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How to Count Files in a Directory in Batch Script

In scripting, you often need to know how many files are in a directory. This can be used to verify that a copy operation completed, to check if a log folder is getting too full, or to trigger actions based on a certain number of data files. Windows Batch doesn't have a direct COUNT command, but by combining a few standard utilities, you can create a fast and reliable file counting tool.

This guide will show you the most robust method for counting files by piping the output of the DIR command to FIND, explain how to store the result in a variable, and demonstrate how to modify the command to count files recursively or target specific file types.

The Core Method: Combining DIR and FIND​

The most reliable way to count files is to generate a list of them and then count the number of lines in that list.

  1. DIR /A-D /B: This command is the key to getting a clean list.
    • /A-D: This attribute switch tells DIR to list items that are not directories (i.e., only files).
    • /B: This switch provides a "bare" format, listing only the filename for each file, one per line. This clean output is perfect for processing.
  2. FIND /C /V "": This is a standard trick to count lines.
    • FIND /C: This switch tells FIND to count the lines that match.
    • /V "": This tells FIND to look for lines that do not (/V) contain an empty string (""). Since every line contains a non-empty string, this effectively matches and counts every line piped to it.

When you combine them with a pipe (|), you get a direct file count: DIR /A-D /B | FIND /C /V ""

Basic Example: Counting Files in the Current Directory​

Let's run this command in a directory containing a few files and folders.

Consider these directory contents:

- config.ini
- data.csv
- run.bat
- SubFolder\

and this is the command:

C:\MyFolder> DIR /A-D /B | FIND /C /V ""

The command returns a single number representing the count of the files.

3

The SubFolder directory was correctly ignored because of the /A-D switch.

Storing the Count in a Variable​

To use the count in your script's logic, you need to capture this output and store it in a variable. This is done by wrapping the command in a FOR /F loop.

@ECHO OFF
SET "FileCount=0"

REM The FOR /F loop executes the command and captures its output.
FOR /F %%A IN ('DIR /A-D /B ^| FIND /C /V ""') DO (
    SET "FileCount=%%A"
)

ECHO There are %FileCount% files in this directory.

Output:

There are 3 files in this directory.
note

The pipe character | must be escaped with a caret (^|) inside a FOR /F command.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

Problem: The Count Includes Directories​

The most common mistake is forgetting the /A-D switch. Without it, DIR /B lists everything, including subdirectories, leading to an incorrect count.

Let's see the error:

REM This command is WRONG, as it counts SubFolder.
C:\MyFolder> DIR /B | FIND /C /V ""

Output (Incorrectly reports 4 items)

4

Solution: Always use the /A-D attribute switch to ensure you are only listing files.

Problem: Counting Files in Subdirectories (Recursive Count)​

By default, DIR only looks in the specified directory. To count files in all subfolders as well, you need to add the recursive switch.

Solution: Use the /S Switch​

The /S switch tells DIR to search the specified directory and all of its subdirectories.

@ECHO OFF
SET "FileCount=0"
SET "TARGET_FOLDER=C:\Users\Admin\Documents"

FOR /F %%A IN ('DIR "%TARGET_FOLDER%" /S /A-D /B ^| FIND /C /V ""') DO (
    SET "FileCount=%%A"
)

ECHO Total files in and below "%TARGET_FOLDER%": %FileCount%

Problem: Counting Only Files with a Specific Extension​

Often, you don't want to count all files, but only specific types, like .log or .tmp.

Solution: Add a Wildcard Filter​

You can add a standard wildcard search pattern (e.g., *.log) to the DIR command to filter the list before it gets counted.

@ECHO OFF
SET "FileCount=0"
SET "LOG_FOLDER=C:\AppData\Logs"

FOR /F %%A IN ('DIR "%LOG_FOLDER%\*.log" /A-D /B ^| FIND /C /V ""') DO (
    SET "FileCount=%%A"
)

ECHO There are %FileCount% log files in the directory.

This is a very common and useful pattern for monitoring specific file types.

Practical Example: A Script to Report on Log File Accumulation​

This script checks a log directory and warns the user if the number of log files has exceeded a defined threshold.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL

REM --- Configuration ---
SET "LOG_DIRECTORY=E:\Application\Logs"
SET "FILE_MASK=*.log"
SET "WARN_THRESHOLD=500"
SET "FileCount=0"

ECHO --- Log File Monitor ---
ECHO Checking for %FILE_MASK% files in %LOG_DIRECTORY%...

IF NOT EXIST "%LOG_DIRECTORY%" (
    ECHO [ERROR] Directory not found.
    GOTO :End
)

REM --- The Counting Logic ---
FOR /F %%C IN ('DIR "%LOG_DIRECTORY%\%FILE_MASK%" /A-D /B ^| FIND /C /V ""') DO (
    SET "FileCount=%%C"
)

ECHO Found %FileCount% log files.

REM --- The Conditional Logic ---
IF %FileCount% GTR %WARN_THRESHOLD% (
    ECHO [WARNING] The number of log files exceeds the threshold of %WARN_THRESHOLD%.
    ECHO Please consider archiving or deleting old logs.
) ELSE (
    ECHO The number of log files is within normal limits.
)

:End
ENDLOCAL

Conclusion​

Counting files in a batch script is a straightforward process when you combine the DIR and FIND commands. The command DIR /A-D /B | FIND /C /V "" is a robust and flexible foundation for this task.

For reliable results, remember these key principles:

  • Always use /A-D to exclude directories from your count.
  • Add the /S switch to make your count recursive through subfolders.
  • Use a wildcard filter like *.txt to count specific file types.
  • Wrap the command in a FOR /F loop to capture the count into a variable for use in your script's logic.

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