How to delete files from a folder using a list of file names in windows?

i have a folder with 2K+ files in it, i need to delete around 200, i have a txt file with all the file names i need removed ordered in a list, how do i remove the specific files from the folder using the list? (OS is windows 7)

5 Answers

Simple way is copy the txt file to a file called mydel.bat in the directory of the files to delete. Using an editor like Microsoft Word edit this file. Do a global replace on Newline normally ^p in Word. Replace it with space/f^pdelspace. This will change

File1.bin
File20.bin
File21.bin

to (with /f for "force delete read-only files"):

File1.bin /f
del File20.bin /f
del File21.bin /f
del

Edit the fist line to add the del space and delete the last line.

Run the batch command.

4

Type this on the command line, substituting your file for files_to_delete.txt:

for /f %i in (files_to_delete.txt) do del %i

A version of this suitable to include in .cmd files (double %%) and able to deal with spaces in file names:

for /f "delims=" %%f in (files_to_delete.txt) do del "%%f"

6

Using PowerShell:

Get-Content c:\path\to\list.txt | Remove-Item

4

I imagine it can be done with powershell.

Knowing Perl, I tend to use it for this sort of thing

perl -l -n -e "unlink" filenames.txt

First method works after some changes:

1. open Notepad

2. copy all file names with extension which need to be deleted after adding del at the beginning like

   del File1.bin
   del File20.bin
   del File21.bin

3. save the file as xyz.bat in the same folder

4. run the file

1

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Sign up using Google Sign up using Facebook Sign up using Email and Password Submit

Post as a guest

Post Your Answer Discard

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy