Finding Empty Files & Folders One of File Buddy’s disk cleaning features is the Scan For Empties... command that lets you select disks to search for empty files and folders. File Buddy can search for items that are either “strictly empty” or “essentially empty”. A file is “strictly empty” if it contains nothing in the data fork, and no resources in the resource fork. A folder is “strictly empty” if it contains no files or folders. A file is “essentially empty” if it contains nothing in the data fork, and no resources other than custom icons in the resource fork. A folder is “essentially empty” if neither it or any of its subfolders contains any files that are not essentially empty. Certain system folders (such as the Trash, Temporary Items, etc.) are excluded from a scan for emptie files and folders. The results can be sent to the file list window or to a special dialog that lets you mark items not to be reported in future scans. Expect to find some empty items in the Preferences and Extensions folders. If you still have the applications they belong to, just leave them.