Suggestion: Find/delete empty folders

[hosainh]

As an avid ccleaner user, I thought that this function would fit in seamlessly with the idea of ccleaner and that it would be a pretty nice thing to work on/develop.

 

Basically the idea is ccleaner could search the windows filesystem for any folders that are empty and delete them. We all get these as our PC's age! While it doesn't improve performance, it improves aesthetics and helps us bear with windows explorer just a bit more

[ishan_rulz]

Welcome to the forums!

If you would have used the Search feature you would have realised this has been suggested before.

 

There has been an argument about it being a possible risk as it might delete folders that are in fact, in use by the various softwares we have on our PC.

 

Although, I'd like such a feature in the "Tools" section where you can customise your search, etc. but hmm.

[Super Fast]

 

There has been an argument about it being a possible risk as it might delete folders that are in fact, in use by the various softwares we have on our PC.

 

 

 

Examples of programs that might NEED empty folders to properly function are:

 

- Windows Startup folder in Start Menu

- Bart PE Builder plugin directory

- Other programs who list empty directories along with XML directives detailing how/what to remove/edit on a PC

 

You may not really want to do that, because of the possible consequences of that action.

But if you do, check out freeware Remove Empty Directories (just be sure to have a backup of your entire pc to be on the safe side before you go doctoring your pc.)

[hosainh]

Examples of programs that might NEED empty folders to properly function are:

 

- Windows Startup folder in Start Menu

- Bart PE Builder plugin directory

- Other programs who list empty directories along with XML directives detailing how/what to remove/edit on a PC

 

You may not really want to do that, because of the possible consequences of that action.

But if you do, check out freeware Remove Empty Directories (just be sure to have a backup of your entire pc to be on the safe side before you go doctoring your pc.)

 

In my experience if a program needed an empty directory it just re-generates it on launch of the program so no harm is caused.

[Alan_B]

In my experience if a program needed an empty directory it just re-generates it on launch of the program so no harm is caused.

Is your experience so extensive that you would bet the future of all CCleaner users that every application they install will recreate any "normal Windows" folder such as the startup entry

C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

[hosainh]

Is your experience so extensive that you would bet the future of all CCleaner users that every application they install will recreate any "normal Windows" folder such as the startup entry

C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

 

Lol what are you talking about? They would create a folder for places in which they need to place a file in, so if a shorcut is made in that folder, and that folder does not exist then yes it will create the folder.

 

I didn't say they would recreate every default windows folder.

[Nergal]

OK so here it is my reasoning for this being a feature I am not so keen to see

 

1. 
    
   
2. There is actually no such thing as a completely empty folder. All folders contain (at the least) desktop.ini and often thumbs.db. Granted ccelaner's engine could be set to ignore such files and to consider said folder empty though they contain those files.
   
3. Yes, most programs are correctly programed and will recreate said "empty folder" if needed; however the operative word in this sentence is MOST. I foresee the complaints rolling in "{X Program} no longer works and I don't know why" (as was foreseen by many and ignored re: wipefreespace). Troubleshooting said issue would be very very very very very very very very very difficult (I'd say impossible but I don't really like to use that word).
   
4. CCleaner uses a detect and remove method. This method can be viewed by looking at the embedded ini files (this can be read in plain text for any version (3.04+ at least) by running "ccleaner.exe /export" ) Honestly I can think of no way of successfully coding such a clean without serious bloating CCleaner (which should be kept relatively small for those of us who use ccleaner's portable version).
   
5. Back to the recreation of folder; yes the OS and many (see 2) programs will recreate folders, this would take:
   
   1. 
      
   2. RAM
      
   3. Processing Power
      
   4. Use up a limited number of writes that a harddrive has
      

[*] Most users run ccleaner ~1/week. That's a lot of dealing with this recreation of folders.

[*]Many people keep certain empty folders, temporarily, for certain things. SOME examples on my drive

1. {userprofile}\Dropbox\Private\
   
2. {userprofile}\Dropbox\Public\
   
3. {userprofile}\pictures to edit\
   
4. {userprofile}\desktop\mp3s\Not Tagged\
   
5. {userprofile}\desktop\mp3\checkout\
   
6. c:\temporary installation point\
   
7. c:\troubleshooting\screenshots\
   
8. c:\troubleshooting\dumpfiles\
   

These folders would NEVER end up being recreated, automatically I mean. Yes, they could be added to the exclude list, but most users of ccleaner BLINDLY hit clean, and/or never inspect the analysis data, thus would not catch the folders in the list and be able to (if they even know include/exclude exist) exclude the folders, again so many future complaints for the members of this forum to have to deal with.

 

That's what I can think of ... right now.

[hosainh]

OK so here it is my reasoning for this being a feature I am not so keen to see

 

1. 
    
   
2. There is actually no such thing as a completely empty folder. All folders contain (at the least) desktop.ini and often thumbs.db. Granted ccelaner's engine could be set to ignore such files and to consider said folder empty though they contain those files.
   
3. Yes, most programs are correctly programed and will recreate said "empty folder" if needed; however the operative word in this sentence is MOST. I foresee the complaints rolling in "{X Program} no longer works and I don't know why" (as was foreseen by many and ignored re: wipefreespace). Troubleshooting said issue would be very very very very very very very very very difficult (I'd say impossible but I don't really like to use that word).
   
4. CCleaner uses a detect and remove method. This method can be viewed by looking at the embedded ini files (this can be read in plain text for any version (3.04+ at least) by running "ccleaner.exe /export" ) Honestly I can think of no way of successfully coding such a clean without serious bloating CCleaner (which should be kept relatively small for those of us who use ccleaner's portable version).
   
