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2

I'm trying to delete a large directory. I run the delete (del /f node_modules), and it appears to work, but then the directory is still there... (When I try to delete it from the file explorer, it usually gives me some flavor of "you need admin permissions" or "can't delete because file is in use" or it just takes forever.)

Here's my question: what causes the del command to appear to work, but not actually work? I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

Picture of the command used, and the result Another example

windows cmd.exe

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

JohnnyBlack

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

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JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Does Shift+Delete work? Try skipping the Recycle Bin.
  
  – wrecclesham
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Provide a screenshot of the ACL for the folder in question. If you are getting an error indicating a permission problem it sounds like you don't have the required permissions to delete it. It does not matter if you are an Administrator, if you don't currently have the required permissions, you would get a permission error. Please do not submit a comment in response to this comment. Instead, edit your question with the information required to answer your question.
  
  – Ramhound
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  There's no error in the output. The command appears to complete. Also thanks for that shift+delete tip, although I need to do this programmatically, as part of a script.
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @JohnnyKumpf - You said in your question there was an error. Please provide the exact error and that screenshot I requested. Your question cannot be answered without this information.
  
  – Ramhound
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My goal isn't to delete it from the file explorer. I want to force a delete from the command line. I'm not sure exactly which errors produce what behavior; what I really want to know is what are the possible causes for the behavior I'm observing in the cmd: namely that the del command appears to work, but the directory is still there afterwards.
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 5 more comments

2

I'm trying to delete a large directory. I run the delete (del /f node_modules), and it appears to work, but then the directory is still there... (When I try to delete it from the file explorer, it usually gives me some flavor of "you need admin permissions" or "can't delete because file is in use" or it just takes forever.)

Here's my question: what causes the del command to appear to work, but not actually work? I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

Picture of the command used, and the result Another example

windows cmd.exe

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

JohnnyBlack

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

1122 bronze badges

New contributor

JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Does Shift+Delete work? Try skipping the Recycle Bin.
  
  – wrecclesham
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Provide a screenshot of the ACL for the folder in question. If you are getting an error indicating a permission problem it sounds like you don't have the required permissions to delete it. It does not matter if you are an Administrator, if you don't currently have the required permissions, you would get a permission error. Please do not submit a comment in response to this comment. Instead, edit your question with the information required to answer your question.
  
  – Ramhound
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  There's no error in the output. The command appears to complete. Also thanks for that shift+delete tip, although I need to do this programmatically, as part of a script.
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @JohnnyKumpf - You said in your question there was an error. Please provide the exact error and that screenshot I requested. Your question cannot be answered without this information.
  
  – Ramhound
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My goal isn't to delete it from the file explorer. I want to force a delete from the command line. I'm not sure exactly which errors produce what behavior; what I really want to know is what are the possible causes for the behavior I'm observing in the cmd: namely that the del command appears to work, but the directory is still there afterwards.
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 5 more comments

I'm trying to delete a large directory. I run the delete (del /f node_modules), and it appears to work, but then the directory is still there... (When I try to delete it from the file explorer, it usually gives me some flavor of "you need admin permissions" or "can't delete because file is in use" or it just takes forever.)

Here's my question: what causes the del command to appear to work, but not actually work? I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

Picture of the command used, and the result Another example

windows cmd.exe

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

JohnnyBlack

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

1122 bronze badges

New contributor

JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

JohnnyBlack

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

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JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

JohnnyBlack

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

1122 bronze badges

New contributor

JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

1122 bronze badges

New contributor

JohnnyBlack is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 8 hours ago

JohnnyBlackJohnnyBlack

1122 bronze badges

2 Answers
2

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2

If I didn't have appropriate permissions, the cmd doesn't throw an access denied or something?

That's not how del is designed to work. If files are deleted, then del will inform you. If no files are deleted then del is silent.

Normally DEL will display a list of the files deleted, if Command Extensions are disabled; it will instead display a list of any files it cannot find.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

If no files are deleted then you do not have the appropriate permissions to remove them.

---

I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

If you use del with a directory name then it will delete the files in the directory. The directory specified is not deleted.

If a folder name is given instead of a file, all files in the folder will be deleted, but the folder itself will not be removed.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

To delete both directories and the files and subdirectories use rd:

Remove (or Delete) a Directory.

