How to create a logon script to delete folder, subfolders and contents when a user logs on ?

The principle:

Write a script that does the deletion

Save as an application

Add the application to login items for the user [system prefs>Accounts>Login Items]

Here's an example that deletes a folder ''testfolder' - and all its contents - from the desktop. I should point out that the folder will still be in the trash. (You can add 'empty trash' after the delete to deal with that.)

tell application "Finder"

set theFolder to ((path to desktop as text) & "testfolder")

deletefoldertheFolder

end tell

A STRONG word of caution. When testing this kind of deletion script, do it AFTER you have a complete backup!

The chances of getting this wrong and deleting valuable information is too great to attempt this without a backup. I speak from years of experience 🙂

SECONDED!

I meant to imply this by the name of the folder.

I don't do anything destructive without multiple complete and iterative backups - and I never operate on my real data until I am sure through testing that the process works.

depending on how you have thing set up, it might be easier to make a LaunchAgent to handle this. do this:

1. copy the text below into a text editor
2. save it as a plain text file in /Library/LaunchAgents with the file name "user.startup.folderDeleter.plist" (the name doesn't matter so much, but the 'plist' extension is required)
3. load the plist into launchd by restarting the machine or by opening terminal and running the command launchctl load /Library/LaunchAgents/user.startup.folderDeleter.plist

This will delete the folder any time any user logs in. You could also expand this to delete the folder periodically (once a day, for instance) if that would be helpful.

Note, this file must be saved as plain text. apps like TextEdit sometimes default to making rich text files which will not work. Either download a programmer's text editor like TextWrangler, or make sure that TextEdit is using plain text (if the window has a formatting toolbar it's using rich text; select "Make Plain Text" from the Format menu).

copy the text below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Label</key>

<string>user.startup.folderDeleter</string>

<key>RunAtLoad</key>

<true/>

<key>ProgramArguments</key>

<array>

<string>osascript</string>

<string>-e</string>

<string>tell application "Finder" to delete folder "Final Cut Express Data" of folder (path to preferences from user domain)</string>

<string>-e</string>

<string>tell application "Finder" to empty trash</string>

</array>

</dict>

</plist>