Free Up Space: Delete node_modules Using Everything

As a JavaScript developer, you’ve likely collected countless node_modules folders over time. These directories can grow massive and are often left behind by forgotten or abandoned projects.

In this post, we’ll walk through how to easily find and delete these folders on Windows using the Everything search utility.

Why Delete node_modules Folders?

• They take up huge amounts of disk space
• Often leftover from projects you no longer use
• Cleaning them improves file system performance

Credit: https://tsh.io

Step 1: Install the Everything App

Everything is a super-fast search tool for Windows that can instantly find files and folders by name.

👉 Download Everything

The voidtools website for Everything download

Step 2: Search for node_modules

Open Everything and type node_modules

You’ll instantly see all node_modules folders across all your drives.

All of the selected files

Step 3: Sort by Size (Optional)

To find the largest folders first:

1. Right-click the column headers.
2. Enable the Size column.
3. Click on Size to sort in descending order.

Step 4: Verify Before Deleting

Right-click on any folder and choose “Open path” to inspect its contents. Make sure it’s safe to delete (i.e., not from a current project).

Step 5: Delete Multiple Folders at Once

1. Use Ctrl or Shift + Click to select multiple entries.
2. Press Shift + Delete to permanently remove them.

Be careful! This bypasses the Recycle Bin.

There go the files!

Bonus: PowerShell Cleanup Script

Want to automate the cleanup? Try this PowerShell script:

Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Recurse -Directory -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue \
    -Filter node_modules | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force -WhatIf

Replace -WhatIf with -Confirm:$false to actually delete the folders.

Conclusion

With the Everything app, cleaning up old node_modules folders is fast, easy, and satisfying. Clear the clutter and reclaim your disk space today!