Rimraf - powershell script glob syntax

Question

I want to use rimraf command in powershell script to delete all files and sub-folders in certain directory (named "Results"). I am testing rimraf on virtual drive ("B") and need to use network path, so my command looks like rimraf '\\PC name\B\Results\*' , but it does nothing and I can´t figure out the correct syntax. I´ve tried many different variations of the path, but none was working.

Answer 1

The rimraf Node.js module and CLI normally does perform its own globbing on Windows, so - given that argument '\\PC name\B\Results\*', as a verbatim string, is passed unmodified to rimraf, the implication is that rimraf somehow doesn't support globbing on your .vhd drive.

Note: The -G command-line option disables globbing, but it is enabled by default.

The workaround is to let PowerShell do the globbing.

The following should work, but doesn't as of rimraf v3.0.2 / Node.js v14.15.12:

# !! Currently does NOT work - even though it should.
# CAVEAT: INSTANTLY DELETES ALL CONTENT IN THE TARGET DIR.
rimraf -G (Get-Item '\\PC name\B\Results\*' -Force).FullName

Seemingly, passing multiple paths (the Get-Item call results in an array of file/directory names whose elements are passed as individual arguments) is currently broken.

Therefore, use the following, which, however, is slow, because rimraf is invoked separately for each file and directory:

# Should work, but is slow.
# CAVEAT: INSTANTLY DELETES ALL CONTENT IN THE TARGET DIR.
(Get-Item '\\PC name\B\Results\*' -Force).FullName | % { rimraf -G $_ }

Of course, you can also use PowerShell's own Remove-Item cmdlet:

# CAVEAT: If you remove -WhatIf, instantly deletes all content in the target dir.
Remove-Item '\\PC name\B\Results\*' -Recurse -Force -WhatIf

Note that, irrespective of the tool used for deletion, deleting directory subtrees on Windows versions before Windows 10 20H2 can fail intermittently, due to the previously asynchronous behavior of file deletion - see this answer.