Forum Discussion
Why Does My Windows PC Randomly Create Empty Folders?
My Windows PC has started randomly creating empty folders in different locations, even though I have not manually created them or installed anything that should generate new folders, and I cannot find any obvious pattern to when or where they appear. I usually delete them when I notice them, but they sometimes come back later, making me wonder whether a background application, scheduled task, synchronization service, or Windows process is responsible, and I would appreciate suggestions for identifying the cause and preventing these unexplained folders from being created.
1 Reply
Folders that return after deletion are usually being recreated by an app or sync service. That alone doesn’t indicate malware, but repeatedly deleting them won’t stop whatever is creating them.
The most direct way to identify the source is Process Monitor, Microsoft’s free Sysinternals tool:
- Download it from Microsoft’s official page and run it as administrator.
- Press Ctrl + L to add a filter: Path → begins with → the full path of one recurring folder → Include.
- Leave capture running until the folder reappears. If it’s a folder you created or know is safe to remove, you can delete it while capturing and wait for it to return.
- Stop capture and inspect the earliest events at that path. The Process Name and event properties can show which program is involved. A CreateFile event can also mean opening an existing folder, so look for a successful event whose details indicate directory creation—not just any access.
Once you identify the program, change its download/cache/output location, fix its sync settings, or disable its optional startup task as appropriate. Don’t disable Windows components just because they access the folder.
Also check File Explorer > View > Show > Hidden items before assuming the folder is empty. If it’s inside OneDrive, a folder deleted locally can be recreated by changes from another connected device.
