The Action menu on the File Catalog, Files on Computers, and Find Files page provides the following choices for deleting files:

Delete file instances
On the Files on Computers and Find Files pages, this command operates only on the computers associated with the files you checked. It submits a request to remove all instances of files matching the hash of the selected files only from the computers associated with the file instances you checked. Instances of the same hash on computers that were not selected will not be deleted.
 
Delete files from all computers
On the File Catalog page, this submits a request to delete all instances of files matching the hash of the checked files in the table on all computers reporting to the current server.

The advantage of executing delete file commands from a console table is that you can delete multiple files at once. For example, you might use the table filtering tools to get a list of files meeting certain criteria, check the box next to each file’s name, and request that they be deleted in one operation. However, this also requires carefully checking the list of files before you execute the command so that you avoid deleting a file by accident.

Note: For more information on filtering the results shown on table pages, see Console Tables in Using the Console

Request Deletion of Selected File Instances

Use this procedure to request deletion of selected file instances via the Files on Computers or Find Files page.

Procedure

  1. On the console menu, choose either Assets > Files or Tools > Find Files.
  2. If you are on the Files page click on the Files on Computers tab.
  3. Search or filter the list to locate the files you want to delete and check the boxes next to their names.
  4. On the Action menu, choose Delete file instances.
    The Files on Computers tab showing the Action menu with the Delete files instances option selected
  5. Examine the information in the confirmation box, and if you want to proceed with the deletion, click OK.
    The file deletion confirmation dialog

    A banner indicating that the delete request was successfully created should appear. Each instance checked is scheduled for deletion from the computer on which it was found, and all files with the same hash on the same computers are also scheduled for deletion.

    You can check the Events page to confirm that the files are actually deleted or see any error messages related to the action, such as failure to delete a file that cannot be deleted or failure to delete a file that no longer exists. When one deletion request affects multiple instances of a file, one event appears to report the outcome of the deletion attempt (success or failure) for each instance.

Request Deletion of All Instances of Selected Files

Use this procedure request deletion of all instances of selected files via the File Catalog page.

Procedure

  1. On the console menu, choose Assets > Files. The Files page appears.
  2. If File Catalog is not the current view, click on the File Catalog tab.
  3. Search or filter the list to locate the files you want to delete and check the boxes next to their names.
  4. On the Action menu, choose Delete files from all computers.
    The File Catalog tab showing the Action menu with the Delete files from all computers option selected
  5. Examine the information in the confirmation box, and if you want to proceed with the deletion, click OK.
    The file deletion confirmation dialog

    A banner indicating that the delete request was successfully created should appear. All files with the same hash as any of the selected files are scheduled for deletion. You can check the Events page to confirm that the files are actually deleted or see any error messages related to the action, such as failure to delete a file that cannot be deleted or failure to delete a file that no longer exists. When one deletion request affects multiple instances of a file, one event appears to report the outcome of the deletion attempt (success or failure) for each instance.