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Delete folders, subfolders and files easily

Jonathan Pouliot

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4.31/5 (12 votes)

20 Feb 2002

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This article shows you how to delete all the files and subfolders in a selected folder

Introduction

I Created this to show you how to delete all the files and subfolders in a selected folder including subfolders. It's very easy to understand and it's all by using the MFC (CFileFind, with some API functions)

void RecursiveDelete(CString szPath)
{
	CFileFind ff;
	CString path = szPath;
	
	if(path.Right(1) != "\\")
		path += "\\";

	path += "*.*";

	BOOL res = ff.FindFile(path);

	while(res)
	{
		res = ff.FindNextFile();
		if (!ff.IsDots() && !ff.IsDirectory())
			DeleteFile(ff.GetFilePath());
		else if (ff.IsDirectory())
		{
			path = ff.GetFilePath();
			RecursiveDelete(path);
			RemoveDirectory(path);
		}
	}
}

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

Written By

Jonathan Pouliot

Canada

This member has not yet provided a Biography. Assume it's interesting and varied, and probably something to do with programming.

Comments and Discussions

Rahul (Software Engineer)28-Sep-12 3:07

Rahul (Software Engineer)

28-Sep-12 3:07

hvdgvddchbdsh

thank you, I used it on Win CE

juankre2-Oct-11 10:22

2-Oct-11 10:22

the article was very usefull to me. thanks Smile | :)

Smile | :)

void RecursiveDelete( wchar_t * szPath)
{

int l = wcslen(szPath);

if ((l == 0)||((l-1)>MAX_PATH))
return;

wchar_t path[MAX_PATH]= {NULL};
wchar_t path2[MAX_PATH] = {NULL};
wchar_t path3[MAX_PATH] = {NULL};

wcscpy(path,szPath);
wcscpy(path2,path);

int i = 0;

if( path[l-1]=='\\')
{
do
{
path3[i] = path[i];
i++;
}while(i<(l-1));

wcscat(path,_T("*.*"));
}
else
{
wcscpy(path3,path);
wcscat(path2,_T("\\"));
wcscat(path,_T("\\*.*"));
}

BOOL res = TRUE;

WIN32_FIND_DATA FindFileData;

HANDLE ff = FindFirstFileW(path,&FindFileData);

while((res==TRUE) && (ff!=INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE))
{
wcscpy(path,path2);
wcscat(path,FindFileData.cFileName);

if(!(FindFileData.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) &&
!(FindFileData.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT))
{
if (FindFileData.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY )
SetFileAttributes(path,FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL);

DeleteFileW(path);
}
else if (FindFileData.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY)
{
RecursiveDelete(path); //here we call the same function
RemoveDirectory(path);
}

res = FindNextFileW(ff,&FindFileData);

}

FindClose(ff);

RemoveDirectory(path3);

}

JCK

modified 2-Oct-11 16:55pm.

Multiple File Creation/Deletion

RockSai30-Nov-08 6:03

30-Nov-08 6:03

Hi All,

I want to develop a GUI in which the user can "Browse" and give path(s) of the file(s)he/she wants to delete. Once he clicks on RUN button all file(s) in the queue should be deleted.

Like wise similar approach is needed for multiple file creation as well. Someone please help me with a suitable VC++ code.

Sai

RockSai

Cannot delete folder

atans9-Jul-07 16:30

9-Jul-07 16:30

Hello,

Can anyone tell me why I cannot delete the folder although the file was already empty?.. The files in the folder can be delete succesfully but the folder cannot be delete..

Please help me in this matter..

Thanks...

Re: Cannot delete folder

atans9-Jul-07 18:16

9-Jul-07 18:16

The matter after I delete all the files in folder then continue to delete folder without closing the application it's fail to delete it..

But if I close the application the start the application again the do the delete folder operation on the same folder it was success.. So, anyone know about this problem?..

Please...

Thanks...

one condition is missing

bjdodo7-Feb-07 5:12

7-Feb-07 5:12

Hi
Under VS7, this is a better loop:

while(res)
{
res = ff.FindNextFile();
if (!ff.IsDots() && !ff.IsDirectory())
DeleteFile(ff.GetFilePath());
else if (ff.IsDirectory() && !ff.IsDots())
{
path = ff.GetFilePath();
RecursiveDelete(path);
RemoveDirectory(path);
}
}

for . the ff.IsDirectory() returns true, so an infinite loop will be executed with the original code.

Jozsi

Why its not deleting the folders which contsins files?

RaoSanthosh7-Sep-06 3:21

7-Sep-06 3:21

I used this RemoveDirectory API where if I have the files inside that folder then it willnot delete that folder..
can u please tell me why its doing so?

Santhosh.C.Rao.

I get an infinte loop with this code

haleyana24-May-04 7:03

24-May-04 7:03

Strangely, when I used this code, I got into an infinite loop. I made one modification and the code worked. I'm not sure why the code posted here didn't work for me when it seems to work for some many others.

I changed the line:
else if (ff.IsDirectory())
to
else if (!ff.IsDots() && ff.IsDirectory())

and my code works.

Any ideas why?

Thanks!

Re: I get an infinte loop with this code

andyvinc24-May-04 8:03

24-May-04 8:03

hi,

when listing a directories contents you get two additional entries:
"." & "..".

"." = current directory (ie: c:\windows\system)
".." = parent directory (ie: c:\windows)

IsDots checks if the current entry is either of those two.

the path c:\windows\system\..\.. is perfectly valid :
c:\windows\system
then up two levels then you are therefore pointing at c:\

Hope this Help,

Andy.

Re: I get an infinte loop with this code

Anonymous20-May-05 3:27

20-May-05 3:27

yup, it is infinite loop. I guess author need to update the codes.

