Computer and Software Support


del

Updated: January 21, 2005

Deletes specified files.

 
Syntax
del [Drive:][Path] FileName [...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:Attributes]]

erase [Drive:][Path] FileName [...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:Attributes]]

Parameters
[Drive:][Path] FileName
Specifies the location and name of the file or set of files you want to delete. FileName is required. You can use multiple file names. Separate file names with spaces, commas, or semicolons.
/p
Prompts you for confirmation before deleting the specified file.
/f
Forces deletion of read-only files.
/s
Deletes specified files from the current directory and all subdirectories. Displays the names of the files as they are being deleted.
/q
Specifies quiet mode. You are not prompted for delete confirmation.
/a
Deletes files based on specified attributes.
Attributes
Specifies any of the file attributes listed in the following table. AttributeDescriptionrRead-onlyaArchivesSystemhHidden-Prefix that means NOT
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
  • Using /p

    If you use /p, del displays the name of a file and sends the following message:

    FileName, Delete (Y/N)?

    To confirm the deletion, press Y. To cancel the deletion and display the next file name (that is, if you specified a group of files), press N. To stop the del command, press CTRL+C.

  • Disabling command extensions

    If you disable command extensions, the /s command-line option displays the names of any files that were not found, instead of displaying the names of files that are being deleted (that is, the behavior is reversed). For more information about disabling command extensions, see cmd in Related Topics.

  • Deleting more than one file at a time

    You can delete all of the files in a folder by typing del followed by [Drive:]Path. For example, the following command deletes all of the files in the \Work folder:

    del \work

    You can also use wildcards (that is, * and ?) to delete more than one file at a time. However, to avoid deleting files unintentionally you should use wildcards cautiously with the del command. For example, if you type the following command:

    del *.*

    The del command displays the following prompt:

    All files in directory will be deleted! Are you sure (Y/N)?

    To delete all of the files in the current folder, press Y and then press ENTER. To cancel the deletion, press N and then press ENTER.

    Before you use wildcards with the del command to delete a group of files, view a list of all of the files included in the group by using the dir command with the same wildcards.

    Important

    • After you delete a file from your disk using del, you cannot retrieve it.
  • The del command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
 
Examples
To delete all the files in a folder named Test on drive C:\, type any of the following:

del c:\test

del c:\test\*.*

Formatting legend

Format Meaning
Italic Information that the user must supply
Bold Elements that the user must type exactly as shown
Ellipsis (...) Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line
Between brackets ([]) Optional items
Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} Set of choices from which the user must choose only one
Courier font Code or program output