Command line to recursively delete files but excluding a certain file - command-line

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).
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.

Answer 2

Just do this, easy
windows button + r
type cmd and hit enter
Navigate to parent directory:
type c: or d: (or letter of the drive you want to navigate to)
type dir to see a list of that directory's contents ( dir /ah to see hidden files )
then to change directory, type cd xxxx ( xxxx = directory name )
Repeat 4&5 until you get to the directory where you want to run the batch delete
then type your pattern. Something like: del /S /ah *.jpg and hit enter. It will run through all sub-directories, and remove all visible and hidden files that are .jpg files
* is a wildcard
/S deletes from all subfolders
/ah a = select files based on attribute, h = hidden
Example: to delete those annoying .DS_Store files that appear when you copy from Mac to Windows, run:
del /S /ah .DS_Store
or
del /S /ah ._*
which will get all the 'duplicate' hidden files that are also created when copying from Mac to Windows.

Answer 3

You can easily loop a set of files and perform a command on each one, like this:
set match=D:\blah\M*.zip
for %%x in (%match%) do (
del %%x
)
Then I think you need to read this article on how to manipulate strings in DOS:
http://www.dostips.com/DtTipsStringManipulation.php

Answer 4

You can simply use below:
forfiles /p C:\temp-new /s /c "cmd /c if #isdir==FALSE del #file"
TechNet Referenceenter link description here

Answer 5

Perhaps the 'forfiles' command could be of use
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753551.aspx
Hope that helps.

Answer 6

This script will delete all .zip files from a folder (and subfolders), BUT ONLY IF the file name does not contain the word "backup", or "Backup" or "BACKUP", etc.
# Script DeleteZip.txt
var str folder, filelist, file
cd $folder
lf -r -n "*.zip" > $filelist
while ($filelist <> "")
do
lex "1" $filelist > $file
# Does this $file contain the word "backup" ? Do case independent search (-c option).
if ( { sen -c "^backup^" $file } <= 0 )
system del ("\""+$file+"\"")
endif
done
Script is in biterscripting ( http://www.biterscripting.com ). Save the script in file C:/Scripts/DeleteZip.txt. Run the script as
script "C:/Scripts/DeleteZip.txt" folder("C:/testfolder")
Will do the delete operation on folder C:/testfolder and all its subfolders, at all levels.

Answer 7

A simple way that you need:
FORFILES /P "DIRECTORY" /S /M SEARCHMASK /C "cmd /c if #file neq \"FILE_TO_EXCLUDE\" del /f #file"
You still can adapt the command to your need to exclude specific files and/or by date. More details in the 'forfiles' documentation below.
https://learn.microsoft.com/pt-br/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/forfiles