Batch Script to Delete Files Older than 5 days

by: kosarajudeepakPosted on 2009-08-17 at 18:08:07ID: 25119539

You can use the following:

#!/bin/bash
echo "Enter the path to search"
read p
echo "Deleting files older than 5 days in $p"
find $p -type f -mtime +5 -exec rm -rf {} \;

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by: ben1211Posted on 2009-08-17 at 22:57:03ID: 25120392

Hi Deepak,

The code that you just provided, is for a Unix environment. I required help for a Windows Batch script.

by: pkwanPosted on 2009-08-18 at 00:15:08ID: 25120679

Please try this:

FolderPath = "C:\XXX"
 
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set rootFolder = fs.getFolder(FolderPath)
 
DeleteFiles rootFolder
 
Sub DeleteFiles(folder) 
	Set subFolders = folder.SubFolders
 
	For Each subFolder in SubFolders
		DeleteFiles subFolder
	Next
 
	Set files = folder.Files
	For Each file in files
		If file.DateLastModified < Date - 5 Then
			MsgBox folder & "\" & file.Name & "Deleted"
			file.Delete
		End If
	Next
End Sub

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by: t0t0Posted on 2009-08-18 at 02:31:43ID: 25121300

What is your date format ie, what do you see when you do the following in DOS:

ECHO %DATE%

by: kosarajudeepakPosted on 2009-08-18 at 06:46:35ID: 25123096

Sorry! I didn't notice the batchscript request.

by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-08-18 at 07:33:26ID: 25123645

Use forfiles.exe.

http://ss64.com/nt/forfiles.html

This is version 1.1 so is most compatible. A newer version for Vista and 2003 but is not compatible with Windows 2000. Slight variation in syntax.

This will list your files that are older than 5 days.
forfiles -pC:\Folder -s -d-5

Remove the echo from the code to have it delete the file.

C:\at>forfiles -pc:\folder -s -d-5 -c"CMD /C if @ISDIR==FALSE echo DEL
\"@PATH\@FILE\""

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by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-08-18 at 07:33:53ID: 25123652

Opps remove the C:\at>

forfiles -pc:\folder -s -d-5 -c"CMD /C if @ISDIR==FALSE echo DEL
\"@PATH\@FILE\""

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by: ben1211Posted on 2009-09-06 at 17:36:38ID: 25272170

When I do an echo %date% this is what I get:

Mon 09/07/2009

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-09-07 at 02:06:20ID: 25273626

@echo off
echo wscript.echo DateAdd("d",-5,date)>"5daysago.vbs"

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('cscript //nologo "5daysago.vbs"') do (
for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('dir /a-d /b *.*') do (
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%d in ('echo %%~tA') do (
if %%f%%d%%e leq %%c%%a%%b del %%A
)
)
)

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-09-07 at 02:08:20ID: 25273633

Or better still, this one as it handles filenames containing spaces:

@echo off
echo wscript.echo DateAdd("d",-5,date)>"5daysago.vbs"

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('cscript //nologo "5daysago.vbs"') do (
for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('dir /a-d /b *.*') do (
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%d in ('echo %%~tA') do (
if %%f%%d%%e leq %%c%%a%%b del "%%A"
)
)
)

by: ben1211Posted on 2009-09-14 at 21:46:56ID: 25331799

Hi toto,

Could you explain the script to me please.

Is this the place where I key in the directory of where the files should be deleted? : for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('dir /a-d /b *.*')

Is this a batch script or a VBS Script?

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-09-18 at 04:06:24ID: 25364610

Just had my internet connetction repaired (faulty cable modem knocked me out for 3 days)... will respond tonight

Thank you for your patience

by: t0t0Posted on 2009-09-22 at 14:37:14ID: 25397874

:: Create a one-line VB script file containing just the following commend: "DateAdd("d",-5,date)"
:: This uses the VB function 'DateAdd' to add or subtract a certain number of days to the current date.
:: When run, it will return a string corresponding to the date (plus or minus the number of specified days).

echo wscript.echo DateAdd("d",-5,date)>"5daysago.vbs"

:: This FOR loop is a container loop whose purpose is to run the VB script file and capture it's output.
:: The output format is 'ddd mm/dd/yyyy' - we need just the 'dd' 'mm' and 'yyyy' (2nd, 3rd and 4th parts).
:: The output is parsed using spaces and the '/' character as delimiters (or field seperators).
:: %%a will equal the 'mm' part, %%b will equal the 'dd' part and %%c will equal the 'yyyy' part.
:: So for "Fri 23/10/2009", '%%c%%a%%b' will equal "20091023"

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('cscript //nologo "5daysago.vbs"') do (

:: This FOR loop is a container loop whose purpose is to execue the DIR command and capture it's output.
:: The 'DIR /A-D /B *.*' lists only filenames of files (using DOS's DIR bare format) and alloes for spaces.
:: The filename of each file is captured by %%A

for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('dir /a-d /b *.*') do (

:: This FOR loop is a container loop whose purpose is to execute an ECHO command capturing it's output
:: In this case we're ECHOing %%~tA which is the timestamp of the file in %%A
:: The output format is "ddd mm/dd/yyyy" - we need just the 'dd' 'mm' and 'yyyy' (2nd, 3rd & 4th parts again).
:: The output is parsed using spaces and the '/' character as delimiters (or field seperators).
:: %%d will equal the 'mm' part, %%e will equal the 'dd' part and %%f will equal the 'yyyy' part.
:: So for "Fri 28/10/2009", '%%f%%d%%e' will equal "20091028"

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%d in ('echo %%~tA') do (

:: This IF statement compares the file's date against the target date returned by the VB function 'DateAdd()'.
:: %%A is the filename.
:: %%c%%a%%b is 20091023 - the date given by the VB function
:: %%f%%d%%e is 20091028 - the file's date
:: So, the following lijne reads "if 20091028 is less than or equal to 20091023 then delete the file in %%A"
if %%f%%d%%e leq %%c%%a%%b del "%%A"

To answer your question, to specify a target directory, you need to add it to the 2nd FOR loop as in the following example for "C:Temp\":

for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('dir /a-d /b "C:\Temp\*.*"') do (

and it's a batch file - not a VB script file however, the batch file creates a single-line VB script file which it executes solely becuase it's the simplest method for calculating relative dates.

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Batch Script to Delete Files Older than 5 days

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