Fast, portable empty-directory scanner and cleaner for Windows — GUI + headless CLI, filter rules, MFT turbo scan, one-click undo, network/UNC support, and zero installation required.
Portable — download, unzip, run:
curl -Lo RED++.zip https://github.com/SysAdminDoc/REDplusplus/releases/latest/download/RED++_v1.6.2.zip
tar -xf RED++.zip
RED+.exe
Scoop:
scoop bucket add redplusplus https://github.com/SysAdminDoc/REDplusplus
scoop install redplusplus
Headless (Task Scheduler, scripts):
RED+.exe -silent -path "D:\Shares" -log cleanup.log
- Modern WPF user interface with screen-aware sizing, cohesive vector iconography, and a legacy WinForms fallback
- Shows empty directories before deleting them with confirmation summary
- Supports multiple delete modes (Recycle Bin, Direct, Simulate, Move to folder)
- Allows whitelisting and blacklisting of directories by using filter lists
- Can detect directories with empty files as empty
- Detects OneDrive/cloud-only placeholder files as real content
- Handle-based reparse-point safety (junctions, symlinks, mount points)
- OS-level junction-redirection blocking via RedirectionGuard (Windows 11 24H2+; defense-in-depth)
- Invisible-character sanitization in paths and log output (bidi overrides, zero-width joiners, BOM)
- One-click restore from a protected per-user undo store (GUI button or
-undo) .redkeepmarker file protects a folder (and its subtree) anywhere it travels- Opt-in MFT turbo scan for whole-volume scans in seconds — NTFS and ReFS/Dev Drive (admin required)
- Portable configuration with protected per-user recovery state
- Extended directory and file name matching with sophisticated filter syntax
- Dedicated grid for display and editing of filter rules
- Translation-ready via .po files (template included, community translations welcome)
- Export scan results to TXT, CSV, JSON, a re-runnable PowerShell removal script, or a self-contained HTML report; import saved dry-run results for GUI review
- Headless CLI mode for scripted/scheduled operation
- Single-instance enforcement
- Persistent log file (RED++.log)
- Writes a local crash report (
RED++.crash-*.txt) on an unexpected error — no telemetry; attach it to a GitHub issue - Explorer context menu integration
- Environment variable expansion in path input
| Feature | RED++ | TreeSize Pro | FolderSizes | Store apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empty-dir scan + preview | Free | ~$50/yr | $60+ | Free |
| Network/UNC share support | Free | Paid only | Paid only | No |
| CLI / Task Scheduler | Free | Paid only | No | No |
| CSV/JSON export | Free | Paid only | Paid only | No |
| Custom filter rules | Free | No | No | No |
| "Select All" results | Free | Free | Free | Paid |
| Portable (no install) | Yes | No | No | No |
- Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2022/2025 (x64 or ARM64)
- No runtime to install — the release is a self-contained single-file build that bundles .NET 10. Just unzip and run.
- No installer required. ARM64 builds (Surface Pro, Snapdragon X) are available alongside x64.
Every release ships a SHA256SUMS file, a CycloneDX software bill of materials (bom.json) that inventories every bundled dependency, and a signed build-provenance attestation. To verify the zip really came from this repository's CI:
gh attestation verify RED++_v1.6.2.zip -R SysAdminDoc/REDplusplus
RED++ is unsigned. Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC" on first run of each new version. Click More info → Run anyway to proceed.
Why unsigned? Standard OV code-signing certificates ($200–400/yr) do not bypass SmartScreen — Microsoft resets reputation per version regardless of certificate. EV certificates ($400–600/yr with hardware token) build reputation faster but are disproportionate for a free utility. Self-signing is actively harmful: Microsoft treats self-signed executables as a malware indicator.
Verification instead of signing: every release includes a SHA256SUMS file and a GitHub build-provenance attestation (see Verify Your Download). These prove the binary came from this repository's CI, not a third party.
Future path: if download volume grows, OV or EV signing may be adopted. The release.yml workflow already has a VirusTotal submission step ready to activate.
RED++ now opens the modern WPF interface by default. The original Windows Forms interface is still available with RED+.exe -classic for compatibility testing or fallback.
If the config file (RED+.cfg) isn't found, you'll be prompted to create one:
- Portable Mode stores the config in the same folder as the executable
- %APPDATA% stores the config in a subfolder of Windows %APPDATA%
- If RED++ is in a protected folder (Program Files, etc.), select %APPDATA% instead
Dry-run JSON from the CLI can be reviewed later in the modern GUI with More -> Import dry-run results. Import shows every valid record in the review list for inspection and export; re-scan the folder before deleting so RED++ can perform current file-free and reparse-point safety checks.
RED+.exe [-silent] -path "C:\target" [-path "D:\other" ...] [options]
Scans and deletes (per configured delete mode) without showing a window. Useful for Task Scheduler and batch scripts.
