
    IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
        ECHO Deleting empty directory: "%%D"
        RD "%%D"
    )

The RD command, by default, will only delete empty directories, so this is a safe command to use in this context.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

Problem: Performance on Very Large Directory Trees​

Like any recursive operation, this script can be slow if run on an entire drive (like C:\) with hundreds of thousands of folders.

Solution: This is an inherent limitation of batch scripting. The best way to improve performance is to make your START_FOLDER as specific as possible. Don't scan C:\ if you know you only need to clean up C:\Users.

Problem: Handling Folders with Hidden Files​

A directory is not truly empty if it contains hidden or system files (e.g., thumbs.db or .git folders). Forgetting to account for these can lead to an inaccurate report.

Solution: The script provided already handles this correctly by using the /A switch with the DIR command (DIR /A /B). This ensures that all file types are included in the check, giving you an accurate determination of emptiness.

Practical Example: A User Profile Cleanup Report​

This script scans a user's profile directory and generates a report of all empty subfolders, which can then be reviewed for manual cleanup.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "TARGET_PROFILE=%USERPROFILE%"
SET "REPORT_FILE=%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\Empty_Folders_Report.txt"

ECHO --- Empty Folder Report Generator --- > "%REPORT_FILE%"
ECHO Scan started at: %DATE% %TIME% >> "%REPORT_FILE%"
ECHO Scanning folder: %TARGET_PROFILE% >> "%REPORT_FILE%"
ECHO ------------------------------------ >> "%REPORT_FILE%"
ECHO.

ECHO Scanning for empty directories... This will take a long time.

FOR /D /R "%TARGET_PROFILE%" %%D IN (*) DO (
    DIR /A /B "%%D" 2>NUL | FIND /V /C "" > NUL
    IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
        ECHO %%D >> "%REPORT_FILE%"
    )
)

ECHO.
ECHO --- Scan complete. Report saved to Desktop. ---
START "" "%REPORT_FILE%"
ENDLOCAL

Conclusion​

Finding and managing empty directories is a straightforward task with the right combination of batch commands. By iterating through directories with FOR /D /R and checking for contents with a carefully constructed DIR command, you can reliably identify every empty folder in a directory tree.

Key takeaways for success:

  • Use FOR /D /R to recursively find all subdirectories.
  • Use the DIR /A /B "folder" | FIND /V /C "" pattern to accurately check if a folder is empty.
  • Always run a report-only version first before modifying the script to delete folders, to prevent accidental data loss.

Table of Contents