I have a question about batch files. For instance,
forfiles /p "C:\Users\ ..." /s /m . /D -150 /C "cmd /c del #path"
Is it possible to run this, then change the -150, to -130, -110 automatically instead of writing multiple commands like
TITLE DELETE OLD FILES
forfiles /p "C:\Users\ ..." /s /m . /D -150 /C "cmd /c del #path"
forfiles /p "C:\Users\ ..." /s /m . /D -130 /C "cmd /c del #path"
forfiles /p "C:\Users\ ..." /s /m . /D -110 /C "cmd /c del #path"
PAUSE
Rationale: The system stores data about a semiconductor related equipment and holds files which are about more than 2 years old. However, deleting these files immediately will cause a crash. Hence, I am deleting these files periodically.
I will also appreciate if there is a command which allows the user to choose when to display the current storage space available, and then allows the user to choose whether to delete the next batch of files.
I have asked the same question, "https://stackoverflow.com/questions/72428986/how-to-delete-batch-files-cmd-from-the-oldest-date-first-then-iterate-till-a" and answered the responses. However, I am still stuck and unfamiliar on how to proceed.
Thank you.
Related
I am trying to run a script to clear out the recycle bin on a QNAP NAS periodically.
The problem is the path for the recycle bin on the NAS includes an [at] sign:
"\nas01\SQLBackup\#Recycle" (Had to use double slash here to get it to display correctly)
Can someone please point me in the right direction as to what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Batch File Code
#ECHO ON
NET USE X: "\\nas01\SQLBackup\#Recycle"
forfiles /p "X:\" /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
NET USE X: /delete
PAUSE
Output
C:\Windows\system32>NET USE X: "\\nas01\SQLBackup\#Recycle"
The command completed successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>forfiles /p "X:\" /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
ERROR: Invalid argument/option - '#path'.
Type "FORFILES /?" for usage.
C:\Windows\system32>NET USE X: /delete
X: was deleted successfully.
C:\Windows\system32>PAUSE
Press any key to continue . . .
The reason you get the error is due to the double quotes around the path, where backslash is present. The backslash escapes the last double quote. You should either use:
forfiles /p "X:" /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
or
forfiles /p X:\ /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
anyway, I would not use forfiles at all here. You can quite simply use del /s:
net use X: "\\nas01\SQLBackup\#Recycle"
pushd "x:\">nul 2>&1 && del /Q /S *.* || echo X:\ Not available.
popd
net use X: /delete
pause
Quite simply, we attempt pushd to x:\ if not available, it will fail with a message, if available it will del /s everything on X:\ where /s is basically recursive search throughout the root of X:\ in this instance.
The #-symbol in your path does not cause the error. It is the backslash in:
forfiles /p "X:\" /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
that unintentionally escapes the closing quote (this is specific to forfiles!). To avoid that, simply append a . to the path, like:
forfiles /p "X:\." /s /m * /c "cmd /c del #path"
The . means current directory, so in a path it does not change anything, hence X:\ equals X:\., and D:\some\.\path equals D:\some\path. Of course, you could just remove the quotes around X:\ in your particular situation, but appending . is a general solution that even works with a relative path like X: (meaning the current directory of drive X:), and removal of quotes introduces problems with paths containing SPACEs.
By the way, are you aware that forfiles returns both files and directories, and that del is there to delete just files, and there is rd to delete directories?
So to ensure to handle only files, use this:
forfiles /S /P "X:\." /M * /C "cmd /C if #isdir==FALSE del #path"
And to ensure to handle only directories, use this:
forfiles /S /P "X:\." /M * /C "cmd /C if #isdir==TRUE rd /S /Q #path"
Of course you can handle both, if you want:
forfiles /S /P "X:\." /M * /C "cmd /C if #isdir==TRUE (rd /S /Q #path) else (del #path)"
When you use PushD, it will create a temporary drive map, (allocated in available reverse alphabetical order, Z:..A:), and will then use that new drive. For that reason you should be able to do this without using net.exe.
