Deleting the oldest folders in a directory

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kgprov
Posts: 2
Joined: 17 May 2011 15:03

Deleting the oldest folders in a directory

#1 Post by kgprov » 17 May 2011 15:10

I have this bat file created, it is supposed to look at at directory and keep X amount of recent folders (It calculates it by date modified) and deletes the rest. Now I have been testing it out and it works great with empty folders. Once I have files in the folders it keeps giving me "the directory is not empty" and wont let me delete. I have been at it for a bit and could use some help. I need it to delete folders with anything in them. Feel free to try it with your own path. If you feel you have a better code feel free to post. Thanks in advance :D :



@Echo Off
:: User Variables
:: Set this to the number of folders you want to keep
Set _NumtoKeep=5

:: Set this to the folder that contains the folders to check and delete
Set _Path=C:\Test\databackup

If Exist "%temp%\tf}1{" Del "%temp%\tf}1{"
PushD %_Path%
Set _s=%_NumtoKeep%
If %_NumtoKeep%==1 set _s=single

Echo Please wait, searching for folders other than the %_s% most recent
For /F "tokens=* skip=%_NumtoKeep%" %%I In ('dir "%_Path%" /AD /B /O-D /TW') Do (
If Exist "%temp%\tf}1{" (
Echo %%I:%%~fI >>"%temp%\tf}1{"
) Else (
Echo.>"%temp%\tf}1{"
:: Echo Do you wish to delete the following folders?>>"%temp%\tf}1{"
Echo Date Name>>"%temp%\tf}1{"
Echo %%I:%%~fI >>"%temp%\tf}1{"
))

PopD
If Not Exist "%temp%\tf}1{" Echo No Folders Found to delete & Goto _Done
Type "%temp%\tf}1{" | More
Set _rdflag= /q

::If you want a prompt to come out
::_Prompt1
::Set /P _resp=Delete All, None, or Prompt for each (A/N/P)?
::If /I "%_resp:~0,1%"=="N" Goto _Done
::If /I "%_resp:~0,1%"=="A" Goto _Removeold
::If /I NOT "%_resp:~0,1%"=="P" (del
::Echo (A/N/P only please)&Goto _Prompt1
::Set _rdflag=

:_Removeold
For /F "tokens=1* skip=3 Delims=:" %%I In ('type "%temp%\tf}1{"') Do (
If "%_rdflag%"=="" echo Deleting
pause
rd /S /q%_rdflag% "%%J")
:_Done
If Exist "%temp%\tf}1{" del "%temp%\tf}1{"

pause

Ed Dyreen
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Posts: 1569
Joined: 16 May 2011 08:21
Location: Flanders(Belgium)
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Re: Deleting the oldest folders in a directory

#2 Post by Ed Dyreen » 17 May 2011 17:10

Do you have full acces to these folders? Can they be deleted by GUI?

I find your code a bit difficult to read so I didn't really looked into it very deep.
But deleting should not be a problem unless you do not have enough rights or files are in use in which case you delete them at HKLM logon stage.

:arrow:
You probably need cacls in combination with attrib

"the directory is not empty"

I usually get that error when trying to delete folders that have open files in it
You can close open files in windows but I would have to google the procedure (without reboot) to close them myself. :oops:

For deleting I use this (but don't use this code as is obviously) It raises acces levels before attempting deletion:

Code: Select all

:RDF ( /FullPathFile: "STRING/BYVAL" /Sho_OK /Sho_ERR_nexist /Sho_ERR_ndeleted /Int_ERR_ndeleted /Int_ERR_nexist /AtStage.HKLM )
::
:: SJAB v1.142c beta
::
::INPUT:
:: @FullPathFile    STRING/BYVAL    Required;    @FullPathFile to delete
::
:: @Sho_OK      STRING       Optional;    output 1 >> :ToConsole ()
:: @Sho_ERR_nexist   STRING       Optional;    output 2 >> :ToConsole ()
:: @Sho_ERR_ndeleted   STRING       Optional;    output 2 >> :ToConsole ()
::
:: @AtStage.HKLM    STRING       Optional;    output 2 >> :AtStage.HKLM.RemoveDir ()
:: @Int_ERR_nexist    STRING       Optional;    Halt on error nexist
:: @Int_ERR_ndeleted    STRING       Optional;    Halt on error ndeleted
::
::OUTPUT:
:: @ERR       INT       Return;    0 for succes, 1 for failure
::
SetLocal
::(
   ::set "Debug.Sub=!Sub.%Sub.Depth%.Name!"
   ::(
      ::%Debug% "" "inside !Sub.%Sub.Depth%.Name! () Sub.!Sub.Depth!.Par.AsIS:" &echo.!Sub.%Sub.Depth%.Par.AsIS!_
      set "Sub.!Sub.Depth!.Use=:RDF ( /FullPathFile: "STRING/BYVAL" /Sho_OK /Sho_ERR_nexist /Sho_ERR_ndeleted /Int_ERR_ndeleted /Int_ERR_nexist /AtStage.HKLM )"
   ::)

   ::%Debug% "PROC PAR"
   ::(
      set "Par.FIX=FullPathFile"
      set "Par.OPT=Sho_OK Sho_ERR_nexist Sho_ERR_ndeleted Int_ERR_nexist Int_ERR_ndeleted AtStage.HKLM"
      %PROC.PAR.FAST% "()"

      for %%! in ( FullPathFile ) do          %Get.ByVal% "%%~!"

