Zero byte files

[Party1]

Can anyone tell me if there is ANY reason to keep files with a zero byte
size on my pc. I'm not sure how many are the result of upgrading to XP, but
I currently have over 4,000+ files of zero byte size in numerous
directories. What are these for? What causes them? And most importantly,
can I delete them?

Thanks!

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

What are these for?

Usually they are just file fragments, pretty much worthless by themselves.

What causes them?

Improper program closures and OS shutdowns. Also dirty bits from disk
checking.

And most importantly, can I delete them?

Probably, unless they are part of a program you are using, which I doubt.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Cassandra's Bastard]

Can anyone tell me if there is ANY reason to keep files with a zero byte
size on my pc. I'm not sure how many are the result of upgrading to XP, but
I currently have over 4,000+ files of zero byte size in numerous
directories. What are these for? What causes them? And most importantly,
can I delete them?

Thanks!

Look at the file dates. If they are old, you can safely delete them.
If they are current, they are most likely files that some applicatiion
has created but not yet closed, in which case Windows will not let you
delete them anyway.

What you should really be worried about is WHY you have so many
zero-byte files. Not much point deleting them if they just reappear,
now is there? The most common causes I know of are improper
application and system shutdown.