Remove Item - PowerShell

Overview

Remove-Item is a PowerShell command that deletes specified items from the file system, including files, directories, and symbolic links. It provides a convenient and versatile way to manage and clean up resources in your system.

Syntax

Remove-Item [-Path] <string[]> [-Recurse] [-Force] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf]
          [-Verbose] [-ErrorAction <Action>]

Options/Flags

  • -Path: Specifies the path(s) to the item(s) to be deleted. This parameter is mandatory.
  • -Recurse: Recursively removes items from subdirectories.
  • -Force: Suppresses confirmation prompts and forces deletion of read-only or protected items.
  • -Confirm: Prompts for confirmation before deleting each item.
  • -WhatIf: Simulates the operation without actually deleting any items.
  • -Verbose: Displays detailed information about the deletion process.
  • -ErrorAction: Specifies the action to be taken if errors occur during deletion.

Examples

Simple file deletion:

Remove-Item c:\temp\myfile.txt

Deleting multiple files:

Remove-Item c:\temp\file1.txt c:\temp\file2.txt

Recursive folder deletion:

Remove-Item -Path c:\oldfolder -Recurse

Forcefully deleting protected items:

Remove-Item -Path c:\system32\myfile.exe -Force

Common Issues

  • Access denied errors: Ensure that you have sufficient permissions to delete the specified items.
  • Item not found errors: Verify that the path to the item is correct.

Integration

Combining with other commands:

Get-ChildItem c:\temp | Remove-Item -Recurse

Using in scripts:

$itemsToRemove = Get-ChildItem c:\temp | Where-Object {$_.Extension -eq ".tmp"}
Remove-Item -Path $itemsToRemove
  • New-Item
  • Get-ChildItem
  • Get-Content