      for %%! in (

         "nexist"
         "ndeleted"

      ) do    if defined Int_ERR_%%~! (
         ::
         set "Sho_ERR_%%~!=/Sho_ERR_%%~!"
      )

      for %%! in (

         "PrefetchCOMMAND"

      ) do    if defined Sho_ERR_ndeleted (
         ::
         set "%%~!="

      ) else    set "%%~!=2>nul"

      for %%! in (

         "TMP"

      ) do (
         %ERR.Get.PathExists.TokenVAR% %()% >nul
         ::
         if !ERR! equ 0 (
            ::
            set /a TMP.CleanUp = 0

         ) else (
             set /a TMP.CleanUp = 1
            ::
            %MD.FAST% "TMP" /Int_ERR
         )
      )

      ::%Debug.Equals% for %%! in ( FullPathFile Sho_OK Sho_ERR_nexist Sho_ERR_ndeleted Int_ERR_ndeleted Int_ERR_nexist AtStage.HKLM ) do echo. %%~!=!%%~!!_
   ::)

   ::%Debug% "VALID"
   ::(
      for %%! in (

         "FullPathFile"

      ) do (
         %Slash.Rem.LastDoubleorSingle.TokenVAR% %()%
         ::
         set "%%~!.IsDIR="
         ::
         if exist "!%%~!!\" (
            ::
            set /a %%~!.IsDIR = 1

         ) else    if exist "!%%!!" (
            ::
            set /a %%~!.IsDIR = 0
         )

         if not defined %%~!.IsDIR (
            ::
            if defined Sho_ERR_nexist (
               ::
               echo. &set /p "?=not exist %%~!: '!%%~!!' ^!" <nul
            )
            ::
            if defined Int_ERR_nexist (
               ::
               %Pause.UnivLang% %()%
               ::
               %ERR.Set.VALID% /not_exist: %%~!
            )
         )
      )
   ::)

   ::%Debug% "Perform"
   ::(
      ::%Debug% " Become owner"
      ::(
         %OpenWorkFile% "()"
         ::
         for %%! in (

            "!FullPath.WorkFile!\WorkFile.!WorkFile!.CMD"

         ) do (
            >"%%~!" (echo.j)
            ::
            >nul 2>&1 cacls "!FullPathFile!" /t /e /c /p "Administrators":F < "%%~!"
            ::
            >nul 2>&1 del /f /q "%%~!"
         )
         ::
         %CloseWorkFile% %()% >nul
      ::)

      ::%Debug% " Release folder, file protection"
      ::(
         >nul 2>&1 attrib -r -a -s -h /S /D "!FullPathFile!"
      ::)

      ::%Debug% " supressed RDF: '!FullPathFile!'"
      ::(
         if defined FullPathFile.IsDIR if !FullPathFile.IsDIR! equ 1 (
            ::
            2>nul       rd /s /q    "!FullPathFile!"

         ) else    >nul 2>&1    del /f /q    "!FullPathFile!"
      ::)

      if defined FullPathFile.IsDIR if !FullPathFile.IsDIR! equ 1 if exist "!FullPathFile!\" (

         ::%Debug% " still exists, Prefetched rd: ""!FullPathFile!"" "
         echo.>nul

         %PrefetchCOMMAND% rd /s /q "!FullPathFile!"
      )

      set /a ERR = 0
      ::
      if defined FullPathFile.IsDIR if !FullPathFile.IsDIR! equ 1 (
         ::
         if exist "!FullPathFile!\"    set /a ERR = 1

      ) else    if exist "!FullPathFile!"    set /a ERR = 1

      ::%Debug% " ERR=!ERR!_"
      if !ERR! equ 1 if defined AtStage.HKLM (
         ::
         set /a ERR = 0

         for %%! in (

            "Int_ERR"

         ) do    if defined %%~!_ndeleted (
            ::
            set "%%~!=/%%~!"

         ) else    set "%%~!="

         %RDF.AtStage.HKLM% /FullPathFile: "!FullPathFile!" !Sho_OK! /Int_ERR
      )

      if !ERR! neq 0 (
         ::
         if defined Sho_ERR_ndeleted (
            ::
            echo.
            ::
            set /p "?= RDF: '!FullPathFile!' [FAILED] ^!" <nul

         )
         ::
         if defined Int_ERR_ndeleted (
            ::
            %pause.UnivLang% %()%
            ::
            %ERR.Set.THIS% "FullPathFile=!FullPathFile!_" "RDF: '!FullPathFile!' [FAILED] ^!"
         )

      ) else    if defined Sho_OK (
         ::
         echo.
         ::
         set /p "?= RDF: '!FullPathFile!' [OK]" <nul
      )

      set /a ERR.MEM = !ERR!
      ::(
         if !TMP.CleanUp! neq 0 (
            ::
            %RDF.AtStage.HKLM% /FullPathFile: "TMP" /Sho_OK /Int_ERR
         )
      ::)
      set /a ERR = !ERR.MEM!

      if not defined FullPathFile.IsDIR if defined Sho_ERR_nexist (
         ::
         set /a ERR = 1
      )
   ::)
::
::%Debug% /Pause "outside !Sub.%Sub.Depth%.Name! ()"
(
   EndLocal
   ::
   set /a ERR = %ERR%
)
::
goto :eof ()
::)

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