DEL: Deletes one or more files.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3693]
(c) Copyright 1985-2023 Microsoft Corp.

C:\\WINDOWS>

Deletes one or more files.

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.

The `DEL` command in Windows Command Prompt is used to delete files. Here are some examples with comments: Example 1: Delete a single file:

DEL file.txt

Description: This command deletes the file "file.txt". Example 2: Delete multiple files:

DEL file1.txt file2.txt

Description: Here the files "File1.txt" and "File2.txt" are deleted. Example 3: Delete all TXT files in the current directory:

DEL *.txt

Description: This command deletes all TXT files in the current directory. Example 4: Delete all files and subdirectories (recursive):

DEL /S /Q directory\

Description: This command deletes all files and subdirectories of the specified directory. `/S` stands for "recursive", and `/Q` disables the confirmation prompt. Example 5: Delete all files older than a certain date:

DEL /Q /FOLDER:C:\Path\ /S /D:01-01-2022

Description: Here all files in the "C:\Path\" directory and in all subdirectories older than January 1, 2022 are deleted. `/Q` disables the confirmation prompt, and `/S` stands for "recursive". Example 6: Delete all files with a specific extension:

DEL *.log

Description: This command deletes all LOG files in the current directory. Example 7: Show help:

DEL /?

Description: This command displays help and information about the available options for the `DEL` command. It is important to use the `DEL` command with caution because deleted files usually cannot be recovered without special software. Make sure you delete the correct files, and note that certain options (like `/S` and `/Q`) can have far-reaching effects, especially when used together.

There are a few important points to note when using the `DEL` command in the Windows Command Prompt: 1. Irrevocability: The `DEL` command deletes files irrevocably. There is usually no built-in way to recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin. Make sure you are sure which files you want to delete. 2. Permissions: Make sure you have the necessary permissions to delete the selected files. Some system files or protected files require administrator rights. 3. Wildcards: When using wildcards (, ?) to delete files, be extra careful to avoid accidental deletion. For example, `DEL *.` could delete all files in the current directory. 4. Confirmations: The `DEL` command may ask for confirmation if you try to delete multiple files at once. You can disable verification using the `/Q` option.

    DEL /Q file.txt
    

5. Recursive Deletes: If you use the `/S` command for recursive delete, it could delete all files in a directory and its subdirectories. Make sure this is intentional to avoid data loss.

    DEL /S /Q directory\
    

6. Protected System Files: The `DEL` command may have difficulty deleting protected system files. In some cases, additional permissions or running Command Prompt as administrator are required. 7. Delete files older than a specific date: When using the `/D` option in conjunction with the `/S` parameter to delete files older than a specific date, make sure you use the date format correctly stated.

    DEL /S /D:01-01-2022
    

8. Batch scripts: When using `DEL` in a batch script, check the return value (`%ERRORLEVEL%`) to see if the deletion was successful.

    IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
        ECHO deletion successful.
    ) ELSE (
        ECHO Error deleting.
    )
    

9. Show Help: You can use `DEL /?` to display help and information about the available options for the `DEL` command. Therefore, use the `DEL` command with caution and make sure you are aware of its implications, especially when working with wildcards, recursive deletion or deleting system files.