batch file to move-compress-delet3 files

[jmander]

Hello,

I am trying to write a batch script that will run automatically daily to do the following.

1. Move files older than 2 days to from the main directory(Jason) to archive directory.

2. Zip files in the archive directory that are older than 1 week and delete files from this directory

that are older than 6 months.

3. I want to run this script from a different directory(not the directory that has the files).

I wrote the following script but its not correctly working. Can you please help.

REM move files older than 2 days to a archive directory

robocopy D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Jason D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Jason\archive /MOV

/MINAGE:2

Question: How can i change the command below to zip files older than 1 week. Also i want to put this

command in a batch file that will run from a different location? Is it possible that the zipped files

can have the same creation date and time as the original files?

REM zip all files in the backup directory

FOR %%A IN (*.TXT*, *.cpi*) DO "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r "%%~nA.zip" "%%A"

FOR %%A IN (*.TXT,*.cpi) DO DEL "D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Jason\archive\.cpi*" "%%A"

REM Delete all files in the backup directory that are older than 6 months

forfiles /p D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Jason\archive /s /m *.* /d -500 /c "cmd /c del /q @path"

Kind Regards,

Jason

[jmander]

How can i change this script so that it only compresses the files that are older than 7 days.

FOR %%A IN (D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.txt*, D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.cpi*) DO "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\"%%~nA.zip" "%%A"

FOR %%A IN (D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.TXT,D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.cpi) DO DEL "D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\.cpi*" "%%A"

Regards,

Jason

[Karl L.]

Although its not exactly what you're looking for, this article describes the creation a DIY backup system. Since it discusses many of the issues and their possible solutions in-depth, it might help. Good luck.

[Phouchg]

You could let RAR handle that using -to7d (meaning exactly what you want - time older than 7 days) switch. If no file(s) being processed qualify, no archive is created (and exit code 10 is returned, should you want to debug with %errorlevel%).

As for the whole backup system - surely there must be a better way.

[jmander]

Thank you guys for your help. Howerver I have a question for Phouchg. You said that i can use the -to7d option in my command. I tried this option but getting errors. Can you please take a look at the command below, i added -to7d in this command.

FOR %%A IN (D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.txt*, D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.cpi*) DO -to7d "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\"%%~nA.zip" "%%A"

kind Regards,

Jason

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

looks like to me, you should include the a and -r functions in quotes too...so it would be "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\Winrar.exe a -r"....but I could be wrong....I'm a little rusty.

[Phouchg]

It's a switch for WinRAR, not for CMD ;)

FOR %%A IN (D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.txt*, D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\*.cpi*) DO "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r -to7d D:\Agentrics\integration\incoming\Mansoor\backup\"%%~nA.zip" "%%A"

See WinRAR.chm help file in your C:\Program Files\WinRAR\ folder. Command line syntax is explained in detail. There's overwhelming amount of stuff, mostly useful.

Though I don't think either CMD or RAR can change creation time to an arbitrary value (-tl switch preserves modification time only). Powershell might.

[jmander]

Thanks phouch for sharing your knowledge. I looked at WinRAR.chm help and it really helped. Also I added -to7d and worked just fine.I have one more question. Is it possible to create the zip files with the same file creation date as the origininal files (non-zipped files)? I want to delete the zipped files that are older than 6 months from the archieve directory but after those files are zipped they show the current date and time. For example if i zip a file that was created 6 months ago i want the zipped file creation date date also be six months? Is it possible to do that?

Regards,

Jason

[Kami-]

Thanks phouch for sharing your knowledge. I looked at WinRAR.chm help and it really helped. Also I added -to7d and worked just fine.I have one more question. Is it possible to create the zip files with the same file creation date as the origininal files (non-zipped files)? I want to delete the zipped files that are older than 6 months from the archieve directory but after those files are zipped they show the current date and time. For example if i zip a file that was created 6 months ago i want the zipped file creation date date also be six months? Is it possible to do that?

Regards,

Jason

1. Surely you should be deleting the files before compressing them - why go to the effort of compressing them just to delete them?

2. You can alter file creation dates - it's a bit messy and not-advised, especially on compressed files (zip,rar,etc) as it may cause corruption.

3. You could always create the compressed file with the original date in the filename (myfile01.txt -> 20120328_myfile01.rar).

[jmander]

Here is my script. Can someone answer my two questions please?

I have a batch script that does the following @ECHO OFF

REM move files older than 2 days from the incoming directory to the incoming archive directory robocopy D:\Agentrics\integration\download D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive /MOV /MINAGE:2

REM Zip files in the Archieve directory that are older than one week FOR %%A IN (D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive*.txt*, D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive*.cpi*) DO "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r -to7d D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive\"%%~nA.zip" "%%A"

REM Delete Original files after they are zipped forfiles /p D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive /s /m .txt /d -7 /c "cmd /c del /q @path" forfiles /p D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive /s /m .cpi /d -7 /c "cmd /c del /q @path"

REM Delete files that are older than 6 months from the archive directory forfiles /p D:\Agentrics\integration\download\archive /s /m .zip /d -180 /c "cmd /c del /q @path" pause

Question 1: When i run the script i get WinRAR diagnostic messages for some files. For example if there are files in the incoming directory that are not older than two days i get this message."WinRAR Diagnostic messages: No File To Add". Because of this message the scripts stops until i click on the close button of the dialogue box. I am using the free version of WinRAR and its not expired

Question 2: I have two seprate command in the script above. One is for zipping the files older than a week and the other one is deleting the original files after they are zipped. How can i link those two commands so that if some reason the files did not get zipped they should also not get deleted. Or is is there a command to break the script if the files did not get zipped? I just want to zipp the files first and then delete the original ones.

Thanks,

Jason