Batch files are batch processing programs that consist of a series of instructions that can be understood by the command interpreter of an operating system. These scripts are useful when it is necessary to perform repetitive operations on a system, such as daily or weekly erasing of certain text files that accumulate in a directory.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: get the information about the file to be deleted
Step 1. Find the file you want to erase
Navigate to the location of the document you want to delete with a batch file.
Step 2. Right click on the file to be deleted
This will display a pop-up drop-down menu.
Step 3. Click the option labeled Properties
You'll find it at the bottom of the drop-down menu. You will see a menu displayed.
Step 4. Determine the file extension
Look in the section called File type. You may see a three- or four-letter word displayed in parentheses. This is the extension that you will need to add to the filename later.
- If this is a text file, you will see displayed Text document (.txt) to the right of the title File type.
- you see Folder as the file type displayed, you will have to close the properties window, click on the document you want to check, right-click on it again and click on Properties.
Step 5. Memorize the path to the file
Press the left mouse button and browse for the address displayed in the properties display section. Press Ctrl + C on your keyboard. This will save the path to your file in your operating system notepad. At this point, you are ready to begin writing your batch file.
Part 2 of 5: Write the batch file
Step 1. Open the start menu
Windows.
Click on the Windows logo icon that you will find in the lower left corner of your screen.
Step 2. Open Notepad
Enter notepad in the system search bar then click on Notepad at the top of the start menu window. The Notepad window will appear.
Step 3. Add the change directory command
Enter the cd instruction followed by a space, then paste the address of the file to be deleted by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl + V keys on your keyboard. Press the Enter key. This line will have the effect of indicating to the following erase command to search for the file to be deleted in the folder given as an argument to the instruction CD.
-
If your file is in your desktop folder, the change directory command will be:
cd C: \ Users \ your_name \ Office.
- If you do not take this step, the erase instruction will search for the file to be erased in one of the folders reserved for the operating system.
Step 4. Now add the delete instruction
Enter del on the line immediately below the one on which you typed the change directory command, then press the space bar on your keyboard.
Step 5. Enter the name and extension of the file to be deleted in quotes
Type a double quote character followed by the name of the file to be deleted exactly as it appears, including spaces, uppercase letters and special characters. Enter a period followed by the extension of your file. Now type the double quote character to close the entry of the name of your file.
- If you want to erase a text document named Bananas, you will need to type "Bananas.txt" as the filename with its extension.
-
The second line of your batch file will be:
del "filename.extension" where you will replace filename with the actual name of the document and.extension with its actual extension.
Step 6. Add more file names
If you want to delete several files from the same directory, press the Enter key on your keyboard to start a new line. Type del followed by a space, then the name of the second file and its extension. Repeat this process as needed and until you have listed line by line all the files you want to remove from the directory.
Part 3 of 5: Save and run the batch file
Step 1. Click the File button
You will find it in the upper left corner of the Notepad window. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 2. Click Save As
This option, which you will find in the displayed drop-down menu, will present you with a save files dialog.
Step 3. Enter the name of the file with its batch type extension
Enter the name of the file in the input box titled File name then follow it with the.bat extension.
To name a Fruits batch file, you will need to enter fruit.bat in the text entry box
Step 4. Click the selection box titled File of type
It is located in the lower part of the window. This will display a new drop-down menu.
Step 5. Click All Files from the drop-down menu
Step 6. Choose a folder to save your file to
In the left part of the window, click on the name of a directory such as Desktop to select it as the location to save your batch file.
Step 7. Click Save
Your batch file will be saved to the location you chose when you click on this button, which you will find in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 8. Your batch file will permanently erase the targeted documents
When you run it, the del command in it will permanently delete the targeted document (s) without placing them in the system recycle bin. You will therefore no longer be able to recover them in the event of an error. This is why you should be very careful when adding the file (s) to delete to it.
Step 9. Run your batch file
When you are ready to delete the selected documents, just double-click on the icon representing your script to execute it. You should briefly see the command console listing the names of the documents as you delete them.
Part 4 of 5: Delete a file type from a folder
Step 1. Understand the purpose of this method
You can use a batch script if you want to delete all documents of a given type, such as text files, from a folder. This is particularly useful if your system accumulates various files of the same type in one folder over the course of its use.
Step 2. Open the folder whose files you want to erase
Double-click on the folder you want to open to clean it up.
