How to delete older files using command prompt

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How to delete older files using command prompt
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How to delete older files using command prompt

We usually get the requirement to automatically delete the files in regular intervals, we can achieve this task by creating a batch file and create a schedule task to delete files automatically in regular Intervals.

  1. Open a Notepad and put the below command:
forfiles -p "Folder location" -s -m *.* /d -<No. of days> /C "cmd /c del @path" 

(Replace the folder location with complete folder path where you need to delete underneath files.  Specify the days after /d if you want to specify how many days older files shall be deleted. You can also add extension to delete specific files.For Example: forfiles -p

“C:\Users\ravi.chopra\Downloads” -s -m *.txt* /d -3 /C “cmd /c del @path”)

Here I want to delete text files in my download folder and have set the 3 days older files should be deleted:

How to delete older files using command prompt

2. Save the notepad file with .bat extension

files2

3.  Test the batch file by opening it

Before running the batch file. I had 3 Text files:

files3

After running the batch file, only two files were left as 3 days old file got deleted

files4

4.     Add this batch file to Schedule Task: Open a Schedule Tasks Console à Click on Create Basic Task and follow the wizard put the batch file & schedule the time to run the task.

You are done! The files shall be automatically deleted whenever the scheduled task runs the batch file.

Ravi Chopra
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