How to force directory deletion in DOS

[micks80]

Hi Friends,

I have an unattended installer and to un-install it I have a dos script file e.g

C:\MySoftware\uninstall\script.cmd

Now, in script.cmd, I try to delete the "MySoftware" folder by issuing this:

rmdir /S /Q "C:\MySoftware"

But the problem is since the script is inside the folder itself, it deletes everything but cannot delete the two folder and leaves behind these 2 blank folders (MySoftware and uninstall) which the user have to delete manually.

Can someone suggest a way how to handle this in a better way so that the whole "MySoftware" folder gets deleted.

Thanks a lot.

[Yzöwl]

What you're trying to do is not working so you're going to have to try to give us more information so that we can find a suitable work-around!

[MCT]

im not really fluent in dos commands, but i use

RD /S /Q "path"

to remove my files, always works without a hitch

EDIT:

what u can try doing is putting script.cmd in a temp directory or something?

or u can add a registry entry to runonce so that next time u restart u can have the folder gone

but u cant delete a folder that your file is in

Edited October 20, 2008 by MCT

[jaclaz]

You want a self deleting batch?

Mind you is RISKY business, however, you need a temp file:

save this snippet in your \Mysoftware\uninstall directory, naming it selfdel.cmd or something like that

ECHO del %~dpnx0>%~d0\delnow.cmd
ECHO RD /S /Q %~dp0>>%~d0\delnow.cmd
ECHO del %~d0\delnow.cmd>>%~d0\delnow.cmd 
%~d0\delnow.cmd

(this will just remove the two batch files and the \uninstall\ subdirectory - just in case - but you can modify it with hardcoded paths to have it remove also the main \mysoftware one)

Some more details and examples here:

http://catch22.net/tuts/selfdel

jaclaz

Edited October 20, 2008 by jaclaz

[micks80]

Thanks Guys,

The copying to TEMP directory idea worked like a charm.

I just wrote another batch script like you said and copied it to the TEMP directory before executing the "Rmdir" command...

Cheers...