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Automated Cleanup of Old Processed Folders Using PowerShell

Symptoms​

You have folder used to capture processed files, for instance when loaded successfully by ABBYY FlexiCapture. Over time this folder, if unmanaged, will grow.

  • Excessive accumulation of old folders/ files causing disk space issues.
  • Degraded system performance due to too many files/folders.

Cause​

n/a

Resolution​

Implement a PowerShell script that:

  • Identifies subfolders older than a defined threshold (e.g., 30 days).
  • Deletes these subfolders and logs the deletion details.

Script Details​

Script File Name:* ``**CleanupProcessedFolders.ps1*``

Define the root folders and the age threshold

$rootFolders = @("\localhost\Hotfolders\NDPP2\Processed", "C:\wfd\Data\FileStorage")

$nDaysAgo = 30

Determine the script path and create the log file path

$scriptPath = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition

$logFile = Join-Path $scriptPath "Log.txt"

foreach ($rootFolder in $rootFolders) {

# Calculate the cutoff date for folder deletion

$cutOffDate = (Get-Date).AddDays(-$nDaysAgo)



# Identify subfolders older than the cutoff date

$subFoldersToDelete = Get-ChildItem $rootFolder -Directory | Where-Object { $_.CreationTime -lt $cutOffDate }



$foldersDeleted = 0

$filesDeleted = 0

$errors = @()



# Process each subfolder for deletion

foreach ($subFolder in $subFoldersToDelete) {

    try {

        $filesDeletedBefore = (Get-ChildItem $subFolder.FullName -File -Recurse).Count

        Remove-Item $subFolder.FullName -Recurse -Force

        $foldersDeleted++

        $filesDeleted += $filesDeletedBefore

    } catch {

        $errors += $_.Exception.Message

    }

}



# Log the deletion activity

$logEntry = "$(Get-Date) - $foldersDeleted folders older than $nDaysAgo days deleted from $rootFolder. Files deleted: $filesDeleted."

if ($errors.Count -gt 0) {

    $logEntry += " Errors: $($errors -join ';')"

}

Add-Content -Path $logFile -Value $logEntry

Write-Host $logEntry

}

Steps:

Save Your Script: File Name (suggested): CleanupProcessedFolders.ps1

  • Location: Place it in a dedicated folder which will also store logs, e.g., C:\WFD\Housekeeping\CleanupProcessedFolders\

Create a Scheduled Task:

General Tab, Security Options: Select "Run whether user is logged on or not".

  • Check "Run with highest privileges" (if required).

Actions Tab: Action: Start a program.

  • Program/script: Enter "powershell.exe"Add arguments (optional) \${NL}-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\WFD\Housekeeping\CleanupProcessedFolders\ CleanupProcessedFolders.ps1" \${NL}