Batch script to delete file older than 30 day [Solved/Closed]
sd63401
Posts Thursday February 26, 2009Registration date
February 27, 2009
Last seen
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Feb 27, 2009 at 02:32 PM - Latest reply: Dude
- Dec 13, 2017 at 09:10 AM
i would like to create the batch script which could copy the 30 days older files from one folder to another. And also deletes the 30 days old files from the source folder after copying to the destination folder.
Try the following command to automatically delete files at the root of a directory. This command can be saved in a .bat file and scheduled with scheduled tasks.
forfiles /p "PATH" /s /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @file : date >= 30 days >NUL"
Change "PATH" with the path where you want the files to be deleted. If there are no spaces in the path you dont need the "-symbol.
Works out of command line and a batch for all fixed drives, but it cannot cope with UNC (\\<machine>\share) folders. If you map the UNC chare to a drive, then the batch files will work fine. But, Task Scheduler rejects both. No solution for a server user.
I'm running WinXP and I get an error
'forfiles' is not recognized as an internal or external command.
I've tried to run this at the command line and in a batch file.
Ideas?
Using this version, I also had to remove the spaces between the command options and their value. After that I specified my directory, changed the time search value, and the command worked great
: date >= 30 days >null is being used as an inline comment which generates an error while still allowing the delete to be performed; thus, the redirect of the output to null.
: is usually reserved for labels and was used by some as a comment vs REM due to the speed advantages, but can come with the disadvantage of accidental label jumping. Hence some use :: which is an undocumented way to add comments vs using REM.
Um, I made two mistakes above... while the concept was right. Specifically I quoted your null when it's NUL and in the case of the command in question, the inline comment doesn't actually generate an error but would have redirected the output to a file called 30, which redirecting to nul avoids. In some cases, depending on the command, the : comment will actually produce undesirable effects or errors.
The @file returns the file name but not the full path, so deletion won't work recursively (as the author appropriately stated "at the root directory"). The @path command passes Delete the full file path so it can delete files in subdirectories. Here's what I use:
:: Recursively delete log files older than 180 days from PATH
forfiles /M *.log /P "PATH" /S /D -180 /C "cmd /c del /F /Q @path"
The following windows script will move files older than a given date from C:\folder1 to C:\folder2. By older, I am assuming that they are not modified after a certain date. The date is passed in the format yyyymmdd . When files are moved to folder2, they are automatically deleted from folder1.
# Script movefiles.txt
# Input argument - date
var str date
# Get a list of files not modified since $date.
var str list ; lf -n "*" "C:\folder1" ( ($ftype == "f") AND ($fmtime < $date) ) > $list
# Move files one by one.
while ($list <> "")
do
var str file ; lex "1" $list > $file
system move $file "C:\folder2"
done
The script is in biterscripting. Download biterscripting from http://www.biterscripting.com . Save the script as C:\Scripts\movefiles.txt. Start biterscripting. Call the script as
script movefiles.txt date("20090613")
The above will move files that have not been modified since June 13, 2009 (30 days before today).
> We generate about 1000 reports per hour on our webserver and
> run a nightly script to remove these files. Unfortunately, that is not often enough
> and need to have a script that we can run every hour
> that removes old files (older than say 1 hr).
> Can someone steer me to a solution that uses the system time,
> and removes files from our "reports" directory that are older? Thx in Advance
This script will do exactly what you need. I will assume that these report files are in folder "C:/hourly reports". I am adding comments so you can follow the logic.
# Script HourlyDelete.txt
# Go to reports folder.
cd "C:/hourly reports"
# Collect a list of files that were CREATED more than an hour ago.
var str list, file
lf -r -n "*" "." ( $fctime < addtime(diff("-10000")) ) > $list
# Delete each file in $list one by one.
while ($list <> "")
do
lex "1" $list > $file
echo -e "DEBUG: Deleting file " $file
system del ("\""+$file+"\"")
done
Script is in biterscripting. Test it first on a test folder. Change "C:/hourly reports" in the script to correct path. Double quotes are required around paths. To test, save the script in file C:/Scripts/HourlyDelete.txt, then enter the following command in biterscripting.
script "C:/Scripts/HourlyDelete.txt"
Once you know it's working, schedule the following command in task scheduler to run hourly.
We want to move ( not DELET ) log files after every 5 minutes form one location to another.
But also we do not want to move the log file which is currently active.
Means we want to move the logfiles which are 5 minutes older than System Date.
Can we get the Windows Script for the same, which we can use in the windows scheduler.
Hi Ami:
When you say "5 minutes older than system date", I assume you refere to file modification time ?
Here is the windows script in biterscripting.
# Script MoveLog5min.txt
var str source, destination, pattern
# Create a time string that represents "5 minutes earlier" (subtract 05 mins, 00 seconds from current time).
var str time
set $time = addtime(diff("-0500"))
# Collect a list of files matching $pattern in folder $source whose modification time is earlier than $time.
var str list, file
lf -n $pattern $source ( ($ftype=="f") AND ($fmtime < $time) ) > $list
# Go thru files one by one.
while ($list <> "")
do
# Get the next file.
lex "1" $list > $file
# Move file to $destination.
system -s ("move /Y \""+$file+"\" \""+$destination+"\"")
done
Save the script in file "C:/Scripts/MoveLog5min.txt", start biterscripting, enter the following command.
This will move all files matching name "*.log" which have not been modified in the last 5 minutes from source folder "C:/Log Directory" to destination folder "C:/Moved Log Directory" .
Test it first. When all working, schedule the following command in task scheduler.
No need any script to remove a file. Just select the file which you want to remove and press 'Del' or Delete button in the keyboard. It will automatically remove the file.
The script will automatically do it, versus having to manually do it. If you have a ton of files, you don't want to be sitting there deleting one by one...
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:: Recursively delete log files older than 180 days from PATH
forfiles /M *.log /P "PATH" /S /D -180 /C "cmd /c del /F /Q @path"