Command: del
DEL deletes one or more files.
Syntax:
DEL [drive][path]filename [/P] [/V] [/?]
drive Specifies the drive letter where the file is, e.g. C:
path Specifies the path to where the file is, e.g. \example\
filename Specifies the file(s) to delete. Specify multiple
files by using wildcards (*,?).
A period may be used to specify all files in the
current directory, and is the same as *.*
Options:
/P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
/V Displays all deleted files.
/? Shows the help.
Comments:
For performance reasons DEL overwrites the first letter of the filename
by a '?'. It does not delete the file itself, but it deallocates the
space where the content of the file is written. FreeDOS, as other DOSes,
recognizes the renamed file (myfile.txt becomes ?yfile.txt) as deleted,
no longer shows it and does not offer access to it. Programs like
DEBUG which have sector access are able to read the contents of the
file. As long as you do not write on the drive you have a chance to
restore the file again with UNDELETE, only the first character of the
filename will be lost (_yfile.txt). The only ways to delete the file
CONTENTS FOR ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN are to fill the disk completely with
other files or by using a wipeout tool. The only way to delete a file
NAME FOR ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN is to RENAME (REN) the file first (e.g. "a.")
and to delete it later (only correct at 8.3 - not at long filenames!)
You can also use ERASE instead of DEL.
DEL is a command internal to command.com and needs no other file
in order to work.
Examples:
del C:\PROGRAM\test.txt
See also:
debug
deltree
erase
rd
ren
rename
rmdir
undelete
Copyright © 1998 Jim Hall, updated 2007 by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.