Step 3. Determine the extension common to the files to be deleted
Proceed as follows:
- right click on the type of files to be deleted;
- click on Properties;
- look for the desired extension in the section File type.
Step 4. Memorize the address of the folder
Select the address bar that you will see displayed at the top of the folder by right-clicking on it, then simultaneously press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy it to your clipboard.
- If clicking on the address bar does not select its content, press and hold your left mouse button while browsing the path text to your folder, then right click and select it. 'option To copy in the displayed context menu.
Step 5. Open Notepad
Click on the icon
boot, type notepad, then click Notepad when you see it appear at the top of the Windows menu.
Step 6. Enter the change directory instruction
Enter the command cd followed by a space, then simultaneously press the Ctrl + V keys on your keyboard to place the stored address of the folder after the instruction.
Step 7. Enter the erase command
Press the Enter key on your keyboard to add a new line after the change directory command. Enter the command del followed by a space.
Step 8. Give your script the type of file to delete
Instead of entering a full file name, you will need to enter, between double quotes, an asterisk followed by the extension corresponding to the type of files to be deleted. This will have the effect of forcing the erasure of all files whose extension matches the one you entered after the asterisk.
- If you want to clean a directory of all its files with the extension *.txt, you will need to enter del "*.txt"
Step 9. You can add more file types if needed
For each document extension to be deleted, add a new line to your script by pressing the Enter key on your keyboard and copy the delete instruction described previously, taking care to replace the file extension with the one that should be apply.
Step 10. Save your script as a batch file
Proceed as follows:
- click on File;
- click on Save as…;
- enter in the input box the name you want to give to your batch file followed by the.bat extension;
- click on the drop-down menu titled File type and select the option All the files;
- choose in the left column of the window a folder where to save your script then click on Save.
Step 11. Run your script when you need to clean up a folder
You just need to double-click on your batch file icon to delete files from the folder whose extensions match those you specified.
If you need to move the directory where the files to be deleted are located, be sure to modify your script to reflect the changes made
Part 5 of 5: Erase All Files from a Folder
Step 1. Understand how this method works
You can also use a batch file if you need to delete all the documents from a main directory and those contained in its folders without erasing these.
This method will not erase the folders in the target directory, but will delete all the files they contain
Step 2. Right click on the directory to clean
You will see a drop-down menu.
Step 3. Click the option labeled Properties
You'll find it at the bottom of the drop-down menu. This will open the folder and file properties window.
Step 4. Memorize the directory location
Press and hold the left mouse button while browsing the path text to your folder, then simultaneously press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to memorize its path.
Step 5. Open Notepad
Click on the icon
boot, type notepad, then click Notepad when you see it appear at the top of the Windows menu.
Step 6. Enter the change directory instruction
Enter the cd instruction followed by a space, then simultaneously press the Ctrl + V keys on your keyboard to place the path to the folder you previously memorized after the instruction.
Step 7. Type the instruction to erase without confirmation of all files
Press the Enter key on your keyboard to add a line below the one containing the change directory instruction.
- Enter the del erase statement followed by a space.
- Enter the / S / Q switches that you will follow with a space. The switch / S will erase the files contained in the folders of the main directory. The switch / Q inhibits the display of a confirmation prompt after deleting each file.
- Paste the address of the main folder that you memorized earlier.
- Enter a backslash character \ (also called a backslash).
- Enter the name of the main folder exactly as it appears on the address bar that appears when it is opened.
Step 8. Save your script as a batch file
Proceed as follows:
- click on File;
- click on Save as…;
- enter in the input box the name you want to give to your script followed by the.bat extension;
- click on the drop-down menu titled File type and select the option All the files;
- choose in the left column of the window a folder where to save your script then click on Save.
Step 9. Run your file when you need to
Double-click on the icon representing your script when you need to clean up the main directory and the folders it contains.
Advice
- If you want to edit a batch file, right click on its name and click the option Edit from the drop-down menu that appears. This will open the file in Notepad where you can make your changes and then save it by pressing Ctrl + S.
- You may see a command console window open for a very short time when you initiate a batch file execution.
Warnings
- Batch files used in this way will permanently delete the documents they are responsible for deleting without placing them in the system recycle bin. Therefore, extreme care should be taken when making the list of files to be deleted when writing the script.