Flatten Folder Structure, Move Files from Sub-Folders to Main

Do you want to automatically move all the files from every sub-folder in a folder structure into the root folder? Then here I will show you three easy, and free, solutions to achieve this in a few minutes.

Command-line Tool to Move Files From Sub-Folders to Root Folder

Command-line loving folks, download and run a small application called MoveFilesUpFromSubfolders. On start you will see something like this:

To move your files, type in a command like this with complete to the parent folder:

MoveFilesUpFromSubfolders.exe -p "C:\path\to\your\folder"

Switches:

• -h: Show help
• -t: Test without processing
• -p: Process folder’s subfolders (default)
• -d: Overwrite duplicates

On successful execution, files from all sub-folders are automatically moved to the parent folder and empty left-over folders are deleted. You’re shown stats while the program is running.

GUI-based Tool to Move Files From Sub-Folders to Root Folder

If you prefer a GUI-based tool with drag-and-drop support, have a look at Suction.

Suction is a tiny portable application that flattens a folder structure with a simple drag-and-drop action (regular browse feature is also available). Furthermore, it can sort files into individual folders by their file type, delete or rename duplicate files, and delete empty directories after processing.

The main program interface is pretty minimal, while all its options are hidden in the Configuration dialog. Click on the gear icon to open the dialog and configure the program according to your needs.

Certain options like operation logs and undo last operation are not enabled by default. It’s recommended that you enable these before performing “suction” so that if you make an error, you are able to easily fix it.

The program also offers context menu integration. You might want to enable this as well if you’re going to use the program regularly.

Suction works with all Windows versions.

Move Files From Sub-Folders to Any Folder using Windows Search

If you don’t want to use any third-party tools for organizing your files, then the same result is also achievable using Windows Search.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to the parent folder in File Explorer.
2. In the Search box, type in *.* and wait for search to complete.
3. On search complete, you should see all files and folders from all sub-directories. Select all files except folders and perform Cut (Ctrl + X) operation.
4. Now go to the parent folder or any folder of your choice and perform Paste (Ctrl + V) operation.
5. That’s it. All your files are moved to the folder you want.

If you’re interested only in a specific file type, enter its extension in the Search box, for instance *.docx for Word Documents.