Delete Directory or File in Windows PowerShell

Q

How to delete a directory or file to a new location in Windows PowerShell? Can I use the old "del" command?

✍: FYIcenter.com

A

Yes, you can still use the old "del" command in Windows PowerShell. But "del" is defined as an alias of the "Remove-Item" cmdlet.

The "Remove-Item" cmdlet deletes one or more items, like directories and files. The "Move-Item" cmdlet requires 1 minimum parameter:

  • "-Path ..." - Specify the path of the directory or file to be deleted. This parameter is defined as the first positioned parameter. So you can provide the path as the first parameter without parameter name.

The example below deletes all of the files with names that include a dot (.) from the C:\Test directory. Because the command specifies a dot, the command does not delete directories or files with no file name extension.

PS C:\fyicenter> Remove-Item C:\Test\*.*

The example below deletes from the current directory all files with a .doc file name extension and a name that does not include "1". It uses the wildcard character (*) to specify the contents of the current directory. It uses the Include and Exclude parameters to specify the files to delete.

PS C:\fyicenter> Remove-Item * -Include *.doc -Exclude *1*

The example below deletes a file that is both hidden and read-only. It uses the Path parameter to specify the file. It uses the Force parameter to give permission to delete it. Without Force, you cannot delete read-only or hidden files.

PS C:\fyicenter> Remove-Item -Path C:\Test\hidden-RO-file.txt -Force

 

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2016-10-22, 1765🔥, 0💬