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    Real Quick Question: What is this batch script

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by yehrulz, Jul 10, 2008.

  1. yehrulz

    yehrulz Notebook Consultant

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    This 1 line is found in a bat file. What does it do?

    del /F /S /Q /
     
    yehrulz, Jul 10, 2008
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  2. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    It appears to delete all the files on your disk (that it has privileges to delete).

    Open up a command prompt window and type "del /?" to see all the options to the delete (del) command.

    The final slash I think is the drive's root directory.
     
    swarmer, Jul 10, 2008
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  3. Ayle

    Ayle Trailblazer

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    That looks pretty malicious... Where did you get that from?
     
    Ayle, Jul 10, 2008
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  4. lowlymarine

    lowlymarine Notebook Deity

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    That command will in theory delete (del), recursively (/S), all files, including read-only and OS-critical files (/F), without prompting (/Q) on your root drive (/). Pretty nasty stuff...except Windows doesn't use "/" as it's root directory, it uses "C:". So most likely that command will do nothing, unless you or I are missing something.
     
    lowlymarine, Jul 11, 2008
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  5. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    Some commands treat / as a synonym for \ in file paths. And if the drive (C :) is omitted from the path, it uses the current drive I think, which is probably the system drive by default.

    For example, open up a command prompt and type: "cd /"
    It puts me at C:\

    However, "dir /" doesn't seem to work.

    I'm too scared to try "del /". ;)

    EDIT: I tried it with the /P (prompt first) switch:

    C:\>del /P /
    Invalid switch - "".

    So I guess you're right... it doesn't like it.
     
    swarmer, Jul 11, 2008
    #5