Question

I need to delete files of a certain type (.zip files, say) from a folder, and all of its sub-folders, using the command line. Ideally I am looking for something that can be run as a .bat file in Windows.

I know there is a /S switch for the DEL command to look in sub-folders, but to add to the challenge I need to exclude files of a certain name (‘Backup.zip’ as an example).

Is there a way to delete files recursively but exclude files of a certain name. It will not be practical in my situation to explicitly list all the file names I want to delete, only the files of the matching type I don’t want to delete.

Answer 1

A nice trick: make the files you want to exclude read-only!

DEL /S will not delete read-only file.

The following script does not do exactly what you want (see my remarks below) but shows you how read-only files can be used to avoid deletion.

@ECHO OFF :: This example supposes your first parameter is :: the relative path to the folder to be deleted :: and the second is the relative path (from the :: the target folder) of the one to be excluded :: Notice that this will only work if the folders :: are in the working drive, if not, you ll :: have to specify full paths  IF '%1'=='' GOTO ERROR IF '%2'=='' GOTO ERROR IF NOT EXIST %1\NUL GOTO ERROR CD %1 IF NOT EXIST %2\NUL GOTO ERROR ECHO Starting up the deletion process ECHO. * Setting attributes attrib %1\*.mp3 -r -s -h > NUL attrib %2\*.mp3 +r > NUL ECHO. * Deleting files del /s %1\*.mp3 ECHO. * Reseting attributes attrib %2\*.mp3 -r > NUL ECHO. ECHO Operation completed! ECHO. GOTO END  :ERROR ECHO Parameters: ECHO. Param1 -> target folder ECHO. Param2 -> folder to be ignored ECHO. GOTO END  :END 

Note: you can adapt this script in order to ignore not just a sub-folder but all files of given type:

attrib /S *.xxx +r > NUL 

will in effect help you to exclude all ‘xxx’ files of the current directory and all sub-directories (hence the /S option).

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Note: the ‘> NUL‘ part is a redirection often used to hide standard output, instead of displaying it on screen.
It can be dangerous if used too often (in a large loop with different paths involved, for instance) since it is a device, and like all devices (AUX, COMn, LPTn, NUL and PRN):

• opening a device will claim one file handle. However, unlike files, devices will never be closed until reboot.
• each device exists in every directory on every drive, so if you used redirection to NUL in, say, C:\ and after that you use it again in C:\TEMP, you’ll lose another file handle.