Hi everyone,

I'm having problems with the final step of my batch file and I can't figure out why it doesn't work.

The final step is to remove the larger directories and to keep the smallest. The CODE is as follows:

Code: [SELECT]echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

rem Get size of all folders
set smallestSize=9999999999
for /D %%a in (*) do (
   set size=0
   for %%b in (%%a\*.*) do set /A size+=%%~Zb
   if !size! lss !smallestSize! (
      set smallestSize=!size!
      set smallestName=%%a
   )
)

echo Deleted folder: "%smallestName%"
pause

rem Delete all folders, except the smallest one
for /D %%a in (*) do (
   if "%%a" neq "%smallestName%" rmdir /S /Q "%%a"
It properly identifies the smallest directory, but after the point where it displays the smallest and pauses awaiting a key press, it fails to remove the larger directories.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.You forgot to close the last for loop with a ).

rem Delete all folders, except the smallest one
for /D %%a in (*) do (
   if "%%a" neq "%smallestName%" rmdir /S /Q "%%a"
)^^Yes that was so obvious--thank you!

Now that this works, I have another issue that I would like to correct with this batch program.

I have the following directory structure where this batch file will be executed:

Code: [Select]DIR1
   DIRA
   DIRB
   DIRC
DIR2
   DIRD
   DIRE
   DIRF
   DIRG
DIR3
   DIRH
   DIRI
When RUN, it DELETES DIR1 and DIR3 and only keeps DIR2 because it is the largest directory. What I'd like the result to be is as follows:

Code: [Select]DIR1
   DIRC
DIR2
   DIRE
DIR3
   DIRH[code]

In other words, I want to keep all folders in the root directory where the batch file located and only keep the smallest directory within each of the subdirectories.

Is this possible? If not, then what I'd have to do is copy the batch file into each of the main root folders (DIR1, DIR2, DIR3) and run it each time in each of those folders.

Any further (and final) help would be very helpful. Look at the for /r command, I believe this is what you are looking for.  I'm not very well versed in it's uses, so I can't write you one off the top of my head. Quote from: Lemonilla on November 01, 2014, 11:44:45 PM

Look at the for /r command, I believe this is what you are looking for.  I'm not very well versed in it's uses, so I can't write you one off the top of my head.

Batch math fails above a number around 2 GB.

An accurate description of the file size limits would help to provide something that works.



This question has been multiposted:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26695993/final-step-of-batch-file-doesnt-work-why
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26689398/batch-file-commands-to-keep-smallest-directory-and-delete-all-others

Remove the echo keyword after testing - at present it will echo the RD commands to the console.

Code: [Select]    echo off
     :: keeps only the smallest folder, deletes all the largest folders, in all the next level folders below this folder
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    for /d %%a in (*) do (
      (for /d %%b in ("%%a\*") do (
         for /f "tokens=3" %%c in ('dir "%%b" /s /-c ^|find "File(s)" ') do set "size=000000000000000%%c"
         echo !size:~-15! "%%b"
        )
       )>"%temp%\checksize.bin"
    sort <"%temp%\checksize.bin" >"%temp%\checksize2.bin"
    for /f "usebackq skip=1 tokens=1,*" %%d in ( "%temp%\checksize2.bin") do echo rd /s /q "%%~e"
    del "%temp%\checksize?.bin"
    )
    pause

Created a new batch file with your code. When executed, the result is line after line of this:

Code: [Select]'find' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

Do you have a variable called %path% in your script?

Well no. What I did to test that and generate that error was to copy the code in the post into a blank Notepad window, save it as "test.bat" in root folder of DIR1, DIR2, DIR3 and executed.

Open a cmd window and type find /? and sort /?

See if they both give you help.