Batch file to delete all folders in a directory except a specified list

Question

I'm looking for a batch file that will go into C:\Documents and Settings\ and delete all folders except a few that I want to keep.

Answer 1

Here's a hack-around =D

If you have a list of folder paths in say folders.txt listed as so:

• C:\Documents and Settings\Mechaflash
• C:\Documents and Settings\Mom
• C:\Documents and Settings\Dad

etc. What you can do is temporarily change them to hidden folders, then RMDIR on all non-hidden folders.

CD "C:\Documents and Settings\"
FOR /F "tokens=*" %%A IN (folders.txt) DO (
 ATTRIB +H "%%A" /S /D
)
FOR /F "USEBACKQ tokens=*" %%F IN (`DIR /B /A:-HD "C:\Documents and Settings\"`) DO (
 RMDIR /S /Q %%A
)
FOR /F "tokens=*" %%A IN (folders.txt) DO (
 ATTRIB -H "%%A" /S /D
)

Answer 2

A solution using robocopy:

cd /d "C:\Documents and Settings"
md tmp
robocopy . tmp /E /MOVE /XD folderToKeep1 folderToKeep2 ...
rd /s /q tmp

Answer 3

rem the last space character is deliberate
set yourKeepList="abc def "
for /f %%f in ('dir /b/ad "C:\Documents and Settings"') do (
    (echo %yourKeepList% | findstr /v /i "%%f " 1>nul) && rd /q/s %%f
)