Question

Batch to delete folders with hidden attribute

Asked by: maureen99

Hi experts,

I have been using a batch file that I obtained here from this thread, included below.

It works great to delete the contents of content.ie5, temp, temporary internet files and cookies under all the profiles in c:\documents and settings, EXCEPT when the folders are hidden.

Can this batch file be modified to delete the hidden folders and their contents?

Please don't give me vb scripts unless it is the only solution because I don't know how to run them, that is unless you provide an explanation fit for a vb rank newbie.

Even more frustrating is XP won't allow me to change the hidden attribute on these folders even when I am logged on as admin. Is there a way around this annoying"feature?"

@ECHO ON
SET SRC1=C:\Documents and Settings
SET SRC2=Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
SET SRC3=Local Settings\History
SET SRC4=Local Settings\Temp
SET SRC5=Recent
SET SRC6=Cookies
 
 
 
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "Temporary Internet files"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "History"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC3%\*.*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC3%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
echo About to delete files from "Local settings\temp"
 
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO RMDIR  /S /Q "%%Y"
 
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
 
echo About to delete files from "Recent" i.e. what appears in Start/Documents/My Documents
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC5%\*.lnk") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
 
echo About to delete files from "Recent" i.e. what appears in Start/Documents/My Documents
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC6%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
 
echo About to delete files from "Windows\Temp"
cd /d %SystemRoot%\temp
del /F /Q *.*
@echo Y|RD /S ""
exit

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Asked On: 2009-05-19 at 09:47:44ID24421501
Tags: xp windows batch
,; 2000
Topics: Windows XP Operating System
,; Windows 2000 Operating System
,; Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
Participating Experts: 3
Points: 500
Comments: 10

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Answers

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-05-19 at 09:57:28ID: 24424070

Just replace any del or rmdir command with (the round brackets are part of the line):
(attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y & RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y")
resp.
(attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y & DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y")

by: jared_lukerPosted on 2009-05-19 at 10:00:03ID: 24424094

If you run attrib on that folder with the /S switch, it should unhide all child objects.

attrib -R %PathToTempFiles%\folder /S

Just put that near the top of the batch file.

by: maureen99Posted on 2009-05-19 at 16:46:50ID: 24427595

thanks much to both of you, but I can't get it to change the attribute. Here's what I put in the file:

FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y /S /Q "%%Y"

The batch file returns:
FOR %Y IN ("C:\Documents and Settings\useprofilename\Local Settings\Temp\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S %Y /S /Q "%Y"

It hits each profile on the machine but doesn't change the attributes.

jared_luker:
The problem is we have multiple user profiles on each machine, some of which may differ from others and we need the variables to pick up the differing profiles under documents and settings.

Sorry I did not mention this is xp service pack 2

thanks again for any help,

maureen

SET SRC1=C:\Documents and Settings
SET SRC2=Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
SET SRC3=Local Settings\History
SET SRC4=Local Settings\Temp
SET SRC5=Recent
SET SRC6=Cookies
 
 
 
echo REMOVE THE HIDDEN ATTRIBUTES???
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y /S /Q "%%Y"
 
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y /S /Q "%%Y"
 
 
The batch file returns:
FOR %Y IN ("C:\Documents and Settings\useprofilename\Local Settings\Temp\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S %Y /S /Q "%Y"

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by: ranit8Posted on 2009-05-19 at 17:04:44ID: 24427669

change:
attrib -s -r -h /S %%Y /S /Q "%%Y"
to:
attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%Y"

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-05-19 at 17:07:48ID: 24427679

Yes, that seems to be the culprit.

by: maureen99Posted on 2009-05-21 at 08:44:50ID: 24442746

Here's what happened when I made the changes.

for FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%Y"
it sends the command:
C:\WINDOWS>FOR %Y IN ("C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%Y"
Then it comes back for the index file only:
C:\WINDOWS>attrib -s -r -h /S /D "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat"

for FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%Y"
it sends the command:
C:\WINDOWS>FOR / %X IN ("C:\Documents and Settings\*") DO FOR %Y IN ("%X\Local Settings\Temp\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S
and returns this:
C:\WINDOWS>FOR %Y IN ("C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%Y"
and doesn't show any files changed.

