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Simple Script To Delete Files Automatically Older Than X Days Using Batch Files

The document describes how to use a batch script to automatically delete files older than a specified number of days on a scheduled basis. The batch script uses the forfiles command to search a log folder and delete any files modified over 10 days ago. The script is then configured as a task in the Windows Task Scheduler to run daily at 10 AM to continuously clean up old log files.

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rsudhesh
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402 views

Simple Script To Delete Files Automatically Older Than X Days Using Batch Files

The document describes how to use a batch script to automatically delete files older than a specified number of days on a scheduled basis. The batch script uses the forfiles command to search a log folder and delete any files modified over 10 days ago. The script is then configured as a task in the Windows Task Scheduler to run daily at 10 AM to continuously clean up old log files.

Uploaded by

rsudhesh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Simple script to delete files automatically older than x days

using batch files.


Script to delete files older than x days using batch files and
how to schedule them using windows task manager
Script:
@echo off
forfiles /p "f:\logs" /d -10 /c "cmd /c del @file "

Save this file as a batch file with extension .bat

How to Schedule in Task Scheduler

Click Start, Accessories, System Tools , Task Scheduler

Click on Create Basic Task

Provide any task name that we can identify in Name field, Click Next

Select the period in Task Trigger Page that when you want to delete we have to
decide that how much the files are bigger and what capacity of Disk we have , here I
selected Daily, Click Next

I selected the Start Date and time that my 1st check has to start and I select Recur
every as 1 a day

I have selected start a Program in Action Page

Select the batch file which we had written, select the folder where we had kept the
batch file, Click Next

Select Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish

Click Finish

Here we have to select Run Whether user is logged on or not, and Click OK

Thats done.
We schedule a task in the windows Task scheduler that Daily at 10:00:00 AM It will run the
batch script file and delete the files which are older than 15 days automatically.

Explanation:

Using forfiles command I want to check for the files in f:\logs folders for 10 days back files,
I want to delete those files if they are before 10 days.
Parameters for fofiles:
Parameter

Description

/p <Path>

Specifies the path from which to start the search. By default, searching starts in the
working directory.

/m <SearchMask>

Searches files according to the specified search mask. The default search mask is *

/s

Instructs the forfiles command to search into subdirectories recursively.

/c "<Command>"

Runs the specified command on each file. Command strings should be enclosed in
The default command is "cmd /c echo @file".

/d [{+|-}][{<Date>|
Selects files with a last modified date within the specified time frame.
Selects files with a last modified date later than or equal to (+) or earlier than or equ
<Days>}]
specified date, where Date is in the format MM/DD/YYYY.

Selects files with a last modified date later than or equal to (+) the current date plus
days specified, or earlier than or equal to (-) the current date minus the number of

Valid values for Days include any number in the range 032,768. If no sign is specifie
default.

/?

Displays help at the command prompt.

Forfiles is most commonly used in batch files.

Forfiles /s is similar to dir /s.

You can use the following variables in the command string as specified by
the /c command-line option.

Variable

Description

@FILE

File name.

@FNAME

File name without extension.

@EXT

File name extension.

@PATH

Full path of the file.

@RELPATH

Relative path of the file.

@ISDIR

Evaluates to TRUE if a file type is a directory. Otherwise, this variable evaluates


to FALSE.

@FSIZE

File size, in bytes.

@FDATE

Last modified date stamp on the file.

@FTIME

Last modified time stamp on the file.

Reference : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753551.aspx

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