How to zero size all files in a folder

Indeed, it is possible to create and save 0-sized files. I just tried with Notepad, thinking it would pop up an error, but no, there it is: 0.txt. Perhaps you could craft a script that would copy such a file from your Documents directory, rename it to the desired filename and save it where you want it. I'm pretty sure you could use a batch file instead of Power Shell.

Extending what polar nettles said in post six, you could select non-zero sized files and then process them. Something like

Code:

$Path='C:\Temp\'
$Files=Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -File -Recurse | Where-Object  {($_.Length) -gt 0}
ForEach ($File in $Files) { New-Item $File.FullName -Force -Value '' }

The first line sets the root directory you want to process. The second line selects all objects of type file in this and its subdirectories where size is greater than zero - if you don't want to process subdirectories drop the -Recurse. The third line overwrites the files selected in line 2 with objects of the same name and no content.


So first time it processes everything (in root of selected directory and subdirectories) :

Second time, if you added one file it just processes that - you can see size changed from 9 to 0 :

If you don't want to type the 3 lines every time you can save it in a file called AnythingYouWant.ps1 and call that instead.

The purpose is I'm continually receiving new files into this folder, and when after I have processed them, I want to convert the original files in the folder to zero bytes, so that I cannot receive the same files twice and process them twice.

I've always thought it was the filename that prevents a folder from having two of the same file, not the size of the files. By leaving the original files in the folder unzeroed, you shouldn't be getting the same file twice anyway.

Also, you are probably processing copies of the original files. Thus, the dates of the original files are unchanged. The date should be the criterium to determine whether these files have been processed or not, if you process first in, first out.

The only usefulness I can see of zeroing out the files is to recover disk space, if these files are large in size.

Hang onto your hats. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

I understand where the OP is coming from. I also want to download large graphics files, on maybe a daily basis, and store them in a folder, and I want the presence of the zero byte files to prevent a download to this folder with the same name, but to download with the next available increment. For example. I might have filename.jpg and filename (1).jpg etc. So the next download of a filename.jpg or filename (1).jpg to be downloaded as filename (2).jpg.

As an aside. I think that is how both File Explorer and Filezilla function. If I'm not mistaken.

Then I want to visually compare the files which are not zero byte in this download folder with the filename*.jpg in my master folder of full size filenames, and if I have that picture already, to simply delete the filename in the download folder, or if I don't have the picture to copy it to my master folder of full size filenames, and then zero byte that file in my download folder.

Now I'm not an expert with Windows, so this structure might be achieved with some alternative better structuring. Why not compare the filename and size to be downloaded with a list of this filename*.jpg in my master folder of full size filenames, and if there is a file of the exact same size, to abort the filename download. If not, then to download to the zero byte folder, as described above. Now why to do this? It will prevent many unnecessary processing of files in the download files, and therefore less manual processing by me. This only exacerbates with the more files I store. Currently around 5K of files. By having the list of zero byte files in the download folder is only a tool in this process, but having these filenames with an without sizes, it is easy to see which files require further processing. These could be 1byte in size if it makes things easier in any way, like when deleting files etc.

Now I'm open to any questions or clarifications on what I'm trying to automate.

This snippet uses Clear-Content (which zeroes a file), and "% { }" is a short-hand for Where-Object.
I check if the file is read-only, and temporarily fix it allow truncation.

Code:

Get-ChildItem -File -Recurse $args[0] | % {
    if ($_.IsReadOnly -eq $true) {
        $_.IsReadOnly = $false
        Clear-Content $_.FullName
        $_.IsReadOnly = $true
    }
    else {
        Clear-Content $_.FullName
    }
}