FileDelete with exceptions

[gspino]

I'm working on a small script and need a way to use FileDelete with a way to exclude a file name or file type. For example I want to delete all files in the Temporary Internet Files folder except for index.dat

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Valuater]

can you really imagine what you are asking for

you can use a loop and.... how about using

If Stringinstr($file, ".dat") Then ContinueLoop

you could use this for any file you dont want to delete

8)

[Thatsgreat2345]

yes use the findfirstfile and findnextfile examples in the help file, and then just pop in a check and if the name returned isnt what u defined then filedelete time

[CyberSlug]

I thought there was always a file-locking handle on index.dat that prevented deletion by ordinary means.

Anyway, another possibility that might or might not work is setting the file read-only (then restoring the original read-only state):

If Not StringInStr(FileGetAttrib("index.dat"), "R") Then $reset = 1
FileSetAttrib("index.dat,"+R")
FileDelete(*.*)
If $reset = 1 Then FileSetAttrib("index.dat","-R")

[gspino]

I thought there was always a file-locking handle on index.dat that prevented deletion by ordinary means.

Anyway, another possibility that might or might not work is setting the file read-only (then restoring the original read-only state):

If Not StringInStr(FileGetAttrib("index.dat"), "R") Then $reset = 1
FileSetAttrib("index.dat,"+R")
FileDelete(*.*)
If $reset = 1 Then FileSetAttrib("index.dat","-R")

That's correct. When FileDelete encounters a file-locked file, the process aborts and remaining files and folders are left intact. Many times there are subfolders in the temporary internet files directory and the index.dat file is not always in the same location. I'll try some of the posted suggestions. Thanks to all.

[CyberSlug]

Ah, I forgot about the FileDelete aborting. The following should work:

FileChangeDir(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files")

;;;FileChangeDir(@WindowsDir & "\Temporary Internet Files") ;Win98

Run(@ComSpec & " /c del *.* /q", "", @SW_HIDE)

[gspino]

Ah, I forgot about the FileDelete aborting. The following should work:

FileChangeDir(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files")

;;;FileChangeDir(@WindowsDir & "\Temporary Internet Files") ;Win98

Run(@ComSpec & " /c del *.* /q", "", @SW_HIDE)

That didn't work either. I've tried all the suggestions and none worked. I even tried using ProcessClose("explorer.exe") on the line before FileDelete. This seems like such a small problem, but it's really got me stumped. There seems to be no easy solution. I may try listing the directory and subdirectories to a file then using that to delete the files indivually except for the index.dat. That seems more trouble than it's worth, but essential to the outcome. I hope this inspires someone more talented than I to write a function to preform a FileDelete that can handle wildcard exceptions also.

[CyberSlug]

It would seem that the "Temporary Internet Files" is a special case. Running dir from a command prompt doesn't show anything, but dir /s does.... so the temp files have the system attribute???

[gspino]

It would seem that the "Temporary Internet Files" is a special case. Running dir from a command prompt doesn't show anything, but dir /s does.... so the temp files have the system attribute???

/s tells dir to also include subdirectories

This command produces a bare filelist of all files (including subdirectories):

FileChangeDir(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files")

Run(@ComSpec & " /c dir /b /s >>c:\junk\filelist.txt", "", @SW_HIDE)

I'll try setting up a loop, read each line in sequentially, assign a variable, then delete the file IF the filename doesn't contain the string "index.dat".

Seems to me it's like using an elephant gun to kill an ant.

[CyberSlug]

Oops, I was confusing with dir /a:s

I think I've seen command line utilities for clearing the temp internet files...

Or perhaps backing up index.dat, deleteting everything, and restoring index.dat would be easier

[gspino]

Oops, I was confusing with dir /a:s

I think I've seen command line utilities for clearing the temp internet files...

Or perhaps backing up index.dat, deleteting everything, and restoring index.dat would be easier

I think I've got it worked out. Of course the code is raw and needs some tweaking, but it seems to work nontheless. There are multiple "Temporary Internet Files" folders, including those in the local service and network service profiles, so I need to add those routines. Here's what seems to be working. Many thanks for your help.

;==================================================

FileSetAttrib(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files", "-RASHNOT", 1)

FileSetAttrib(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\*.*", "-RASHNOT", 1)

FileChangeDir(@UserProfileDir & "\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files")

DirCreate("c:\junk")

RunWait(@ComSpec & " /c" & " dir /b /s >> c:\junk\filelist.txt", "")

;==================================================

$file = FileOpen("c:\junk\filelist.txt", 0)

If $file = -1 Then Exit

While 1

$line = FileReadLine($file)

If @error = -1 Then ExitLoop

If Not StringInStr($line, "index.dat") Then FileDelete($line)

If Not StringInStr($line, "index.dat") Then DirRemove($line)

WEnd

FileClose("c:\junk\filelist.txt")

FileDelete("c:\junk\filelist.txt")

DirRemove("c:\junk")

;==================================================

[gspino]

Oops, I was confusing with dir /a:s

I think I've seen command line utilities for clearing the temp internet files...

Or perhaps backing up index.dat, deleteting everything, and restoring index.dat would be easier

It looks like I have been spending my time on a workaround rather that focus on the true problem. The issue is that the temp internet files and it's associated index file are protected. Deleting the files and leaving the locked file index.dat is fruitless - the index.dat file rebuilds the files after they're deleted. A light bulb went off when I realized the DEP is on by default in WinXp w/Sp2. As a test, I turned off DEP and a simple FileDelete worked perfectly.

If I remember correctly, DEP is controled through a setting in the boot.ini file and a group policy setting. I'm going to research this a little more to see if I can create a DEP exception, delete the temp files and then restore the DEP setting.

Thanks for everyone who offered help.

-Glen

Edited June 13, 2006 by gspino