Syntax

RD pathname
RD /S pathname
RD /S /Q pathname

/S : Delete all files and subfolders in addition to the folder
itself. Use this to remove an entire folder tree.

Source - RD - Remove Directory - Windows CMD - SS64.com

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

add a comment | 

0

del will delete all contents, but (even with /f or /s) it never removes the directories themselves; that's just how it was written.

Use rmdir /s instead:

rd/s/q node_modules

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  when I cd into the directory, all the files are still there
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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2

If I didn't have appropriate permissions, the cmd doesn't throw an access denied or something?

That's not how del is designed to work. If files are deleted, then del will inform you. If no files are deleted then del is silent.

Normally DEL will display a list of the files deleted, if Command Extensions are disabled; it will instead display a list of any files it cannot find.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

If no files are deleted then you do not have the appropriate permissions to remove them.

---

I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

If you use del with a directory name then it will delete the files in the directory. The directory specified is not deleted.

If a folder name is given instead of a file, all files in the folder will be deleted, but the folder itself will not be removed.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

To delete both directories and the files and subdirectories use rd:

Remove (or Delete) a Directory.

Syntax

RD pathname
RD /S pathname
RD /S /Q pathname

/S : Delete all files and subfolders in addition to the folder
itself. Use this to remove an entire folder tree.

Source - RD - Remove Directory - Windows CMD - SS64.com

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

add a comment | 

2

If I didn't have appropriate permissions, the cmd doesn't throw an access denied or something?

That's not how del is designed to work. If files are deleted, then del will inform you. If no files are deleted then del is silent.

Normally DEL will display a list of the files deleted, if Command Extensions are disabled; it will instead display a list of any files it cannot find.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

If no files are deleted then you do not have the appropriate permissions to remove them.

---

I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

If you use del with a directory name then it will delete the files in the directory. The directory specified is not deleted.

If a folder name is given instead of a file, all files in the folder will be deleted, but the folder itself will not be removed.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

To delete both directories and the files and subdirectories use rd:

Remove (or Delete) a Directory.

Syntax

RD pathname
RD /S pathname
RD /S /Q pathname

/S : Delete all files and subfolders in addition to the folder
itself. Use this to remove an entire folder tree.

Source - RD - Remove Directory - Windows CMD - SS64.com

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

add a comment | 

If I didn't have appropriate permissions, the cmd doesn't throw an access denied or something?

That's not how del is designed to work. If files are deleted, then del will inform you. If no files are deleted then del is silent.

Normally DEL will display a list of the files deleted, if Command Extensions are disabled; it will instead display a list of any files it cannot find.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

If no files are deleted then you do not have the appropriate permissions to remove them.

---

I'd expect some output indicating the directory wasn't deleted.

If you use del with a directory name then it will delete the files in the directory. The directory specified is not deleted.

If a folder name is given instead of a file, all files in the folder will be deleted, but the folder itself will not be removed.

Source Del - Delete Files - Windows CMD - SS64.com

To delete both directories and the files and subdirectories use rd:

Remove (or Delete) a Directory.

Syntax

RD pathname
RD /S pathname
RD /S /Q pathname

/S : Delete all files and subfolders in addition to the folder
itself. Use this to remove an entire folder tree.

Source - RD - Remove Directory - Windows CMD - SS64.com

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 6 hours ago

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

answered 6 hours ago

DavidPostill♦DavidPostill

113k2727 gold badges250250 silver badges283283 bronze badges

0

del will delete all contents, but (even with /f or /s) it never removes the directories themselves; that's just how it was written.

Use rmdir /s instead:

rd/s/q node_modules

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  when I cd into the directory, all the files are still there
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

0

del will delete all contents, but (even with /f or /s) it never removes the directories themselves; that's just how it was written.

Use rmdir /s instead:

rd/s/q node_modules

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  when I cd into the directory, all the files are still there
  
  – JohnnyBlack
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

del will delete all contents, but (even with /f or /s) it never removes the directories themselves; that's just how it was written.

Use rmdir /s instead:

rd/s/q node_modules

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

rd/s/q node_modules

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

grawitygrawity

258k3838 gold badges542542 silver badges607607 bronze badges