Question

Just building a batch file to delete temp files on my vista machines @ home that I want to add to task scheduler. I have this so far, but I get a lot of access denied, and it never finds a thumbs.db file or index.dat and there are heaps of them. What am I doing wrong?

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%windir%\Temp\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%windir%\Temp\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "thumbs.db" /s
  del /s /f /q "thumbs.db" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r *.tmp.log /s
  del /s /f /q "*.tmp.log" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r “%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent\*.*” /s
  del /f /q /s “%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent\*.*” >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.gid" /s
  del /s /f / q "%systemdrive%\*.gid" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.fts" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.fts" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.cnt" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.cnt" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.old" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.old" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.diz" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.diz" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.bak" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.bak" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.tmp" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.tmp" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.chk" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.chk" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.dmp" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.dmp" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.00?" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\*.00?" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\index.dat" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\index.dat" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\fw*log.txt" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\fw*log.txt" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\zalog*.txt" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\zalog*.txt" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\backup*.rdb" /s
  del /s /f /q "%systemdrive%\backup*.rdb" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*._mp" /s  
  del /f /s /q %systemdrive%\*._mp >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\*.log" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\*.log" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Temp\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Temp\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Temp\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Temp\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%systemdrive%\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%systemdrive%\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%ProgramData%\Apple\Installer Cache\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%ProgramData%\Apple\Installer Cache\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%ProgramData%\Apple Computer\Installer Cache\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%ProgramData%\Apple Computer\Installer Cache\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Temp\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Temp\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%ProgramData%\Temp\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%ProgramData%\Temp\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Adobe\Flash Player\AssetCache\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Adobe\Flash Player\AssetCache\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Crash Reports\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Crash Reports\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\uTorrent\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\uTorrent\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp" /s
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\Temp" /s
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\Temp" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Photo Gallery\Original Images\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Photo Gallery\original Images\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Burn\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Burn\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\*.*" /s 
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*\Cache\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*\Cache\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\*.db" /s
  del /f /s /q "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\*.db" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\cookies\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\cookies\*.*"  >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%windir%\prefetch\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%windir%\prefetch\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

 attrib +a -s -h -r "%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*.*" /s
  del /f /s /q "%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*.*" >>"logs\temp.txt"

Answer 1

I’m guessing that the reason you’re getting access denied is because the user running the script doesn’t have delete rights to the files in question or perhaps even access rights to the folders.

As for the thumbs.db and index.dat files, these are hidden and/or system files so won’t get picked up by the plain delete command. You need to use /A:H and/or /A:S