Empty means exactly zero bytes, not a text file containing a blank line, spaces, a byte-order mark or an invisible terminator. HashCheck reports size 0 B before showing the digests.
Expected SHA-256
e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855
A newline is a different file
Adding one line-feed byte changes the digest completely. Check the byte count and exact file generation process before treating an unexpected mismatch as a tool error.
Reproduce the zero-byte fixture
Create a new empty file without opening it in a text editor, then confirm its reported size is zero bytes. Calculate the digests and compare the complete SHA-256 value above. If the size is one or more bytes, recreate the fixture instead of trimming or guessing what the file contains.
Verify source and digest independently
A comparison is meaningful only when the expected digest came from a channel you already trust and names the exact file version you selected. Compare the complete hexadecimal value, algorithm label, file name, version and publisher instructions. A matching digest detects byte equality with that value; it does not scan the file, verify a signature or establish who published either input.