🌶 FORFILES

BASIC SYNTAX#

forfiles [/p path] [/m mask] [/s] [/d date] [/c command]

OPTIONS#

/p path                              # Path to search
/m mask                              # File mask (default *.*)
/s                                   # Recurse subdirectories
/d date                              # Date filter
/c command                           # Command to execute

DATE FORMATS#

/d +n                                # Modified >= n days ago
/d -n                                # Modified <= n days ago
/d 0                                 # Modified today
/d MM/DD/YYYY                        # Modified on/after date

VARIABLES#

@path                                # Full path
@fname                               # Filename without extension
@ext                                 # Extension only
@fsize                               # File size in bytes
@fdate                               # Last modified date
@ftime                               # Last modified time
@isdir                               # TRUE if directory
@relpath                             # Relative path
@file                                # Filename with extension

BASIC EXAMPLES#

LIST FILES#

forfiles /m *.txt                    # List txt files
forfiles /m *.log /s                 # Recursive
forfiles /p C:\Logs /m *.log         # In specific path

DISPLAY INFO#

forfiles /m *.* /c "cmd /c echo @file @fsize @fdate"
forfiles /m *.log /c "cmd /c echo @path"

DELETE FILES#

forfiles /m *.tmp /c "cmd /c del @path"
forfiles /p C:\Temp /m *.* /c "cmd /c del @path"

DATE-BASED OPERATIONS#

FILES OLDER THAN N DAYS#

forfiles /m *.log /d -30 /c "cmd /c echo @path"
forfiles /m *.bak /d -7 /c "cmd /c del @path"
forfiles /p C:\Logs /m *.log /d -90 /c "cmd /c del @path"

# Delete logs older than 30 days
forfiles /p C:\Logs /s /m *.log /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @path"

FILES NEWER THAN N DAYS#

forfiles /m *.* /d +7 /c "cmd /c echo @path"

FILES FROM SPECIFIC DATE#

forfiles /m *.* /d 01/01/2024 /c "cmd /c echo @path"

LOG CLEANUP EXAMPLES#

# Delete IIS logs older than 30 days
forfiles /p "C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles" /s /m *.log /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @path"

# Delete Windows temp files older than 7 days
forfiles /p "%TEMP%" /s /m *.tmp /d -7 /c "cmd /c del @path" 2>nul

# Delete old backups
forfiles /p "D:\Backups" /s /m *.bak /d -90 /c "cmd /c del @path"

# Archive old files
forfiles /p "C:\Data" /m *.* /d -365 /c "cmd /c move @path D:\Archive\"

COPY/MOVE FILES#

forfiles /m *.txt /c "cmd /c copy @path C:\backup\"
forfiles /m *.log /d -7 /c "cmd /c move @path C:\archive\"

FILTER BY SIZE#

# Combine with findstr/if for size filtering
forfiles /m *.* /c "cmd /c if @fsize GEQ 1000000 echo @path @fsize"

DIRECTORY OPERATIONS#

# Process only directories
forfiles /m *.* /c "cmd /c if @isdir==TRUE echo @path"

# Delete empty directories older than 30 days
forfiles /p C:\Temp /d -30 /c "cmd /c if @isdir==TRUE rd /q @path" 2>nul

COMPLEX COMMANDS#

# Run script on each file
forfiles /m *.txt /c "cmd /c myscript.bat @path"

# Compress old files
forfiles /m *.log /d -7 /c "cmd /c compact /c @path"

# Echo with quotes (use 0x22 for quote)
forfiles /m *.* /c "cmd /c echo 0x22@file0x22"

SCHEDULED CLEANUP#

# Create scheduled task for log cleanup
schtasks /create /tn "LogCleanup" ^
    /tr "forfiles /p C:\Logs /s /m *.log /d -30 /c \"cmd /c del @path\"" ^
    /sc weekly /d SUN /st 03:00

ESCAPE CHARACTERS#

# In forfiles, special characters need escaping
0x22                                 # Double quote "
0x09                                 # Tab
0x0A                                 # Newline

# Example with quotes
forfiles /m *.* /c "cmd /c echo File: 0x22@file0x22"

PRACTICAL SCRIPTS#

CLEANUP TEMP FILES#

@echo off
echo Cleaning temp files older than 7 days...
forfiles /p "%TEMP%" /s /d -7 /c "cmd /c del /q @path" 2>nul
forfiles /p "C:\Windows\Temp" /s /d -7 /c "cmd /c del /q @path" 2>nul
echo Done.

ARCHIVE OLD LOGS#

@echo off
set LOGDIR=C:\Logs
set ARCHDIR=D:\Archive
set DAYS=30

forfiles /p %LOGDIR% /s /m *.log /d -%DAYS% /c "cmd /c move @path %ARCHDIR%\"
echo Archived logs older than %DAYS% days.

DELETE OLD BACKUPS#

@echo off
forfiles /p "D:\Backups" /s /m *.bak /d -90 /c "cmd /c del @path"
forfiles /p "D:\Backups" /s /m *.zip /d -90 /c "cmd /c del @path"

LIST FILES BY AGE#

@echo off
echo Files modified in last 24 hours:
forfiles /s /d 0 /c "cmd /c echo @path"

ERROR HANDLING#

# Redirect errors (common when no files match)
forfiles /m *.old /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @path" 2>nul

# Check if files exist first
forfiles /m *.log /d -30 >nul 2>&1 && (
    forfiles /m *.log /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @path"
) || (
    echo No matching files found.
)

QUICK REFERENCE#

# List files
forfiles /m *.txt /c "cmd /c echo @file"

# Recursive list
forfiles /s /m *.log /c "cmd /c echo @path"

# Files older than N days
forfiles /d -30 /c "cmd /c echo @path @fdate"

# Delete old files
forfiles /p C:\Logs /m *.log /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @path"

# With path
forfiles /p "C:\folder" /s /m *.* /d -7 /c "cmd /c del @path"

# Variables
@path      Full path
@file      Filename with extension
@fname     Filename without extension
@ext       Extension
@fsize     Size in bytes
@fdate     Date modified
@ftime     Time modified
@isdir     TRUE if directory