Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Deleting a File in a Macro.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 18, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Sometimes you may use a macro to create temporary files which you later need to delete. Similarly, you may need to just delete a file within a macro. You can accomplish this task using the Kill command. This is a holdover from other versions of BASIC. The syntax is:
Kill File
where File is the full path and file name of the file you want to delete. When you delete a file in this manner, the file is not moved to the Windows Recycle bin; instead, it is immediately deleted from your drive.
If desired, you can also use wildcard characters in the File specification. For instance, if you wanted to delete all the files in the current directory that end in the TMP extension, you could use a command like this:
Kill "*.tmp"
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2450) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Deleting a File in a Macro.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Your company may be regulated by requirements that it document any changes to the macros in an Excel worksheet. Your ...
Discover MoreNeed to put together a bunch of characters to create a text string? You can do it in your macros by using the String ...
Discover MoreIf you have a range of cells in which you want to count all the commas, there are several ways you can derive the figure ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Comments