Does anyone have a script that will allow me to take the contents of a directory and delete files based on their age? Here's the scenerio. I have a directory that fills with report files. The files have about 30 unique names and they build up pretty quickly. The files also have retention times that have to be considered. Some are only kept for 1 week, some are kept for 1 months, some 6 months, etc etc. I am looking for a script/command that will scan the directory and if a files data = 30 days/60days/1 month, etc older than todays date, it deletes the file. Anyone know how to get me started? thanks.

Jason, The find commands below will remove files based on filename pattern and age of datestamp in days. The age check is granular to the current moment. You need write permission on the directory. You can throw in a -user xxxxx predicate also. cd find . -name "abc*" -mtime +7 -exec rm {} \; find . -name "xyz*" -mtime +30 exec rm {} \; James

@echo off ------------------------- :: Description: Deletes files older than a specified number of days :: ++ attributes not set :: :: Author: Barry.Lawrence@btinternet.com :: Date: 01/03/2002 :: Version: 1.0 :: :: Comments: first draft - please email comments and suggestions :: Usage: DELFILES sourcedir numberofdays attributes :: :: Known: currently assumes all filedates > 2000 though I am :: sure with a little thought this could easily be overcome :: :: would probably benifit from a few setlocals.. :: and all parameters could be made optional :: :: Restrictions: none ..enjoy ------------------------- :: this program requires windows NT or 2000. If not "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" goto INVALIDOS :: check the command line if /i "%1"=="" goto SYNTAX if "%1"=="/?" goto HELP if /i "%2"=="" goto SYNTAX :: extract the date components (date format on machine should be UK format else transpose set day/month below for /F "tokens=1-4 delims=/ " %%o in ('date /t') do (set day=%%p set month=%%q set year=%%r) :: calculate the current date less the cutoff period specified on the command line call :JULIAN %year% %month% %day% set numberofdays=%2 set /a juliansysdate="juliandate-numberofdays+0" :: build list of files in specified dir with|without appropriate bits set in date order dir %1 /O-d /A%3 >templist.fil if %errorlevel% EQU 2 goto TIDYUP :: iterate over the filelist extracting the components needed for /F "skip=5 tokens=1,3* delims= " %%i in (templist.fil) do (call :PROCESS_FILEDETAILS %1 %%i "%%k") del templist.fil echo %filesdeleted% file(s) deleted. goto TIDYUP :PROCESS_FILEDETAILS set fdir=%1 set fdate=%2 set fname=%3 :: assume the file date to be > than 2000 for /F "tokens=1-4 delims=/ " %%x in ("%fdate%") do (set dd=%%x set mm=%%y set yyyy= 20%%z) call :JULIAN %yyyy% %mm% %dd% :: compare the file date with the modified system date if %mm%-1 NEQ -1 ( if not %fname% == "" ( if %juliandate% LEQ %juliansysdate% ( echo %fdate% %juliandate% %juliansysdate% set /a filesdeleted=%filesdeleted+1 ) ) ) goto END :JULIAN :: Calculate Julian Date :: ***** do not change the formula, unless you understand the implications ***** set y=%1 set m=%2 set d=%3 set /a A=%Y/100 set /a B=%A/4 set /a C="2-A+B+0" set /a E=Y%+4716 set /a E=36525*%E set /a E=%E/100 set /a F="M+1" set /a F=306001*%F set /a F=%F/10000 set /a JulianDate="C+D+E+F-15245/10+0" goto END :HELP echo Deletes files older than a specified number of days that meet the attribute criteria echo. echo DELFILES sourcedirectory numberofdays [attributes] echo. echo attributes a Archive echo h Hidden echo r Read-only echo s System echo d Directories echo - Prefix meaning not echo. echo. echo DELFILES c:\temp 10 -a-h-r-s-d echo delete all files older than 10 days from the c:\temp directory that do echo not have the archive, hidden, read-only, system and directories flags set. echo. echo DELFILES c:\temp 0 a echo delete all files older than sysdate from the c:\temp directory with the archive flag set. echo. echo. echo This batch program requires Windows NT or Windows 2000. echo. echo DELFILES /? will display this help message. echo. goto END :SYNTAX echo The syntax of the command is incorrect. echo. goto END :INVALIDOS echo. echo This program requires Windows NT or Windows 2000 echo. goto END :TIDYUP set a= set b= set c= set d= set e= set f= set i= set j= set k= set l= set y= set m= set d= set yyyy= set mm= set dd= set JulianDate= set JulianSysDate= set NumberOfDays= set fdir= set fdate= set fname= set day= set month= set year= set filesdeleted= goto END :END