Remove Empty Folders Recursively

very good
key review info
application features
  • Adds option to remove empty folders to shell menu of directories
  • (2 more, see all...)

Empty folders are bound to appear on the computer at one point or another, especially when you create a temporary space to hold your work. Getting rid of these items for better managing said space can be pretty tedious when done manually.

But there are easier solutions, such as Sub4Del, which can complete eliminate the empty spaces in a couple of clicks, literally.

The application is free of charge and requires no installation; however, this does not make it portable by any means since some traces are still available on the computer.

The application is absolutely free of charge and does not cater for any other purpose than providing the means to delete empty folders recursively. This means that it detects and removes all subsequent empty folders in a directory located at the root of the drive.

Although extremely simple, Sub4Del requires installation, at least the first time you use it. You have to keep an eye on the screens popping up during this routine because it offers to push third-party software on the system, which may affect the settings in the browser for the default home page and new tab settings as well as the search engine.

Running the application has to be done with administrative privileges, otherwise you won’t be able to access its settings and apply them.

Since the only interface available is actually the settings panel, there can’t be said too much about Sub4Del.

The configuration dialog for the application includes three options, one of them being essential for enabling Sub4Del fulfill its purpose: the “Remove Empty Sub Folders” option to the context menu. It is disabled by default and without it the program cannot be used.

Additional choices in the panel allow you to be prompted before executing the task and receiving a confirmation message after completing it, just to be sure that the operation was carried out properly.

We thought it would be nice to have the possibility to enable a count for the folders it analyzes and the ones it finds empty and removes.

One of the best parts is that after making the proper settings you no longer need to know about Sub4Del, unless you want to reconsider the options and change them.

During our tests the application worked like a charm and removed all empty subfolders. No matter how complex we would make the directory structure it would get rid of the targets swiftly and without hesitation.

Regardless of its location on the disk, as long as its command was present in the context menu of folders the operation would be carried out without exemption on the target directory.

The developer notes that after the initial installation the DEF (most likely the acronym for “Delete Empty Folders”) executable can be run from any storage device, be it a removable drive or a different location on the computer. However, this does not make Sub4Del portable because it modifies Windows Registry in order to function.

Moreover, deleting a portable program should also remove all of its traces, which does not happen with Sub4Del. In this case, flushing out the executable does not remove the context menu command for eliminating empty folders.

Just in case you want to get rid of the program, there are two methods to get the shell menu to the previous state; either run the program as an administrator, disable the context menu command and then send it to Recycle Bin or prepare for some Windows Registry editing.

As daunting a location as it may seem for some, in this case all you have to do is navigate to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell” and delete the “Remove Empty Sub Folders” entry. We do not recommend this course of action unless as an ultimate resort.

The documentation informs that the developer tested the product only on Windows 7 and XP, 32- and 64- versions. We also conducted our evaluation on Windows 8 (32-bit) and everything worked fine.

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The Good

The simplicity of the application is in tune with its purpose. It is easy to work with and integrates seamlessly with Windows.

The Bad

Unless you get the executable file, the app requires installation and during the routine third-party software is promoted, which may change some settings in the web browser. When deleting the “portable” version the shell option is not removed with as well.

The Truth

Sub4Del needs to be run with administrative rights in order to be able to write the custom settings to its installation file. It may not have a wide audience, but it manages to do a fine job.

Since there are almost no options available it is safe to say that this is just a simple program with a simple purpose, which is achieved without making things complicated.

user interface 3
features 4
ease of use 4
pricing / value 3


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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