Batch - Delete a specific file with forfiles

Question

I want to do echo only checking the date from one file with forfiles :

forfiles /m "C:\Backups\TEST.bak" /c "cmd /c echo test" /d -1

But it returns me an error :

The System cannot find the file specified.

And that file it exists and the directory is correct.

If use forfiles in the same directory (without file) it works fine:

forfiles /p "C:\Backups" /c "cmd /c echo test" /d -1

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

The problem is that forfiles requires a directory as parameter. You are giving it a file instead. This won't work.

Instead you should do this:

FOR %%a in (C:\Backups\TEST.bak) DO SET FileDate=%~ta

This will store the file's modifed date in %FileDate% .

Answer 2

forfiles /p "c:\Backups" /m "test.bak" /d -1 /c "cmd /c echo @fdate @ftime"

/p needs a folder to start searching

/m needs a file mask to indicate what to search