Deleting file folder after reboot

Balkrishna Talele20-Apr-04 20:55

Balkrishna Talele

20-Apr-04 20:55

how can i delete file or folder after reboot...or I want to brut force delete it ..even it is in use ...how can i achive that

RemoveDirectory() not found

satya19756-Nov-03 5:45

6-Nov-03 5:45

Hi,

I was trying to compile this code but couldn't ,wondering what about definition of RemoveDirectory() method?

thanks in advance.

Re: RemoveDirectory() not found

Ravi Bhavnani6-Nov-03 6:29

6-Nov-03 6:29

It's declared in winbase.h. You should be #including windows.h. Perhaps your project settings are incorrect?

/ravi

Let's put "civil" back in "civilization"
Home | Articles | Freeware | Music
ravib@ravib.com

I have found it

satya19756-Nov-03 6:52

6-Nov-03 6:52

sorry for stupid question.

DeleteFile() may fail.

Anonymous9-Dec-02 9:20

9-Dec-02 9:20

Probably a good idea to check for read only files:

if (logfile.IsReadOnly())
continue;

Also any suggestions on how to tell if the file is open by another app ?

Finally one that works!

26-Feb-02 2:36

26-Feb-02 2:36

RecursiveDelete() has a bug, it will attempt to delete the folders '.' and '..'! Below is the corrected code plus it does what it says it does...
RemoveDirectoryRecursive(X) will remove the contents of folder X and remove folder X itself! Oh... and I've tested it !

void RemoveDirectoryRecursive(CString szPath)
{
// Removes the folder szPath after removing all its
// contents including its sub-folders and their contents
//
// The following block {..} limits the scope of ff
{
CFileFind ff;
CString path = szPath;

if(path.Right(1) != "\\")
path += "\\";

path += "*.*";

BOOL res = ff.FindFile(path);

while(res)
{
res = ff.FindNextFile();
if (ff.IsDots())
continue;

if (ff.IsDirectory())
{
path = ff.GetFilePath();
RemoveDirectoryRecursive(path);
RemoveDirectory(path);
}
else
DeleteFile(ff.GetFilePath());
}
}

// Remove szPath itself...

// ...Now everything under folder szPath has been removed
// and since ff is now out of scope so it no longer has
// open a handle to folder szPath

RemoveDirectory(szPath);
}

Andy G.

Andy G.

Re: Finally one that works!

16-May-02 3:51

16-May-02 3:51

great, but

...
if (ff.IsDirectory())
{
path = ff.GetFilePath();
RemoveDirectoryRecursive(path);
//RemoveDirectory(path);
}
...

after your recursion into the subdirectory you don't need to delete it a second time

mm

Re: Finally one that works!

Fess66219-Feb-04 21:50

19-Feb-04 21:50

And don't forget do ff.Close() before RemoveDirectory or you will have this error under WinNT/2000:
"The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process."

<fess>

Re: Finally one that works!

sfeldi1-Mar-04 22:03

1-Mar-04 22:03

how not?
RemoveDirectoryRecursive(path)
does actually the DeleteFile on the sub dir (and looks for other possible subdirs).
And when you Delete all files in it and there are no more subdirs you get out of it, then you have to remove the directory (the empty one, now) with RemoveDirectory and not with DeleteFile which removes files...

Re: Finally one that works!

Anonymous11-Oct-05 2:27

11-Oct-05 2:27

While I m trying to delete profile folder of a system...
I m not able to delete complete profile folder even with this code...
When I debug this code.. I found in GetLastError(), error no. for Access denied..
So please any one have any idea about this issue...???

Deleted files ----> recycle bin ???

26-Feb-02 0:14

26-Feb-02 0:14

This is from the API documentation for SHFileOperation:

"When used to delete a file, SHFileOperation will attempt to place the deleted file in the Recycle Bin. If you wish to delete a file and guarantee that it will not be placed in the Recycle Bin, use DeleteFile."

The message is clear...if you do NOT want your deleted files to go to the Recycle Bin use the RecursiveDelete and NOT the shell operation method.

Hope this is useful to someone.
Thanks for the RecursiveDelete function i was on the brink of writing it when I found it!

Andy G.

Re: Deleted files ----> recycle bin ???

Mustafa Demirhan27-Feb-02 20:36

Mustafa Demirhan

27-Feb-02 20:36

No way man. If you dont add FOF_ALLOWUNDO to your flags, it will automatically delete it. It wont put it into recycle bin!

Mustafa Demirhan

http://www.macroangel.com

Sonork ID 100.9935:zoltrix

Mazdak21-Feb-02 23:13

21-Feb-02 23:13

Thanks Jonathan,it's useful code Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Mazy

"So,so you think you can tell,
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain,...
How I wish,how I wish you were here."
Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd-1975

Is this the easy way????

Mustafa Demirhan21-Feb-02 16:46

Mustafa Demirhan

21-Feb-02 16:46

Of course no. Finding all files and deleting them is not the easiest way.

SHFILEOPSTRUCT op;
op.hwnd = AfxGetApp()->GetMainWnd()->m_hWnd;
op.pFrom = "c:\\yourfolder\\*.*";
op.pTo = "";		//will be ignored
op.wFunc = FO_DELETE;
op.fFlags = FOF_SILENT | FOF_ALLOWUNDO;
SHFileOperation(&op)

This is better, faster and easier...

Mustafa Demirhan

http://www.macroangel.com

Sonork ID 100.9935:zoltrix

Re: Is this the easy way????

BLaZiNiX21-Feb-02 16:52

21-Feb-02 16:52

maybe but can you delete all the subfolder with this ?

But thanks for the critics Wink | ;)

Wink | ;)

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