Error Level 2 Returned on DELETE Command When No Files Found (158358)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
This article was previously published under Q158358

SUMMARY

The DELETE command returns an error level of 0 for a successful operation. However, beginning with Windows NT 4.0, DELETE returns an error level of 2 if it finds no files to delete.

MORE INFORMATION

This change was made so that batch file designers can detect whether or not files are actually deleted. Batch files that expect 0 to be returned if no files are found to be deleted must be modified for the new return value.

All versions of MS-DOS, Windows 95, and earlier versions of Windows NT return 0 in this circumstance.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/8/2001
Keywords:KB158358
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.