How to fix Windows 10/11 deleted 0 bytes error [FULL GUIDE]

Some users spot a few 0-byte files on their hard drives. However, users have also said that they can’t delete 0-byte files within File Explorer. File Explorer returns error messages stating Files do not exist and cannot be deleted for those users when they try to delete the 0-byte files.

Learn how to remove those pesky empty files by following the steps below.

How to delete a file that doesn’t exist in Windows 10?

1. Delete the 0 Byte Files With the Command Prompt

1. Command Prompt will usually erase 0-byte files that File Explorer doesn’t delete. To erase 0-byte files with the Command Prompt, press the Windows key + X hotkey.
2. Click Command Prompt (Admin) to open the CP.
3. Before entering a command, right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager. Then right-click explorer.exe (Windows Explorer) in the Processes tab and select End task.
4. Enter cd byte file path in the Command Prompt and press Enter. Replace ‘0-byte file path’ with the actual folder path of the file.
5. Thereafter, enter del file.extension in the Command Prompt, and press the Return key. Replace ‘file.extension’ with the actual file name and its extension.
   
6. Some users have also said that they needed to add a wildcard (*) to the del command to erase 0-byte files. So, some users might need to enter a wildcard command like this: del file*.
7. Return to the Task Manager window, select Windows Explorer, and click Restart.
8. Alternatively, users can click File > Run new task in Task Manager, enter ‘explorer.exe’ in Run, and click OK to restart File Explorer.

2. Check out Wise Force Deleter

1. Alternatively, try deleting 0-byte files with Wise Force Deleter, which erases files that Windows seemingly can’t delete. Click the Free Download button on the Wise Force Deleter page.
2. Open the Wise Force Deleter installer to add the program to Windows.
3. Open the Wise Force Deleter window.
4. Select the Add file option to select the 0-byte file to erase.
5. Press the Unlock & Delete button, and click Yes to confirm.

So, users can delete 0-byte files via the Command Prompt or with third-party software such as Wise Force Deleter. This post also provides further tips for erasing files when the usual file deletion options don’t work.