Delete files on specific date

[Ubaid]

Hi Friends,
Please can any one help to create scrip to delete all files on define date.
for example I would like to delete all files of directory "C:\test\" on date 24/10/2014.

appreciate in advance.

[Squashman]

You will need to create a Windows scheduled task and have it run this command in a batch file.

Code: Select all

del /q c:\test\*.*

[Ubaid]

Thanks for your reply.

My system is DOS operating system. I would make it in Autoexec.bat

[foxidrive]

Thanks for your reply.

My system is DOS operating system. I would make it in Autoexec.bat

Which version of dos are you using?

Is it FreeDos or Microsoft MSDOS V6.22 or some other dos system?

[Ubaid]

it is MSDOS 6.22 version

[foxidrive]

it is MSDOS 6.22 version

Then a Qbasic script with batch file is useful:

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@echo off
echo open "!_~_!.bat" for output as #1: a$=DATE$>!_~_!.bas
echo ? #1, "SET DAY="+RIGHT$(a$,4)+LEFT$(a$,2)+MID$(a$,4,2)>>!_~_!.bas
echo SYSTEM>>!_~_!.bas
qbasic /run !_~_!.bas
call !_~_!.bat
del !_~_!.bat
del !_~_!.bas
if %day%==20141024 deltree /y c:\test\

[ShadowThief]

I never realized just how I easy I had it with modern batch until I tried to help with this (I did eventually get it, though).

Try this:

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@echo off
REM Based on www.robvanderwoude.com/datetime.php
ver | date > temp.bat
echo set date=%%4>current.bat
call temp.bat
del temp.bat
del current.bat

echo y > y.txt
if "%date%"=="24-10-2014" del C:\test\*.* < y.txt
del y.txt

Note that this code assumes the output of the DATE command is in the DD-MM-YYYY format.

[foxidrive]

Code: Select all

echo y > y.txt
if "%date%"=="24-10-2014" del C:\test\*.* < y.txt
del y.txt

This also works in MSDOS

Code: Select all

echo y|del c:\test\*.*

The date variation was an issue back then too, and which is why the qbasic solution was preferable as it eliminates region differences.

[ShadowThief]

This also works in MSDOS

Code: Select all

echo y|del c:\test\*.*

It took me way longer than it should have to figure out a workaround for that not working in a batch script. Piping clearly works in the script, but does piping the output of an echo behave differently in DOS scripts vs on the command line?

[foxidrive]

does piping the output of an echo behave differently in DOS scripts vs on the command line?

Do you have an example where it failed?

I don't recall a command.com prompt being any different in that respect.

[ShadowThief]

does piping the output of an echo behave differently in DOS scripts vs on the command line?

Do you have an example where it failed?

I don't recall a command.com prompt being any different in that respect.

echo y|del c:\test\*.* didn't work (nothing was echoed to the screen and no files were deleted) when I tried putting it in the script, but it works fine on the command line.

[foxidrive]

echo y|del c:\test\*.* didn't work (nothing was echoed to the screen and no files were deleted) when I tried putting it in the script, but it works fine on the command line.

It works fine in my MSDOS 6.22 VM in a batch file and also on the dos prompt.
The screen output is the same too.

Which OS are you using to test it in?

[ShadowThief]

I'm also running an MS-DOS 6.22 VM.

[foxidrive]

Add an echo to show you the IF date compare - and you are using c:\temp and not c:\test

[ShadowThief]

It definitely should be working, and if it's working for you and not me, then there's some issue on my side. Maybe I have some syntax error where the del thinks the entire if statement is being piped into it?