Use echo to empty file content in Windows Command Prompt

Question

I have a folder on a windows laptop running a program for measuring concrete vibrations that runs 24/7. The software creates 2 files every 10 minutes *.asx and *.pbx The *.pbx files becomes 28 MB each. I run backup from the laptop to an ftp server every night. I would need to empty the files of its data, tried with echo and that works. but its thousands of files and i cannot figure out how to do it on all *.pbx extensions. Cannot remove the files, because then program will then restart the number sequence after 10 min. I need to keep all files in the directory just need to shrink them. The data in the files are not important after backup is finished.

I have tried echo delete >*.pbx and most of the arguments.

Please help!

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 02 '20 at 07:28

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To empty a file, you can use copy:

copy /Y nul: myfile.myext

answered Jul 02 '20 at 07:28

pifor

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score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 02 '20 at 08:29

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Use FOR /F - loop command: against the results of another command.

From command prompt:

for /f "delims=" %G in ('dir /B *.pbx') do @copy /Y NUL "%~G">NUL

From a Windows batch script (.bat or .cmd)

@for /f "delims=" %%G in ('dir /B *.pbx') do @copy /Y NUL "%%~G">NUL

answered Jul 02 '20 at 08:29

JosefZ

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Wow! Thank you so much! This really worked like a charm! Exactly what I was wishing for! A lot of karma sent your way! – Stephane Lanke Jul 02 '20 at 12:12

Use echo to empty file content in Windows Command Prompt

2 Answers2