Error Level 2 Returned on DELETE Command When No Files Found

 Last reviewed: March 28, 1997
Article ID: Q158358
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

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.

Additional query words: prodnt errorlevel
Keywords : kbtool ntconfig ntdosap ntfilesys NTSrvWkst winbatch
Version : 4.0
Platform : WinNT

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Last reviewed: March 28, 1997
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