On Windows 10, you can delete a folder with subfolders and files using commands to get rid of unnecessary contents and maintain storage organized, but you need to know the correct tool for the job, and in this guide, I will show you how. When you have to remove a file or folder with a command terminal, the first tool that comes to mind is the “del” command, but you will quickly find out that it won’t work since the tool only deals with files, not folders.
The tool you need to use will depend on the command console if you want to delete folders with content inside them. If you use Command Prompt, “rmdir” (short for remove directory) provides the capability to delete folders along with their subfolders and files recursively. On the other hand, PowerShell users can rely on the “Remove-Item” cmdlet to achieve similar results, offering a powerful alternative for folder deletion operations.
In this guide, I will teach you two ways to delete subfolders with Command Prompt and PowerShell on Windows 10.
Warning: Before proceeding with deleting any files or folders, especially when using commands, it’s important to double-check the paths and names of the directories you intend to delete since these operations are irreversible and can result in the loss of valuable data if executed incorrectly. Consider backing up important data before performing bulk deletions. You have been warned.
Delete folders with subfolders from Command Prompt
To delete a folder with subfolders with Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Start on Windows 10.
- Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
- Type the following command to delete an empty folder and press Enter:
rmdir PATHTOFOLDER-NAME
In the command, replace “PATHTOFOLDER-NAME” with the folder path and the folder name you want to delete. This example removes the “files” folder:
rmdir C:files
- Type the following command to delete the folder and subfolders with contents and press Enter:
rmdir /s PATHTOFOLDER-NAME
This example removes the “files” folder, subfolders, and files:
rmdir /s C:files
- Type the following command to delete a folder with content recursively without a confirmation prompt and press Enter:
rmdir /s /q PATHTOFOLDER-NAME
This example removes the “files” folder, subfolders, and files without prompting for confirmation:
rmdir /s /q C:files
Once you complete the steps, the command will delete the folders with subfolders and files from Windows 10.
The /s option deletes the folder and its content in the above command, but it prompts confirmation. The /q option ignores the prompt and deletes the folder recursively. You can also use the short version of the rmdir using rd.
Delete folders with subfolders from PowerShell
To recursively delete an entire folder with PowerShell on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
- Type the following command to delete an empty folder and press Enter:
Remove-Item PATHTOFOLDER-NAME
In the command, replace “PATHTOFOLDER-NAME” with the folder path and the folder name you want to delete. This example removes the “files” folder:
Remove-Item C:files
- Type the following command to delete an empty folder and press Enter:
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force PATHTOFOLDER-NAME
This example removes the “files” folder:
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force C:files
After you complete the steps, the command will delete the folder on Windows 10 and its contents with or without a prompt, depending on the command you choose.
The -Recurse option tells the command you want to delete the folder and its contents without prompt confirmation. The -Force option is not required but allows for erasing special items, including read-only or hidden files.