How to Delete a Non-Empty FTP Directory

FTP or File Transfer Protocol is a method for transferring files over a network. The files are stored on an FTP server, which use directories to store files in an organized manner. The FTP "delete" command is used to delete files. The "rmdir" command is used to remove directories. You must delete the files contained within the directory before you can delete the actual directory.

Instructions

1. Open a command prompt window on a Windows computer or a terminal window on a Linux computer.

2. Type the command "ftp hostname" to log into the FTP server. Replace "hostname" with the host name or IP address of the FTP server.

3. Type the command "delete dir_name/*" to delete the files within the directory. Replace "dir_name" with the name of the directory that you want to delete.

4. Type the command "rmdir dir_name" to remove the directory.

5. Type the command "quit" to close the FTP session.

References

• Computer Science Department Colorado State University: Basic FTP Commands