Options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-path <dir> | Scan root (repeatable). A bare path argument also works. |
-delete, -yes | Scan and delete in one shot (alias for -silent; makes intent explicit in scripts). |
-dryrun | Scan and report only; never delete (forces simulate mode). |
-emptyfiles | Also delete standalone zero-byte files (opt-in sister mode). |
-mode <mode> | Override delete mode: recycle | direct | move | simulate. |
-moveto <dir> | Required with -mode move; moves empty directories and empty files to <dir>. |
-minage <hours> | Override minimum directory age for this run. |
-maxdepth <n> | Override maximum scan depth for this run (-1 = infinite). |
-gitignore, -no-gitignore | Enable or disable .gitignore rules for this run. |
-mft, -no-mft | Enable or disable MFT turbo scan for this run; MFT still requires administrator rights. |
-hidden, -ignore-hidden | Include or ignore hidden directories for this run. |
-system, -ignore-system | Include or ignore system directories for this run. |
-lockout, -no-lockout | Force report-only mode (no deletions) or override a config-level lockout. |
-parallel <n> | Parallel subdirectory scan threads (2-16, 0=serial). Speeds up UNC/SMB roots. |
-exclude <name> | Skip directories matching <name> for this run (repeatable, composable with config filters). |
-protect <name> | Prevent deletion of directories matching <name> for this run (repeatable). |
-export <file> | Write results to .txt / .csv / .json / .ps1 / .html (chosen by extension). |
-json | Emit NDJSON to stdout: one meta record (version, run totals, and elapsed time), then one result record per directory. |
-quiet | Suppress stdout/stderr; use only the process exit code and optional -log. |
-log <file> | Write a timestamped run log. |
-undo [manifest] | Restore directories from the most recent (or specified) run in the protected undo store. Up to 5 undo manifests are kept. |
-profile <name> | Run a saved profile. Any other command-line options still override the profile's values. |
-saveprofile <name> | Save the current options (paths, mode, toggles) as a named profile and exit without scanning. |
-listprofiles | List saved profiles and exit. |
-deleteprofile <name> | Delete a saved profile and exit. |
-eventlog | Write a summary event to the Windows Application Event Log (source "RED++"). |
-classic | Open the legacy Windows Forms GUI instead of the modern WPF shell. |
-help, -version | Show usage / version and exit. |
Exit codes:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Success, or simulate/dry-run found nothing. |
1 | Error, invalid argument, failed deletion, or failed undo. |
11 | Simulate/dry-run succeeded and found empty directories or files. |
Preview a cleanup without touching anything, machine-readable:
RED+.exe -path "D:\Shares" -dryrun -json
Works with UNC paths directly — no mapped drive needed:
RED+.exe -silent -path "\\server\share\folder" -log "cleanup.log"
Every deletion run writes a timestamped undo manifest under the current Windows user's protected LocalAppData store (%LOCALAPPDATA%\NotBob\RemoveEmptyDirectories). The last 5 manifests are kept so you can undo earlier runs, not just the most recent one. Restore via the GUI (More → Restore deleted items → pick a run) or headlessly:
RED+.exe -undo # restore the most recent run
RED+.exe -undo 2026-06-13_14-30-00 # restore a specific run by timestamp
RED+.exe -undo RED++.undo.2026-06-13_14-30-00.json # filename from the protected store
Deleted directories were empty, so recreating them is a complete restore; Move-to-folder deletions are moved back to their original location. A raw manifest file path is accepted only as an explicit legacy restore and is constrained to the current user's safe profile boundary; automatic -undo never trusts a manifest planted beside a portable executable.
After a robocopy /MIR or file-server migration, clean up leftover empty directories:
RED+.exe -silent -path "\\server\share" -log "migration-cleanup.log"
RED++ handles Thumbs.db and desktop.ini correctly (treats them as ignored files), unlike robocopy "X" "X" /S /move which chokes on them.
Create a scheduled task to clean a directory nightly:
<Actions>
<Exec>
<Command>C:\Tools\RED+.exe</Command>
<Arguments>-silent -path "D:\Shares\Home" -log "D:\Logs\red-cleanup.log"</Arguments>
</Exec>
</Actions>Exit code 0 = success, 1 = errors occurred. Configure the task to use UNC paths directly — mapped drives are not available in task context.
Save a reusable set of options once, then reference it by name from a scheduled task or script instead of repeating a long argument list:
RED+.exe -saveprofile nightly -path "D:\Shares\Home" -mode recycle -emptyfiles
RED+.exe -listprofiles
RED+.exe -silent -profile nightly -log "D:\Logs\red-cleanup.log"
Any options passed alongside -profile still override the profile's stored values. Profiles are stored in RED+.profiles.json next to the config file.
RED++ is based on RED+ by Robert 'NotBob' Bookerby, which is itself based on RED by Jonas John.
- Nuvola icons (GNU LGPL 2.1)
- NuoveXT icons (GPL)
- famfamfam silk icons (CC BY 2.5)
- FatCow free-icons (CC BY 3.0)
RED++ is free software under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3 or later.