5. Back to the recreation of folder; yes the OS and many (see 2) programs will recreate folders, this would take:
   
   1. 
      
   2. RAM
      
   3. Processing Power
      
   4. Use up a limited number of writes that a harddrive has
      

[*] Most users run ccleaner ~1/week. That's a lot of dealing with this recreation of folders.

[*]Many people keep certain empty folders, temporarily, for certain things. SOME examples on my drive

1. {userprofile}\Dropbox\Private\
   
2. {userprofile}\Dropbox\Public\
   
3. {userprofile}\pictures to edit\
   
4. {userprofile}\desktop\mp3s\Not Tagged\
   
5. {userprofile}\desktop\mp3\checkout\
   
6. c:\temporary installation point\
   
7. c:\troubleshooting\screenshots\
   
8. c:\troubleshooting\dumpfiles\
   

These folders would NEVER end up being recreated, automatically I mean. Yes, they could be added to the exclude list, but most users of ccleaner BLINDLY hit clean, and/or never inspect the analysis data, thus would not catch the folders in the list and be able to (if they even know include/exclude exist) exclude the folders, again so many future complaints for the members of this forum to have to deal with.

 

That's what I can think of ... right now.

I'm sorry if I find most of your arguements fairly silly.

 

I think you have a small misconception here, being that I wouldn't have wanted this feature to be part of the normal ccleaner analyse/run that everyone knows and loves so much.

I would have liked it to be a seperate tool found in tools, that one could use if they so wish. If you are someone who likes to keep empty folders, then fair be it you are someone who wouldn't want to use the feature. No one is forcing you to use it.

You can't really argue that because you have empty folders that you want to keep that this feature shouldn't exist, because the target audience of this idea would not have been you in the first place.

 

The idea of this being that it helps delete empty folders that programs almost always leave after an uninstall.

 

I would like to note I have never seen a program be unable to generate a folder that it needs after a user has deleted it. Please show me an example for this arguement you are all using, while having no proof for. Even my mobile phone recreates empty folders it needs without trouble.

 

As for your other point, i'm sure the amount of RAM and processing power it takes to generate an empty folder would not be of worry to anyone.

 

And finally your only valid point:

CCleaner uses a detect and remove method. This method can be viewed by looking at the embedded ini files (this can be read in plain text for any version (3.04+ at least) by running "ccleaner.exe /export" ) Honestly I can think of no way of successfully coding such a clean without serious bloating CCleaner (which should be kept relatively small for those of us who use ccleaner's portable version).

Fair enough, this is why it is a suggestion and up to the developers to decide if it should be implemented. I have no idea how much work this would take to implement and whether it would bloat the software.

[Andavari]

Examples of programs that might NEED empty folders to properly function are:

 

- Windows Startup folder in Start Menu

 

That one usually has a desktop.ini file in it, however if that file goes missing it can cause serious issues for instance in a now ancient version of CCleaner where it would cause CCleaner to delete itself.

[Alan_B]

I'm sorry if I find most of your arguements fairly silly.

 

The idea of this being that it helps delete empty folders that programs almost always leave after an uninstall.

 

I would like to note I have never seen a program be unable to generate a folder that it needs after a user has deleted it. Please show me an example for this arguement you are all using, while having no proof for. Even my mobile phone recreates empty folders it needs without trouble.

 

As for your other point, i'm sure the amount of RAM and processing power it takes to generate an empty folder would not be of worry to anyone.

 

And finally your only valid point:

 

Fair enough, this is why it is a suggestion and up to the developers to decide if it should be implemented. I have no idea how much work this would take to implement and whether it would bloat the software.

 

You are the silly one.

 

NOWHERE till now did you indicate this was a special tool, therefore you were asking for it to be part of a standard clean.

 

You are also more than silly to worry about the presence of an empty folder.

How much disk space does it take ?

 

It may not take much "RAM and processing power" to generate an empty folder as required

but it takes much more to search / seek / and destroy each such entity every time CCleaner is run.

 

You are worse than silly for assuming that no developer would fail to create a folder every time it is needed.

Applications are often INSTALLED ONCE and it is presumptuous of you to expect every application developer in the world to allow for the absolute folly of wanton random removal of folders that have been especially created, possibly with special attributes.

Are you possibly meddling with features that a high priced application could use/monitor to detect licence infringement ?

 

You are entitled to trust your own experience for yourself,

but do not expect responsible Piriform developers to put their customers in jeopardy on that flimsy basis.

[hosainh]

You are the silly one.

 

NOWHERE till now did you indicate this was a special tool, therefore you were asking for it to be part of a standard clean.

 

You are also more than silly to worry about the presence of an empty folder.

How much disk space does it take ?

 

It may not take much "RAM and processing power" to generate an empty folder as required

but it takes much more to search / seek / and destroy each such entity every time CCleaner is run.

 

You are worse than silly for assuming that no developer would fail to create a folder every time it is needed.

Applications are often INSTALLED ONCE and it is presumptuous of you to expect every application developer in the world to allow for the absolute folly of wanton random removal of folders that have been especially created, possibly with special attributes.

Are you possibly meddling with features that a high priced application could use/monitor to detect licence infringement ?

 

You are entitled to trust your own experience for yourself,

but do not expect responsible Piriform developers to put their customers in jeopardy on that flimsy basis.

Even if it was part of the standard clean, the options can be unchecked, so thats number one. I've discussed your other points so i'm not bothered to reiterate what I have already said, thats number two.

[hazelnut]

Thread closed