Use "rmdir" functionality but keep specified directory - batch-file

I would like the functionality of rmdir /s but I need to keep the specified directory. rmdir /s removes all files and sub directories in addition to the directory specified.
I've also tried using del /s but then I am left with empty folders in the specified directory. I need those folders removed as well.
Any guidance on how I can do this?

Easiest way would be to change directory to specified directory and invoke an rd command on the "." directory. Like:
cd toYourDirectory (or pushd toYourDirectory)
rd /q /s . 2> nul
/q - ensures you wont be prompted
/s - to do subfolders, files, so
on..
the "." - implies CURRENT directory
2>nul - ensures it won't report
the error when the rd command attempts to remove itself (which is
what you want)

<3 for loops
FOR /F "USEBACKQ tokens=*" %%F IN (`dir /b /a:d /s "C:\top\directory\" ^| FIND /v /i "C:\directory\to\omit"`) DO (
rmdir /s "%%F"
)
and if you wish to strike dangerously, use the /q switch w/ rmdir 0.o
So lets say, you want to perform a remdir /s on C:\Documents and Settings\Mechaflash\, HOWEVER you wish to keep the .\Mechaflash folder (emptied)
FOR /F "USEBACKQ tokens=*" %%F IN (`dir /b /a:d /s "C:\Documents and Settings\Mechaflash\" ^| FIND /v /i "C:\Documents and Settings\Mechaflash\"`) DO (
rmdir /s "%%F"
)
DEL /Q /F "C:\Documents and Settings\Mechaflash\*"

Related

delete unwanted directories, error produced is forced on screen

this deletes .unwanted directories from qbittorrent downloads. it works great but the esthetic side effect that I can't shake is that it echoes the file not found error if none are found.
for /f "delims=" %%u in ('dir .unwanted /a:d /b /s') do rmdir /s /q "%%u" 2>nul && if defined v%~n0 echo deleted "%%u"
Better idea is to use /D /R than /F in the For loop for Directories. Check For /? documentation.
for /d /r %%u in (.unwanted) do rmdir /s /q "%%u" 2>nul & echo deleted %%u
This is assuming you are running this from the directory of execution.
It will only echo when the directory is deleted without the ""

loop through folder, copy and delete

I have a folder That has subfolders as below : I was able to loop and copy the folder and subfolders from test1 to test 3. But I want to extend the functionality by removing the each folder after copying
but am not able to instead is removing all the test 1 to test 3 folder.The test folder is just an example, the folders can be any name.
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test1"
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test2"
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test3"
pushd "C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES"
for /f "tokens=*" %%G in ('dir /b /s /a:d ') do (
echo Found %%G
XCOPY %%G "C:\FDM\Upload" /e /s /y
if errorlevel 0 (
echo Copy succesffully copied reason Files were copied without error and you can delete the content folder
rd "%%G\*" /s /q
mkdir "%%G"
)
)
popD
pause
If you resort to XCOPY, why not use the "successor" ROBOCOPY without any loop, deleting and re-creating the folder? Like in
robocopy "C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\" "C:\FDM\Upload\localbackup" /s /e /COPYALL /dcopy:T /move
This will even keep the timestamp on the moved folder, and all attributes on moved files. Added benefit: you can use all the other helpful options of this command at no extra cost.
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test1"
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test2"
"C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES\localbackup\test3"
pushd "C:\BACKUP_FDM_FILES"
for /f "tokens=*" %%G in ('dir /b /s /a:d ') do (
echo Found %%G
XCOPY %%G "C:\FDM\Upload" /e /s /y
if errorlevel 0 (
echo Successfully copied now you can delete folder
popd
rd "%%G\*" /s /q
mkdir "%%G"
)
pause
You are using pushd to go to backup folder so you need to use popd to go back to parent folder.
SS64 - POPD

How to delete directories containing certain string using batch file in Windows?

From
How to delete files containing certain string using batch file in Windows?
I learned how to mass delete files which contain certain strings. What I did is
del *(2)* /f /s
but this did not delete directories. It only delete files.
How can I also mass-delete directories which contain certain strings?
There's no standard Windows command to delete files and directories on the same level. DEL is used for files, RMDIR / RD is used for directories (however it can delete files within directories).
RMDIR / RD does not work with wildcards, so you need to use a FOR loop. As it is, the below code will print out the commandos to delete the directories in your question. Remove the ECHO when you're confident the deletion will do what you want.
#ECHO OFF
FOR /F "tokens=*" %%G IN ('DIR /B /AD /S "*(2)*"') DO (
ECHO RMDIR /S /Q "%%G"
)
You can also reduce this to a one-liner...
FOR /F "tokens=*" %%G IN ('DIR /B /AD /S "*(2)*"') DO ECHO RMDIR /S /Q "%%G"
...and if you want to execute it directly in the shell (as opposed to from a .bat file), do:
FOR /F "tokens=*" %G IN ('DIR /B /AD /S "*(2)*"') DO ECHO RMDIR /S /Q "%G"
Flags explanation:
FOR
/F: iterate over a fileset
DIR
/B: bare format (needed so it works with FOR)
/AD: filter for directories
/S: work recursive
RMDIR
/S: work recursive
/Q: quiet mode

