question about BAT file creation

[Guest Tim.T]

I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to check

their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do have

some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

trick.

 

I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it always

just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

 

cd c:

 

dir /s /b *Temp

 

pause

 

cd g:

 

dir /s /b *Temp

 

pause

 

cd v:

 

dir /s /b *Temp

 

pause

 

What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to work

in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work no

matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

no matter where I run it from.

 

Tim

[Guest Bob I]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

Remove the "cd " from in front of the drive letters. Thusly

 

C:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

G:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

 

 

Tim.T wrote:

> I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to check

> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do have

> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

> trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it always

> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>

> cd c:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd g:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to work

> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work no

> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

> no matter where I run it from.

>

> Tim

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

See below.

 

"Tim.T" <blah@blah.com> wrote in message

news:erXy3wNvIHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to

> check

> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do

> have

> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

> trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it

> always

> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>

> cd c:

 

*** This command does precisely nothing. If you want to make

*** drive C: your current working drive then you simply type this:

*** C: {Enter}

> dir /s /b *Temp

 

*** I suspect you mean this command:

*** dir /s /b c:\temp{Enter}

> pause

>

> cd g:

 

*** G:{Enter}

> dir /s /b *Temp

*** dir \temp{Enter}, or

*** dir G:\temp{Enter}

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to

> work

> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work

> no

> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

> no matter where I run it from.

>

> Tim

 

If you want your batch file to work no matter where it is located then

you MUST specify three things:

1. The drive letter;

2. The folder name;

3. The file name.

 

The above commands lack two of the three things, hence they fail

most of the time.

[Guest David Webb]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

You don't need the cd command.

 

Try this version:

 

c:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

g:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

v:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

 

 

"Tim.T" <blah@blah.com> wrote in message

news:erXy3wNvIHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to check

> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do have

> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

> trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it always

> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>

> cd c:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd g:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to work

> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work no

> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

> no matter where I run it from.

>

> Tim

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest Terry R.]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

The date and time was 5/23/2008 6:52 AM, and on a whim, Tim.T pounded

out on the keyboard:

> I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to check

> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do have

> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

> trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it always

> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>

> cd c:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd g:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to work

> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work no

> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

> no matter where I run it from.

>

> Tim

>

>

>

>

>

 

Hi Tim,

 

CD stands for Change Directory. So, cd C: is incorrect as C: is not a

directory. I don't see how it works at a command prompt.

 

Try this:

 

c:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

 

g:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

 

v:

dir /s /b *Temp

pause

 

--

Terry R.

 

***Reply Note***

Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.

Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

[Guest Tim.T]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

As soon as I posted this I figured it out. Basically I forgot to add the

drive letter before the "*Temp" bit. Thus, "dir /b /s C:\*Temp*, etc. Also I

didn't need the "CD" bits.

 

Tim

 

"Tim.T" <blah@blah.com> wrote in message

news:erXy3wNvIHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to

check

> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do

have

> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

> trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it

always

> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>

> cd c:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd g:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to

work

> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work

no

> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

> no matter where I run it from.

>

> Tim

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest Terry R.]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

The date and time was 5/23/2008 7:20 AM, and on a whim, Tim.T pounded

out on the keyboard:

> As soon as I posted this I figured it out. Basically I forgot to add the

> drive letter before the "*Temp" bit. Thus, "dir /b /s C:\*Temp*, etc. Also I

> didn't need the "CD" bits.

>

> Tim

>

> "Tim.T" <blah@blah.com> wrote in message

> news:erXy3wNvIHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full with

>> files created by particular software I use; I just want to be able to

> check

>> their contents, and if neccessary remove the files therein. While I do

> have

>> some "cleaner" programs which remove temp files, they don't always do the

>> trick.

>>

>> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

>> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it

> always

>> just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in Notepad:

>>

>> cd c:

>>

>> dir /s /b *Temp

>>

>> pause

>>

>> cd g:

>>

>> dir /s /b *Temp

>>

>> pause

>>

>> cd v:

>>

>> dir /s /b *Temp

>>

>> pause

>>

>> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them in the

>> Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get them to

> work

>> in sequence as a BAT file. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm clearly

>> missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work. I want the BAT to work

> no

>> matter where it is located on my PC, too; for some reason it only lists C:

>> no matter where I run it from.

>>

>> Tim

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

 

You don't need to enter the drive letter once you are already on the

drive. So if you're in drive V:, dir /s /b *Temp will list all the temp

folders in that drive.

 

--

Terry R.

