Delete folder that is X days old

[FN-GM]

Hi,

 

Is there a way i can use forfiles to delete folders in a batch file please? If not can you please point me in the right direction to something that can.

 

Thanks

Edited August 7, 2011 by FN-GM

[tom_newton]

On linux, you'd use find, which can find files according to rules like age, modification time, name, size etc. and then either list them, or execute a command (such as rm, or whatever you delete files with in windows-land) - recent versions of find actually include an option to delete the file, so you don't have to fork a copy of rm.

 

Luckily, find is available on windows too.

[plexer]

folders in a bath, don't they just get wet and soggy?

 

Ben

[FN-GM]

folders in a bath, don't they just get wet and soggy?

 

Ben

 

Opps typo corrected

[morganw]

Not exactly what you want but this does files based on their age:

 

FORFILES /P "C:\Folder" /S /D -1 /C "cmd /c del @path"

 

/D -1 is files that are over one day old

 

 

edit: obviously this shouldn't be mention but I can't figure out how to turn it off, [at]path" is what it should say.

Edited August 7, 2011 by morganw

[Arthur]

obviously this shouldn't be mention but I can't figure out how to turn it off, [at]path" is what is should say.

I think it's a bug in vBulletin as I often have the same issue with @echo off in batch files. Perhaps it might be worth mentioning it to @ZeroHour?

[morganw]

Do mentions generate email notifications?

If so @pat might be disappointed when he gets here.

[FN-GM]

Not exactly what you want but this does files based on their age:

 

FORFILES /P "C:\Folder" /S /D -1 /C "cmd /c del @path"

 

/D -1 is files that are over one day old

 

 

edit: obviously this shouldn't be mention but I can't figure out how to turn it off, [at]path" is what it should say.

 

Got files copied thanks

 

I think it's a bug in vBulletin as I often have the same issue with @echo off in batch files. Perhaps it might be worth mentioning it to @ZeroHour?

 

I had it as well, reported it here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/edugeek-net-site-problems/80555-code-wrapper-mentions.html

[Arthur]

If so @pat might be disappointed when he gets here.

Especially if she/he is going to be deleted!

 

http://i.imgur.com/mWw1G.jpg

[Arthur]

Here's a PowerShell script which does the same thing (should you need it)....

 

$date = (Get-Date).AddDays(-10)
$files = Get-ChildItem "C:\Temp" | Where { !$_.PSIsContainer }
foreach($file in $files) {                                 
   if ($file.LastAccessTime -lt $date) {
       Remove-Item -Path $file.FullName -WhatIf
   }
}

 

Remove the -WhatIf on the fifth line to actually delete the files.

[FN-GM]

Here's a PowerShell script which does the same thing (should you need it)....

 

$date = (Get-Date).AddDays(-10)
$files = Get-ChildItem "C:\Temp" | Where { !$_.PSIsContainer }
foreach($file in $files) {                                 
   if ($file.LastAccessTime -lt $date) {
       Remove-Item -Path $file.FullName -WhatIf
   }
}

 

Remove the -WhatIf on the fifth line to actually delete the files.

 

Would this delete files or folders please?

[Arthur]

^ Only files.

 

Edit. Just noticed you said folders, not files in your post.

Edited August 7, 2011 by Arthur

[FN-GM]

^ Just files.

 

Ah doesnt matter, thanks anyway

[morganw]

If the files are already gone from the folder, perhaps by using the powershell example for FORFILES, you could use:

RD C:\Folder

 

...which would only delete it if it is empty.

Edited August 8, 2011 by morganw

[FN-GM]

so nobody has one. I will see if i can find something that makes the initial backup that will put it into a zip and use the above to get rid of the old backups.

 

Thanks

[mac_shinobi]

does it have to be for files or can it be power shell / vbs ?

[FN-GM]

does it have to be for files or can it be power shell / vbs ?

 

Can be any of those if it does the job.

[mac_shinobi]

Can be any of those if it does the job.

1. Is this on a unc path or a mapped network drive ?2. O.S wise is this going to be run direct on the server or as a startup/logon script on the clients and what OSes are we talking about3. Have you got a guide on directory structure and does the age of* Files* Folders* Sub-FoldersCount when taking into consideration age of the date last modified propertys ??

[FN-GM]

1. Is this on a unc path or a mapped network drive ?2. O.S wise is this going to be run direct on the server or as a startup/logon script on the clients and what OSes are we talking about3. Have you got a guide on directory structure and does the age of* Files* Folders* Sub-FoldersCount when taking into consideration age of the date last modified propertys ??

 

1. None its a local drive on a server

2. It will run as a scheduled task on the server

3. Its the SIMS Doc storage so that will give you an idea.

Folder> Lots of subfolders > More Sub Folders.

[matt40k]

3. Its the SIMS Doc storage so that will give you an idea.

Folder> Lots of subfolders > More Sub Folders.

 

Don't touch the DocStorage folder. Go into SIMS and run the unlinked documents routine if you really want to tidy it up. Still I would get the Data Manager to do it.

[FN-GM]

Don't touch the DocStorage folder. Go into SIMS and run the unlinked documents routine if you really want to tidy it up. Still I would get the Data Manager to do it.

 

I am cleaning up the backups of the sims DocStorge not the original.

[matt40k]

Bit confussed why you backup DocStorage (by dbAttach), I normally just do a robocopy\ntbackup\whatever of the main docstorage. I can make TidyBackups support it if you want.

[FN-GM]

Bit confussed why you backup DocStorage (by dbAttach), I normally just do a robocopy\ntbackup\whatever of the main docstorage. I can make TidyBackups support it if you want.

 

Its all put in by another organisation under the instructions of capita. They wont support it if i mess about with the backup they set.

[matt40k]

Mmm... I question why they would be copying around 20gb each time for no reason - reports don't tent to be that import - if I spend a lot of time creating one, I export it. If they manage it, I'd ask them to tidy it. After all, you don't know what's safe to delete

[FN-GM]

Mmm... I question why they would be copying around 20gb each time for no reason - reports don't tent to be that import - if I spend a lot of time creating one, I export it. If they manage it, I'd ask them to tidy it. After all, you don't know what's safe to delete

 

I think your missing the point, im only deleting old backups not the stuff itself.