Clear-Content

Clear-Content [-Confirm] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <String[]>] [-Filter <String>] [-Force] [-Include<String[]>] -LiteralPath* <String[]> [-Stream <String>] [-UseTransaction] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Clear-Content [-Path*] <String[]> [-Confirm] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <String[]>] [-Filter <String>][-Force] [-Include <String[]>] [-Stream <String>] [-UseTransaction] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

Clear-Content [-Stream <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

The Clear-Content cmdlet deletes the contents of an item, such as deleting the text from a file, but it does not delete the item. As a result, the item exists, but it is empty. The Clear-Content is similar to Clear-Item, but it works on items with contents, instead of items with values.In the file system, Clear-Content clears the content in a file, but does not delete the file. It has no effect on folders.

Note: This custom cmdlet help file explains how the Clear-Content cmdlet works in a file system drive. For information about the Clear-Content cmdlet in all drives, type "Get-Help Clear-Content -Path $null" or see Clear-Content at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113282.

Parameters

-Stream <string>

Deletes the content in the specified alternate data stream, but does not delete the alternate data stream. Enter the stream name. Wildcards are not supported.

Stream is a dynamic parameter that the FileSystem provider adds to the Set-Content cmdlet. This parameter works only in file system drives.

You can use the Clear-Content cmdlet to clear the content of an alternate data stream. However, it is not the recommended way to eliminate security checks that block files that are downloaded from the Internet. If you verify that a downloaded file is safe, use the Unblock-File cmdlet.

This parameter is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

-Credential <PSCredential>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies a user account that has permission to perform this action. The default is the current user.

Type a user name, such as "User01" or "Domain01\User01", or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by the Get-Credential cmdlet. If you type a user name, you will be prompted for a password.

This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with Windows PowerShell.

-Exclude <String[]>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies, as a string array, strings that this cmdlet omits from the path to the content. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as "*.txt". Wildcards are permitted.

-Filter <String>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies a filter in the provider's format or language. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcards, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when retrieving the objects, rather than having Windows PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved.

-Force [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Forces the command to run without asking for user confirmation.

-Include <String[]>

Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input False

Specifies, as a string array, content that this cmdlet clears. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as "*.txt". Wildcards are permitted.

-LiteralPath <String[]>

This value is required
Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the paths to the items from which content is deleted. Unlike the Path parameter, the value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell having Windows PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.

-Path <String[]>

This value is required
Default value is None
Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the paths to the items from which content is deleted. Wildcards are permitted. The paths must be paths to items, not to containers. For example, you must specify a path to one or more files, not a path to a directory. Wildcards are permitted. This parameter is required, but the parameter name ("Path") is optional.

-UseTransaction [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress.

-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]

Default value is False
Accepts pipeline input False

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable.

Examples

This example shows how the Clear-Content cmdlet clears the content from an alternate data stream while leaving the stream intact:
```
C:\PS> Get-Content C:\Test\Copy-Script.ps1 -Stream Zone.Identifier

   [ZoneTransfer]
   ZoneId=3

C:\PS> Clear-Content C:\Test\Copy-Script.ps1 -Stream Zone.Identifier


C:\PS> Get-Content C:\Test\Copy-Script.ps1 -Stream Zone.Identifier
C:\PS>
```
The first command uses the Get-Content cmdlet to get the content of the Zone.Identifier stream in the Copy-Script.ps1 file, which was downloaded from the Internet.

The second command uses the Clear-Content cmdlet to clear the content.

The third command repeats the first command. It verifies that the content is cleared, but the stream remains. If the stream were deleted, the command would generate an error.

You can use a method like this one to clear the content of an alternate data stream. However, it is not the recommended way to eliminate security checks that block files that are downloaded from the Internet. If you verify that a downloaded file is safe, use the Unblock-File cmdlet.
This command deletes all of the content from the "init.txt" files in all subdirectories of the SmpUsers directory:
```
C:\PS> Clear-Content ..\SmpUsers\*\init.txt
```
The files are not deleted, but they are empty.
This command deletes the contents of all files in the current directory with the ".log" file name extension, including files with the read-only attribute:
```
C:\PS> Clear-Content -Path * -Filter *.log -Force
```
The asterisk (*) in the path represents all items in the current directory. The Force parameter makes the command effective on read-only files. Using a filter to restrict the command to files with the ".log" file name extension instead of specifying "*.log" in the path makes the operation faster.
This command requests a prediction of what would happen if you submitted the command: "clear-content c:\temp\* -include smp* -exclude *2*":
```
C:\PS> Clear-Content c:\Temp\* -Include Smp* -Exclude *2* -WhatIf
```
The result lists the files that would be cleared; in this case, files in the Temp directory whose names begin with "Smp", unless the file names include a "2". To execute the command, run it again without the Whatif parameter.

Additional Notes

 You can also refer to Clear-Content * by its built-in alias, "clc". For more information, see about_Aliases.

 If you omit the Path parameter name, the value of the Path parameter must be the first parameter in the 
 command. For instance, `Clear-Content c:\mydir\*.txt`. If you include the parameter name, you can list the 
 parameters in any order.

 You can use Clear-Content with the Windows PowerShell FileSystem provider and with other providers that 
 manipulate content. To clear items that are not considered to be content, such as items managed by the Windows 
 PowerShell Certificate or Registry providers, use Clear-Item.

 The Clear-Content cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers 
 available in your session, type `Get-PsProvider`. For more information, see about_Providers.

 *

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. It is attributed to Microsoft Corporation and can be found here.

PowerShell Commands