 

***Reply Note***

Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.

Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

[Guest Twayne]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

> I have Temp folders on more than one drive, and often they get full

> with files created by particular software I use; I just want to be

> able to check their contents, and if neccessary remove the files

> therein. While I do have some "cleaner" programs which remove temp

> files, they don't always do the trick.

>

> I'm trying to create a BAT file which will change to each Temp folder

> location, and list its contents. However, no matter how I type it, it

> always just shows C: drive and nothing else. This is how I type it in

> Notepad:

>

> cd c:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd g:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> cd v:

>

> dir /s /b *Temp

>

> pause

>

> What I don't understand is, these commands work fine if I type them

> in the Command Processor window in sequence. I just can't seem to get

> them to work in sequence as a BAT file.

 

Once you have your head around them, they will <g>.

 

Any idea what I'm doing

> wrong? I'm clearly missing an extra command/s to get the BAT to work.

> I want the BAT to work no matter where it is located on my PC, too;

 

Then it simply needs to reside somewhere in the "Path", most logically

probably your Program Files directory/folder. Directory = Folder; same

thing.

> for some reason it only lists C: no matter where I run it from.

 

That's because of your "CD C:" line. It has to be simply " C: " CD

only works for "Change Directory"; drives are not directories(folders).

>

> Tim

 

 

"CD C:" does not work as you expect from the command prompt. It does

something, but not what you expect. Your following DIR will display

whatever drive you were on when you executed the CD, NOT the one on C:.

Look closer and you'll see it. Or just hit Return and you'll see you're

still on the original drive, not C.

 

The correct command is simply "drive:" or, C: for instance. THEN,

regardless of where you were, you will go to the drive C: root

directory.

 

 

Assuming the batch file also does the deletions, which you have not

indicated in your code above:

 

In addition to the other posts, I'd just like to add something I didn't

notice mentioned and directly respond to a couple points you made:

IF a particular temp file happens to be in use you can not delete

it. That's going to cause the batch file to present an error message at

delete time. You can often avoid that if you make running the batch

file the very first thing you do after a boot. Or, employ the

appropriate error catching techniques.

 

In order for a .bat to work "no matter where it's located on your PC",

two things are necessary:

The .bat file either:

-- MUST reside in the folder you execute it from, OR

-- The .bat file MUST be in the path. This is the best answer to your

problem rather than having several batch files spread all over the

place. A logical place to put it for produtcion use would be your

Program Files folder. Then it'll run no matter where you execute it

from. Because it's in the "path".

 

IF the batch file resides anywhere that is NOT in the path, then you

will also have to use fully qualified paths within the file; e.g.

c:\windows\temp...\... , which I don't think is what you want to do.

 

HTH

 

Twayne

[Guest Tim Slattery]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

"Tim.T" <blah@blah.com> wrote:

>As soon as I posted this I figured it out. Basically I forgot to add the

>drive letter before the "*Temp" bit. Thus, "dir /b /s C:\*Temp*, etc. Also I

>didn't need the "CD" bits.

 

Yes, giving the "dir" command the full path to the directory you want

it to look in will certainly work. Nobody seems to have mentioned the

/d flag in the "cd" command. That lets you change drives as well as

directories:

 

cd /d d:\mydir

 

switches to directory \mydir on drive d:.

 

--

Tim Slattery

MS MVP(Shell/User)

Slattery_T@bls.gov

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

[Guest jameshanley39@yahoo.co.uk]

Re: question about BAT file creation

 

On 23 May, 17:33, Tim Slattery <Slatter...@bls.gov> wrote:

> "Tim.T" <b...@blah.com> wrote:

> >As soon as I posted this I figured it out. Basically I forgot to add the

> >drive letter before the "*Temp" bit. Thus, "dir /b /s C:\*Temp*, etc. Also I

> >didn't need the "CD" bits.

>

> Yes, giving the "dir" command the full path to the directory you want

> it to look in will certainly work. Nobody seems to have mentioned the

> /d flag in the "cd" command. That lets you change drives as well as

> directories:

>

> cd /d d:\mydir

>

> switches to directory \mydir on drive d:.

>

> --

 

 

yes, that is a good one.. I wonder if it is just an NT thing.. Prob

not on 9X boot disk/DOS 7

 

DOS 6.22 didn't have it

http://www.vfrazee.com/ms-dos/6.22/help/

so that would explain why it's not so well known..

 

similarly, some commands like For, got more useful. for /r for

example, many are not used to. People used to use 3rd party

sweep.com