In terms of handling everyday tasks, the command line can be both powerful and harmful. For example, the rm command allows you to remove or delete files. The rmdir command works like directories or directories.
However, you should be cautious because, unlike when you move files from Finder to the Trash, you cannot get them back if you use these commands. However, if you want to take advantage of Terminal’s power, the cmd delete file is a command you cannot ignore.
There are ways to include a protector to ensure that the files you delete are the files you want to delete.
Delete files using Command Line
It’s not easy to delete files using Finder, and you can always recover files from the Recycle Bin if you change your mind. So why are they having trouble using the command line?
Here are some reasons to delete files Using Command Prompt and Command Line:
- By using the wildcard characters, you can delete multiple files quickly and efficiently.
- You can retrieve files from the Trash when you get an inability to move error.
- You can delete files hidden in the Finder; These are files that may have settings for specific apps or parts of OS X, including a dot (.) in front of their name that is not displayed by Finder.
- In case your Mac crashes and you don’t have Finder access anymore, you can use the command line to fix the problem.
Delete files and folders using the Command Prompt on Windows
Did you know that it’s possible to delete a file in Windows using Command Prompt? Here are some steps to do it:
1. Start at Start, and then continue to All Programs, Accessories, and finally Command Prompt. You can open the Run dialog box using a key combination ( Windows + R ) and entering cmd.
Click on ‘ del ‘ but ignore the quotes.
3. Type the name of the file and the extension. In case you are in the folder containing the file, you are ready to proceed. In case you don’t know what the utility file is, type the file inside the search box (this is determined by the computer you have and the type of search available to you). Right-click and find properties, and it should be present on the main page. It should look something like ‘C: /myfilename.ext.’
In case you are not in the appropriate directory, you can type ‘ cd ‘ into the directory or lock the complete file path to delete.
For example, if you want to delete ‘ file.txt ‘, you need to enter ‘ del file.txt ‘. If the file is on the desktop, enter ‘ C: /Users/username/Desktopfile.txt ‘ in your case, a folder on top.
4. DEL supports wildcards and an asterisk (*). For example, if you want to delete all the files on the desktop with the .wav extension, you should type ‘ del C: Users/username / Desktop / *. Wav ‘.
Part 3. Deleting files/folders using the command line on Mac
Deletion of folders or folders changes slightly. If you try to run the rm command on a directory, the following message will appear:
You cannot delete a directory using the rm command. rmdir is a select command used to delete directories. So to delete a file called Archives, run the following command: rmdir Archives.
Part 4: Delete a folder as well as the files in it
- The rm command provides a strong option (-R or -r). After running the rm-R command on a directory, you will direct Terminal to delete this directory, no matter what files or subfolders and any folders or files inside subfolders, all the information.
- For example, if you have a folder containing archives containing files or folders, deleting items one by one from the command line or Finder can take a long time. So just run the command like this:
- rm-R Archives
- Remember that this is a permanent decision. However, you can use the -flag for security.
- rm-iR Archives
- This will ask you to verify the deletion of all entries.
Part 5: Tips and tricks for using cmd files delete
In case you are unable to empty your Mac’s trash, the rm-R command will come in handy. A file may be locked, or you may not be allowed to delete one or more files. This can be frustrating; however, you can use the command line to get a simple solution.
1. Look like the one shown below Terminal
- rm-R
- Enter a space
- Open the Trash Can in Finder and drag the items inside into the Terminal window. You will see one or more files with a path like /Users/.Trash/file.txt.
- If multiple files are present, you may discover that the list appears all on a long line, enveloping the Terminal Window. In case you are very sure you want to remove each of these items, click Return. The terminal will clear the trash.
2. Send the output of a Command to the Clipboard
You will send the results right to the clipboard.
From a folder, open a command prompt
You may have tried to open the command prompt and encountered many cd commands trying to access a directory. The good news is that you can save a lot of time using Explorer to open a command prompt inside a folder. You have to hold shift, right-click on a folder, and the context menu will show options.
Order history
You may most likely have been typing up to access your commands earlier; This can be tiring if you are trying to get a specific command. Another method you can use to view your previous commands is to use the doskey command. ‘ Doskey / history ‘
If you lose data on your computer, unfortunately, don’t worry! You still have a chance to lose data back. To recover files from your computer, you can try a file recovery tool.