Delete files and subfolders in the folders "tmp" and "cache"

I want to use this script below to clean out "tmp" and "cache" folders in websites like "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1".
It tries to delete files and subfolders in "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\tmp" and "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\cache".
Which is right, but it also tries to delete files and subfolders in, for example, "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\MySpecialLittleProgram\tmp" and, for example, "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\MySpecialLittleProgram\cache".
Which is wrong. It should only clean up the "tmp" and "cache" folder in the root of the website and not in other subfolders.
If I delete the /s parameter in 'dir /a:d /b /s tmp cache' it will not find anything.
How can I do this part?
(I have deleted the /q parameter in the file deleting part and the folder removing part if anyone copies my script.)
#echo off
call:CleanUp "C:\Storage\Websites"
echo.&pause&goto:eof
::--------------------------------------------------------
::-- Function section starts below here
::--------------------------------------------------------
:CleanUp
IF EXIST %~1 (
cd /d %~1
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /a:d /b /s tmp cache') DO (
echo %%i
::DELETING FILES I FOLDERS AND SUBFOLDERS
del %%i /s
::DELETING NOW EMPTY FOLDERS AND SUBFOLDERS
FOR /D %%p IN ("%%i\*.*") DO rmdir "%%p" /s
)
)
goto:eof
UPDATE:
I updated my code to be (it is working now):
#echo off
call:CleanUp "C:\Storage\Web"
call:CleanUp "C:\Storage\Web-IIS"
goto:eof
::--------------------------------------------------------
::-- Function section starts below here
::--------------------------------------------------------
:CleanUp
IF EXIST %~1 (
cd /d %~1
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /a:d /b') DO (
IF EXIST %%i\tmp (
del %%i\tmp /s /q
FOR /D %%p IN ("%%i\tmp\*.*") DO rmdir "%%p" /s /q
)
IF EXIST %%i\cache (
del %%i\cache /s /q
FOR /D %%p IN ("%%i\cache\*.*") DO rmdir "%%p" /s /q
)
)
)
goto:eof
This should remove the files in those two locations:
#echo off
del "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\tmp\*.*" /a /s
del "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\cache\*.*" /a /s
From your comment, this may be what you need to do: remove the echo keyword after testing it to see the commands on the console that would be executed.
#echo off
cd /d "C:\Storage\Websites"
for /d %%a in (*) do (
for %%b in (tmp cache) do (
pushd "%%~fa\%%b" 2>nul && (echo rd /s /q "%%~fa\%%b" 2>nul & popd)
)
)
pause
I suggest to use rmdir or rd for this task:
rd "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\tmp" /S /Q
md "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\tmp"
rd "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1\cache" /S /Q
md "C:\Storage\Websites\Site1"
Command rd with options /S for all subdirectories and /Q for quiet deletes also tmp and cache, but those 2 directories can be easily recreated using command md although I'm quite sure that this would not be really necessary here as the application creating tmp and cache would do it also automatically.
If that is not what you want, please show as directory listings with files and folders in one of the two directories before cleanup and after cleanup.

Command to delete files in UNC path

Hi I tried below command to delete files in UNC path
set folder="\\SERVERNAME\Publish"
cd /d %folder%
for /F "delims=" %%i in ('dir /b') do (rmdir "%%i" /s/q || del "%%i" /s/q)
But I got error saying:
UNC paths are not supported. Defaulting to Windows Directory
Somehow I need to delete files that are residing in Server's shared path using batch command. Any help appreciated.
edited 2015-09-16 - Original answer remains at the bottom
Code reformated to avoid removal of non desired folders if the mapping fails. Only if the pushd suceeds the removal is executed.
set "folder=\\SERVERNAME\Publish"
pushd "%folder%" && (
for /d %%i in (*) do rmdir "%%i" /s /q
popd
)
original answer:
set "folder=\\SERVERNAME\Publish"
pushd "%folder%"
for /d %%i in (*) do rmdir "%%i" /s /q
popd
pushd will create a drive mapping over the unc path and then change to it. Then, all the operations are over drive:\folders. At the end popd will remove the drive assignation.
This deletes all files with name like 'ms' and over a year.
#echo off
set "year=-365"
PushD "\\SERVERNAME\FolderName" && (
"forfiles.exe" /s /m "*_ms_*" /d %year% /c "cmd /c del #file"
) & PopD

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