Q32497: How to Delete the Contents of a Directory in One Step

Article: Q32497
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:2.x,3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0a,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 2.11, 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
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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 . " (without the quotation marks)

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" (without the quotation marks)
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

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS500a kbMSDOS211
Version           : MS-DOS:2.x,3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0a,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

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