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Batch Delete a file older than X hours

Sulyvan77 Posted messages 3 Status Member -  
brucine Posted messages 24941 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -
Hello,

I am currently doing an internship at a large company, and I have been asked to create a Batch or VB script to delete temporary files, but only files older than 3 hours.
I am really not an expert in scripting; I am just starting out.
Here is the code I found on the internet that I tried to modify without success, and I received an error message. 
@echo off

set fich=C:\Users\paje01\Desktop\TEST\test1
set jour=3

pause 
forfiles -p %fich% -s -m *.* -d -0:03 "cmd /c del @FILE"

pause
@exit


I then get the following error message: 

Press any key to continue...
Error: Invalid argument or option - "cmd /c del @FILE".
Enter "FORFILES /?" to display the syntax.
Press any key to continue...


So, if anyone has a solution for me :)
Thank you and have a good day.

4 answers

  1.
    jee pee Posted messages 9444 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   9 981
     
    Hello,

    In your command, there is a missing space between 
    -3 -c
     

    However, this command processes days, not hours. You should look for another script.

    Best regards
    --
            a stranger is a friend you haven't met yet.
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  2. Sulyvan77 Posted messages 3 Status Member
     
    Hello and thank you for your response,

    After some research, I managed to create a functional script for the days, but I'm still struggling with the hours. Here is my test: 

     
    @ECHO OFF
     REM START OF THE SCRIPT 
     
     REM DISPLAYING HOURS AND MINUTES
     
    for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=:" %%a in ('time /t') do set hour=%%a
    for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=:" %%a in ('time /t') do set minute=%%b
    echo Hour : %hour%
    echo Minute : %minute%

     REM ///////CREATING A FOLDER CONTAINING HOURS AND MINUTES 
     
     REM ///////echo Test > file_%hour%%minute%.txt 

    pause

    REM TIME AND FOLDER VARIABLES
     REM DIRECTORY CONTAINING OUR FILES
    SET REPDIR=C:\Users\paje01\Desktop\TEST\test1
     
     REM MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DAYS TO KEEP
    SET HMAX=%time:~0,2%

    pause

    REM DELETE FILES
    forfiles /P %REPDIR% /m *.* /D -%HMAX% /C "cmd /c del /q @path"

    pause
     REM ///// TEST
     REM /////ForFiles /P "%REPDIR%" /D -%DAYMAX% /C "CMD /C if @ISDIR==TRUE echo RD /Q /S @FILE &RD /Q /S @path"

    REM DISPLAY A MESSAGE AFTER DELETION

    echo Msgbox "The script has been executed successfully and your files have been deleted."
    pause
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  3. Sulyvan77 Posted messages 3 Status Member
     
    And here is the one that works, 

     @ECHO OFF REM START OF THE SCRIPT 
     
     REM TIME AND FOLDER VARIABLES
     REM DIRECTORY CONTAINING OUR FILES
     SET REPDOSS=C:\Users\paje01\Desktop\TEST\test1 
     REM MAXIMUM RETENTION DAYS
     SET JOURMAX=1

    REM DELETE FILES
     forfiles /P %REPDOSS% /m *.* /D -%JOURMAX% /C "cmd /c del /q @path"
     pause

    REM DELETE FOLDERS
     REM ForFiles /P "%REPDOSS%" /D -%JOURMAXS% /C "CMD /C if @ISDIR==TRUE echo RD /Q /S @FILE &RD /Q /S @path"

    PAUSE
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  4. barnabe0057 Posted messages 14329 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   4 930
     
    Hello,

    I took your code to eliminate files/folders older than 1 day, then I created the code to delete those older than 3 hours: 

    @echo off
    setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion
    chcp 1252 >nul

    REM DIRECTORY CONTAINING OUR FILES
    SET REPDOSS=C:\Users\paje01\Desktop\TEST\test1

    REM MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DAYS OF RETENTION
    SET JOURMAX=1

    cd /d %REPDOSS% || exit /b 1

    REM DELETE FILES
    forfiles /D -%JOURMAX% /C "cmd /c if @ISDIR==FALSE (del /f /q @file)"

    REM DELETE FOLDERS
    forfiles /D -%JOURMAX% /C "cmd /c if @ISDIR==TRUE (rd /Q /S @file)"

    PAUSE

    :: GET CURRENT TIME AND CONVERT IT TO MINUTES
    for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=:" %%a in ('time /t') do (
     set H_actuelle=%%a
     set M_actuelle=%%b

     if !H_actuelle! LSS 10 (set H_actuelle=!H_actuelle:~-1!)
     if !M_actuelle! LSS 10 (set M_actuelle=!M_actuelle:~-1!)

     set /a total_actuelle=!H_actuelle!*60+!M_actuelle!
    )

    pause

    :: LIST FILES AND FOLDERS
    for /f "delims=" %%K in ('dir /b') do (

    :: GET TIME FOR EACH FILE/FOLDER
    for /f "skip=5 tokens=1,2,3,* delims=: " %%A in ('2^>nul dir "%%~K" ^| findstr /v "octets"') do (
     set heure=%%B
     set minute=%%C

    :: CONVERT TIME TO MINUTES
     if !heure! LSS 10 (set heure=!heure:~-1!)
     if !minute! LSS 10 (set minute=!minute:~-1!)

     set /a total_fichier=!heure!*60+!minute!

    :: DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCE AND DELETE FILES/FOLDERS THAT ARE TOO OLD
     set /a ecart=!total_actuelle!-!total_fichier!

     if !ecart! GTR 180 (2>nul rd /s /q "%%~K" || del /f "%%~K")
     if !ecart! LSS -1440 (2>nul rd /s /q "%%~K" || del /f "%%~K")
     if !ecart! LSS 0 (if !ecart! GTR -1260 (2>nul rd /s /q "%%~K" || del /f "%%~K"))
    )
    )
    pause

    exit /b 0


    “Artificial intelligence is defined as the opposite of natural stupidity.”
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    1. barbabe0057
       
      Hello, did it work for you? Because it's not working for me!
      0
      1. barnabe0057 Posted messages 14329 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   4 930 > barbabe0057
         
        Hello,

        If you want help, you need to describe your problem precisely; it's not enough to say it doesn't work.

        Which part of the script isn't working? The first part that deletes folders/files older than 1 day, or the second part that deletes files/folders older than 3 hours?

        Is your problem regarding the files, the folders, or both?
        0
      2. Ludo777 > barnabe0057 Posted messages 14329 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
         

        Hello,

        At my place, it deletes all the files and shows me "missing operator" in the command prompt.

        Do you have any idea?

        Otherwise, the forfiles command works great for 1 day, too bad we can't do less than a day.

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