Microsoft KB Archive/32497

= How to Delete the Contents of a Directory in One Step =

Article ID: 32497

Article Last Modified on 11/16/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 2.11 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q32497



SUMMARY
If you try to delete the entire contents of a directory, MS-DOS prompts you to verify the operation. While this helps protect you against inadvertently erasing a large number of files, it also forces you to go through two steps to perform a single operation. The experienced MS-DOS user can place the following command in a batch file in order to make available the option of deleting the contents of directory in one step:

echo y | del %1\*.*

If the above line is placed in a batch file called, for example, DELALL.BAT, you can then tell MS-DOS to delete all the files in the current working directory by invoking the batch file as follows:

delall.

NOTE: This example may want to include more error checking, since invoking this batch file and forgetting to provide the %1 argument would delete all of the files in the root directory.

If you are using MS-DOS 6 or later, you can simply use the DELTREE program. For more information on DELTREE, type help deltree at the MS-DOS 6.x command prompt and then press ENTER.

Additional query words: 6.22 2.x 3.x 4.00 5.00 6.00 6.20

Keywords: KB32497

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