Example:
#PushD "\\nas01\SQLBackup\#Recycle" 2> NUL && (RD /S /Q . 2> NUL & PopD)
This example uses RD to Remove the Directory instead of your used Del command. When the target directory is the current working directory, it cannot be removed, (returning an error message), however its contents will be. The code above redirects the error message to the NUL device, so that it is not output.
I'm working with an application that creates a generic file type extension for data log information. I'm trying to create a batch file script that would delete data log files that are 5 days or older. I don't have the most Batch File experience, but I have found the following script below works correctly for many file types, except for the generic .File type extension.
forfiles /p "C:\SOAP_Data" /s /m *.* /d -5 /c "cmd /c del #path" &
forfiles /p "C:\HL7_Data" /s /m *.* /d -5 /c "cmd /c del #path"
Is there some tweak I can do to the script to make it include the deletion of the .File extension files as well? I've tried to add *.file to the folder path, but that didn't seem to work.
Through troubleshooting using the ECHO of the delete path, I was able to find the following solution:
forfiles /p "C:\SOAP_Data" /d -5 /c "cmd /c DEL #path" &
forfiles /p "C:\HL7_Data" /d -5 /c "cmd /c DEL #path"
can anyone pls explain the below command
FORFILES /S /M *.imp /C "cmd /c if #fsize gtr 200000 del #file"
I want to delete the .imp file if the file is more than 200kb. I got the command but when I try to put the path //flxxx/g_ff_gg$/CDO_MTK_SMT/Hari krishna/gggg_SCRIPTS/ I am getting an error. Where shall I put the path in the above command.
or is there any command to check the file which is more than 200kb and deletes the file with the given directory
One possible solution, I use in such cases, is to first change into the directory. Then call the command and final leave. pushd and popd are made for such actions.
pushd \\ComputerName\ShareName\Directory1\Directory2
FORFILES /S /M *.imp /C "cmd /c if #fsize gtr 200000 del #file"
popd
I used this command:
FORFILES /S /D -10 /C "cmd /c IF #isdir == TRUE rd /S /Q #path"
to delete all folders older than 10 days ,
and it is working fine.
problem is that I get an error and it's failing my build:
ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified.
I need to be able to exit with ERRORLEVEL=0.
Add echo before the command to see what's wrong (maybe it's trying to delete a subfolder of an already deleted folder):
FORFILES /S /D -10 /C "cmd /c IF #isdir==TRUE echo #path & rd /S /Q #path"
Or you can simply make it fail-proof by explicitly checking if the folder exists:
FORFILES /S /D -10 /C "cmd /c IF #isdir==TRUE if exist #path rd /S /Q #path"
BTW, forfiles method doesn't seem reliable as a folder date isn't updated for its 'grandchild' files. I would use robocopy in list-mode to generate the list of old files and then process it: get the folder path of each file and delete it if it still exists.
I've created a simple batch file to delete files over 14 days which is a simple command as most of you probably know so it's doing the below
forfiles /p "C:\%userprofile%\Downloads" /s /m *.* /c "cmd /c Del #path" /d -14
but I keep receiving could not find C:\User\%userprofile%\downloads\desktop.ini
So I assume it's searching for the desktop.ini file but I have all folders and files unhidden. Is there a way to prevent it looking for that file and just doing as a I ask it?
Any help would be appreciated.
As Mike Nakis suggests, del is probably failing on desktop.ini because that file is typically set +ash (archive, system, and hidden). The easiest solution would be just to ignore it. It's harmless anyway.
forfiles /p "%userprofile%\Downloads" /s /m *.* /c "cmd /c Del #path 2>NUL" /d -14
If it really bothers you and you insist on deleting it, then remove the system attribute.
attrib -r -s -h -a "%userprofile%\Downloads\*"
forfiles /p "%userprofile%\Downloads" /s /m *.* /c "cmd /c del #path" /d -14
... but it'll probably just get re-created eventually anyway. I'd just ignore it.
What do you mean when you say that you have all folders and files unhidden? You have probably instructed the windows explorer to also show hidden files, but that does not mean that the files are not hidden.
You have two options: for each file that you are about to delete, either use the attrib command to make sure it is not hidden prior to deleting it, or play with the /A option of the del command to make it delete everything, even hidden files.