Windows Server - Recursive File Delete

Asked By Buck Turgidson

06-Nov-09 02:43 PM

I need to delete files from a subdirectory under a bunch of profiles.  In
other words, I have users john, jim, and jill as

c:\documents and settings\john
c:\documents and settings\jim
c:\documents and settings\jill

And each of their profiles has a subdirectory called apps.  In each apps
file for them, I need to delete all .txt files, but only from the apps
subdirectory of their profile.

c:\documents and settings\john\apps
c:\documents and settings\jim\apps
c:\documents and settings\jill\apps

Can anyone help me?

06-Nov-09 02:54 PM

By far the simplest method is based on a batch file like so:
@echo off
for %%a in (John Jim Jill) do del /s "c:\Documents and
Settings\%%a\apps\*.txt"

Since the command consists of a single line, you could even type it at the
Command Prompt like so:
for %a in (John Jim Jill) do del /s "c:\Documents and
Settings\%a\apps\*.txt"
Note the double versus single % characters.

Or maybe this:
del /s "c:\Documents and Settings\John\apps\*.txt"
del /s "c:\Documents and Settings\Jill\apps\*.txt"
del /s "c:\Documents and Settings\Jim\apps\*.txt"

06-Nov-09 03:04 PM

Thanks for the help.  The problem is that the actual number of profiles is
both variable and quite large.  I guess that is the toughest nut to crack.

06-Nov-09 03:15 PM

Thanks.

for /d %a in (*)

seems to do it, if not a bit crudely.

06-Nov-09 03:42 PM

Indeed it does - congratulations for working it out for yourself!  For your
next post I recommend that you state *all* requirements right in the
beginning.