Below is the entire file complete with pauses in case I mistyped something. Also, I only used the administrator account because I didn't want to use usernames, it does the same for each profile and won't change the hidden stuff.

So does all this mean that as administrator the hidden attributes can't be changed?

Thanks again for all the help!

Maureen

@ECHO ON
 
 
SET SRC1=C:\Documents and Settings
SET SRC2=Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
SET SRC3=Local Settings\History
SET SRC4=Local Settings\Temp
SET SRC5=Recent
SET SRC6=Cookies
 
 
 
echo REMOVE THE HIDDEN ATTRIBUTES???
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%Y"
pause
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%Y"
 
 
pause
 
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "Temporary Internet files"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
 
pause
 
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "History"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC3%\*.*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC3%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
echo About to delete files from "Local settings\temp"
 
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO RMDIR  /S /Q "%%Y"
pause
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC4%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
pause
echo About to delete files from "Recent" i.e. what appears in Start/Documents/My Documents
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC5%\*.lnk") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
 
echo About to delete files from "Recent" i.e. what appears in Start/Documents/My Documents
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR  %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC6%\*.*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%Y"
 
echo About to delete files from "Windows\Temp"
cd /d %SystemRoot%\temp
del /F /Q *.*
@echo Y|RD /S ""
exit

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by: QlemoPosted on 2009-05-21 at 10:30:13ID: 24443819

Reviewed code, with removed overly used FORs, and structured by using Subcommands (call :...).

@ECHO Off
 
 
SET SRC1=C:\Documents and Settings
SET SRC2=Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
SET SRC3=Local Settings\History
SET SRC4=Local Settings\Temp
SET SRC5=Recent
SET SRC6=Cookies
 
 
echo REMOVE THE HIDDEN ATTRIBUTES???
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%" "%%X\%SRC4%") DO attrib -s -r -h /S /D "%%~Y\*"
pause
 
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "Temporary Internet files"
call :RmFoldersOnly "%SRC1%" "%SRC2%"
 
echo About to delete files from Internet Explorer "History"
call :RmFileNFolders "%SRC1%" "%SRC3%"
 
echo About to delete files from "Local Settings\temp"
call :RmFileNFolders "%SRC1%" "%SRC4%"
 
echo About to delete files from "Recent" i.e. what appears in Start/Documents/My Documents
call :RmFilesOnly "%SRC1%" "%SRC5%" *.lnk
 
echo About to delete files from "Cookies"
call :RmFilesOnly "%SRC1%" "%SRC6%" *
 
echo About to delete files from "Windows\Temp"
cd /d %SystemRoot%\temp
del /F /Q *.*
@echo Y|RD /S ""
exit /b
 
 
:RmFoldersOnly
FOR /D %%X IN ("%SRC1%\*") DO FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%SRC2%\*.*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
pause
exit /b
 
:RmFilesOnly
FOR /D %%X IN ("%~1\*") DO DEL /F /S /Q "%%X\%~2%\%~3"
pause
exit /b
 
:RmFileNFolders
FOR /D %%X IN ("%~1\*") DO (
  FOR /D %%Y IN ("%%X\%~2\*") DO RMDIR /S /Q "%%Y"
  DEL /F /S /Q "%%X\%~2\*"
)
pause
exit /b

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by: maureen99Posted on 2009-05-29 at 08:14:15ID: 24503346

Qlemo:

I tried your code, and it seems to have worked, deleting the hidden directories under \documents and settings\profilename\local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5.

However, it didn't delete the hidden files from the \documents and settings\profilename\cookies directory, or any of the files under \documents and settings\profilename\local settings\temporary internet files.

Does something need to be added for this?

Thanks so much for your help!

Maureen

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-05-29 at 08:22:18ID: 24503403

I translated your code only. It wasn't doing this either. You need to set the SRCx vars correct, i.e.
set SRC6=Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Cookies
aso.

by: maureen99Posted on 2009-05-31 at 14:38:36ID: 31583105

Thanks very much, this one worked for me!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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Batch to delete folders with hidden attribute

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xp windows batch

2000

Windows XP Operating System

Windows 2000 Operating System

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

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