Empty folders in program files folder, can I delete them?

I have several folders in my program files folder that are either empty or contain another empty folder, such as xerox/nwwia, ComPlus Applications, directx/setup, Microsoft frontpage/version3.0/bin and a few others. A few of these I have noticed install when you install XP, and they have now been empty for about a year, can I just safely delete them? On the same note can I delete all those log files from windows updates and such that sit in my windows folder?

 

I have deleted empty folders in program program files several times with no ill effects. just as long as they are actually empty. I would right click them and check properties to make sure they are really empty. like this

 

Good to know, thanks bigc. I checked out the folders in question and they are all 0 bytes, so I will go ahead and get rid of them.

 

Hi
Windows creates empty folders to function correctly. If you delete. Windows will recreate. but you wont know when.

 

just to give you an example
the folder c:\program files\xerox\nwwia
folder xerox and its subfolder nwwia are empty always AFAIK
delete them and see for your self (I mean: Windows recreates them)
leave empty folders/files for correct windows functionings

 

These folder can be deleted, unless they are protected by Windows File Protection. These folder are re-created after you delete them, or they are protected from being deleted.

There might be tricks to defeat WFP or remove these folders. Most likely on http://unattended.msfn.org or it's affiliates or forum.

 

Empty folders in Program Files, in particular, are often no more than a program that uninstalls itself sloppily. Sometimes that's deliberate, and you'll find files still there for setup preferences, so that if you re-install they're stilll usable. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason as to whether a program keeps its setup/options info in its own folder or in Documents and Settings.

The really crazy thing about those left-behind folders, if they really are empty, is that if you then go to re-install into that folder (typically the program's default), you'll probably get "That folder already exists -- do you still want to use it??".