CODEWITHSUNDEEP
batch-filecmd
vexe
vexe

Reputation: 5615

Delete all files of specific type (extension) recursively down a directory using a batch file

I need to delete all .jpg and .txt files (for example) in dir1 and dir2.

What I tried was:

@echo off
FOR %%p IN (C:\testFolder D:\testFolder) DO FOR %%t IN (*.jpg *.txt) DO del /s %%p\%%t

In some directories it worked; in others it didn't.

For example, this didn't do anything:

@echo off
FOR %%p IN (C:\Users\vexe\Pictures\sample) DO FOR %%t IN (*.jpg) DO del /s %%p\%%t

What I'm I missing in the second snippet? Why didn't it work?

Upvotes: 121

Views: 263840

Answers (7)

GuyTryingToSolveAnIssue
GuyTryingToSolveAnIssue

Reputation: 11

Step 1: Navigate to the folder in question using the cd command

For example:

cd C:\Users\tremanleo\Desktop\HoldLEOCMS

Step 2 Delete the the file type.

For Example:

DEL *.bak

Upvotes: -2

Laf
Laf

Reputation: 8185

You can use wildcards with the del command, and /S to do it recursively.

del /S *.jpg

Addendum

@BmyGuest asked why a downvoted answer (del /s c:\*.blaawbg) was any different than my answer.

There's a huge difference between running del /S *.jpg and del /S C:\*.jpg. The first command is executed from the current location, whereas the second is executed on the whole drive.

In the scenario where you delete jpg files using the second command, some applications might stop working, and you'll end up losing all your family pictures. This is utterly annoying, but your computer will still be able to run.

However, if you are working on some project, and want to delete all your dll files in myProject\dll, and run the following batch file:

@echo off

REM This short script will only remove dlls from my project... or will it?

cd \myProject\dll
del /S /Q C:\*.dll

Then you end up removing all dll files form your C:\ drive. All of your applications stop working, your computer becomes useless, and at the next reboot you are teleported in the fourth dimension where you will be stuck for eternity.

The lesson here is not to run such command directly at the root of a drive (or in any other location that might be dangerous, such as %windir%) if you can avoid it. Always run them as locally as possible.

Addendum 2

The wildcard method will try to match all file names, in their 8.3 format, and their "long name" format. For example, *.dll will match project.dll and project.dllold, which can be surprising. See this answer on SU for more detailed information.

Upvotes: 296

acgbox
acgbox

Reputation: 324

this is it:

@echo off

:: del_ext
call :del_ext "*.txt"
call :del_ext "*.png"
call :del_ext "*.jpg"

:: funcion del_ext
@echo off
pause
goto:eof
:del_ext
 set del_ext=%1
 del /f /q "folder_path\%del_ext%"
goto:eof

pd: replace folder_path with your folder

Upvotes: 0

Tommy Mosher
Tommy Mosher

Reputation: 61

If you are trying to delete certain .extensions in the C: drive use this cmd:

del /s c:\*.blaawbg

I had a customer that got a encryption virus and i needed to find all junk files and delete them.

Upvotes: -12

The Long Nguyen
The Long Nguyen

Reputation: 92

I don't have enough reputation to add comment, so I posted this as an answer. But for original issue with this command:

@echo off
FOR %%p IN (C:\Users\vexe\Pictures\sample) DO FOR %%t IN (*.jpg) DO del /s %%p\%%t

The first For is lacking recursive syntax, it should be:

@echo off
FOR /R %%p IN (C:\Users\vexe\Pictures\sample) DO FOR %%t IN (*.jpg) DO del /s %%p\%%t

You can just do:

FOR %%p IN (C:\Users\0300092544\Downloads\Ces_Sce_600) DO @ECHO %%p

to show the actual output.

Upvotes: 1

StackBuck
StackBuck

Reputation: 819

You can use this to delete ALL Files Inside a Folder and Subfolders:

DEL "C:\Folder\*.*" /S /Q

Or use this to Delete Certain File Types Only:

DEL "C:\Folder\*.mp4" /S /Q 
DEL "C:\Folder\*.dat" /S /Q

Upvotes: 12

Pyroglyph
Pyroglyph

Reputation: 179

I wrote a batch script a while ago that allows you to pick a file extension to delete. The script will look in the folder it is in and all subfolders for any file with that extension and delete it.

@ECHO OFF
CLS

SET found=0
ECHO Enter the file extension you want to delete...
SET /p ext="> "

IF EXIST *.%ext% (           rem Check if there are any in the current folder :)
  DEL *.%ext%
  SET found=1
)
FOR /D /R %%G IN ("*") DO (  rem Iterate through all subfolders
  IF EXIST %%G CD %%G
  IF EXIST *.%ext% (
    DEL *.%ext%
    SET found=1
  )
)

IF %found%==1 (
  ECHO.
  ECHO Deleted all .%ext% files.
  ECHO.
) ELSE (
  ECHO.
  ECHO There were no .%ext% files.
  ECHO Nothing has been deleted.
  ECHO.
)

PAUSE
EXIT

Hope this comes in useful to anyone who wants it :)

Upvotes: 5

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