CODEWITHSUNDEEP
batch-filefor-loopdelete-file
Adam Lacey
Adam Lacey

Reputation: 103

How to I delete from all Sub Directories apart from a select few

I would like to create 1 batch file that deletes a type of file (i.e. ".bak") with different date ranges situated in different sub folders that are in the same patent folder, but I can list the minority of folders.

I have managed to create a FOR loop to look in certain directories (which the directories are set in a variable), deleting any '*.bak' file over a certain age with the below script:

SET "WeeklyBAKLocation=Folder20 Folder21 Folder25 Folder28"
SET WeeklyBAK=7
SET DailyBAK=3

FOR %%x IN (%WeeklyBAKLocation%) DO forfiles /p "%%x" /s /m *.bak /d -%WeeklyBAK% /c "cmd /c DEL @path /q"

<SECOND FOR LOOP below HERE>

The above works deleting .bak files older than 7 days in those folders, my question is how can I reverse that and delete '.bak' files in every other directory that's older than 3 days, without deleting the ones kept from the first query?

I tried nesting FOR and FORFILES, using findstr /v to ignore them as below (but it would ignore each directory for that 1 loop, and then delete it for the next loop wouldn't it, so eventually it would not have worked and is massively inefficient?)

SET "WeeklyBAKLocation=Folder20 Folder21 Folder25 Folder28"
SET WeeklyBAK=7
SET DailyBAK=3

<First FOR LOOP above HERE>

FOR %%x IN (%WeeklyBAKLocation%) DO FOR /F "delims=*" %%G IN ('dir /b /s "%~dp0" ^| findstr /v "\%%x"') DO forfiles /p "%%G" /s /m *.bak /d -%DailyBAK% /c "cmd /c ECHO @path /q"

Essentially can I ignore SOME directories at once when walking through them to find .bak files to delete only ones that are 3 days old.

Many thanks in advance.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 66

Answers (1)

Magoo
Magoo

Reputation: 80033

FOR /F "delims=*" %%G IN (
 'dir /b /s /AD "%~dp0" ^| findstr /v "\%%x"') DO (
 set "zapme=Y"
 FOR %%x IN (%WeeklyBAKLocation%) DO if /i "%%x"=="%%G" set "zapme="
 if defined zapme forfiles /p "%%G" /s /m *.bak /d -%DailyBAK% /c "cmd /c ECHO @path /q"
)

read the directory list in basic form (note /ad) and for each directory, set zapme to something then check whether the directory is not to be processed and set zapme to nothing if it's one of those directories. The zapme flag can then be tested for being set or not set. If it's set, go ahead and process the directory.

FOR /F "delims=*" %%G IN (
 'dir /b /AD "%sourcedir%"') DO (
  set "zapme=Y"
  FOR %%x IN (%WeeklyBAKLocation%) DO if /i "%%x"=="%%G" set "zapme="
  if defined zapme ECHO forfiles /p "%sourcedir%\%%G" /s /m *.bak /d -%DailyBAK% /c "cmd /c ECHO @path /q"
)

...happens every time I don't actually test it...

Upvotes: 0

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