Batch file

I've created a batch file I use to remove some backup files (.bak) that seem stubborn to leave. However, and this is on an XP laptop, not Windows 7, I've discovered that there is a critical data.bak file that must remain (again, XP, not Windows 7) so that MS Office XP will work. When the file is deleted, Office programs will not start without reinstalling "the component."

So is there a switch or separate command I can use with the line "del c:\*.bak /s" that would delete all *.bak files except this one: c:\documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\office\data\data.bak?

Thanks.

The del command doesn't have a switch in particular to achieve what you wish and since they are all ending with the bak extension, wildcards won't be of much help.

I don't know if it's helpful but maybe if you can set the file to have a certain attirbute, you can exclude it. There is a switch to the del command that will exclude the file based on it's attribute. Here's the complete listing of switches thanks to the del /? command.

Code:

DEL [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
ERASE [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names

  names         Specifies a list of one or more files or directories.
                Wildcards may be used to delete multiple files. If a
                directory is specified, all files within the directory
                will be deleted.

  /P            Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
  /F            Force deleting of read-only files.
  /S            Delete specified files from all subdirectories.
  /Q            Quiet mode, do not ask if ok to delete on global wildcard
  /A            Selects files to delete based on attributes
  attributes    R  Read-only files            S  System files
                H  Hidden files               A  Files ready for archiving
                -  Prefix meaning not

If Command Extensions are enabled DEL and ERASE change as follows:

The display semantics of the /S switch are reversed in that it shows
you only the files that are deleted, not the ones it could not find.

Hi,

You could add a couple of extra lines to your batch file that will rename the file, perform the delete then rename again

Code:

c:
cd "documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\office\data"
ren data.bak data.new
cd\
[insert delete code here]
c:
cd "documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\office\data"
ren data.new data.bak
cd\

It should then rename the file both before and after the delete script, keeping it intact.


OS

Orbital Shark said:

Hi,

You could add a couple of extra lines to your batch file that will rename the file, perform the delete then rename again

Code:

c:
cd "documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\office\data"
ren data.bak data.new
cd\
[insert delete code here]
c:
cd "documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\office\data"
ren data.new data.bak
cd\

It should then rename the file both before and after the delete script, keeping it intact.


OS

That's an even better suggestion! I didn't think of that.

OK, OS. Great idea. I'll try that. Thanks.
And thanks oreo27. That might also work.

gogreen said:

OK, OS. Great idea. I'll try that. Thanks.
And thanks oreo27. That might also work.

No problem mate! Cheers!

I solved this problem by simply removing the "del c:\*.bak /s" line. That computer rarely has *.bak files, anyway. I'm just glad I discovered why I kept getting a message to install a feature when I tried to go into MS Office products!

gogreen said:

I solved this problem by simply removing the "del c:\*.bak /s" line. That computer rarely has *.bak files, anyway. I'm just glad I discovered why I kept getting a message to install a feature when I tried to go into MS Office products!

Well, at least you're satisfied now. Congratulations mate! :)

oreo27 said:

gogreen said:

I solved this problem by simply removing the "del c:\*.bak /s" line. That computer rarely has *.bak files, anyway. I'm just glad I discovered why I kept getting a message to install a feature when I tried to go into MS Office products!

Well, at least you're satisfied now. Congratulations mate! :)

Yeah, thanks. Sometimes it takes a little thinking to come up with the obvious solution!