GM> %info is a variable name for the DESCRIPT.ION file (I do
  > not wish to have the description for %trash deleted when
  > I delete %trash because the file will be placed in the
  > directory again).  %trash is a variable name for Thunder
  > Byte's Anti-vir.dat file, which I have to remove
 So if we use actual filenames (any reason not to? it's not
 like long variable names are saving all that much space in the
 batch file, and processing them probably adds a bit of time)
 del /eqz /[!%info]       %trash              equates to
 del /eqz /[!descript.ion] anti-vir.dat
 or probably even '/[!*.ion]' if, as likely, you don't have any
 other files with that extension.  The only hard part is retaining
 anti-vir.dat's description.  I think the easiest way would be
 to turn description processing off before you delete anything
 (setdos /d0), do the deletion (either line above), turn
 descriptions on again (setdos /d1).  You now have a description
 file with descriptions for everything that was in the dir.  If,
 either before turning descriptions on again, or first thing
 after, you have TB recreate the files, the description for it
 should survive intact, I think, and expired descriptions cleared.
 attrib /q +r %info% ^ del /q/z %trash% ^ attrib /q -r %info%
 The above would not work, I'd think, since '/z' overrides '+r',
 at least in some quick tests I've just tried.
 If you don't run TB right away you'll lose the description
 the next time you delete/move files in the directory.
 I see no way around that (short of keeping descriptions
 off until you *do* run TB).  For example, pulling out the
 description to a variable (set avd=%@descript[anti-vir.dat]
 and then echoing that back into the description file, will
 only keep it there until the next modification of that file.
 Orphaned descriptions don't persist.  You have to get the
 file they match back in there right away.
... You will only find peace when you yield completely to society's control.
--- SR 2.00 #1019
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