Delete user files - windows

Question

I have created a script to delete the files of the users within the assigned path.
I'd like to unify the variables so I don't make it too long.
$folder = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\*"
$folder2 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Desktop\*"
$folder3 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Documents\*"
$folder4 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Contacts\*"
$folder5 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Downloads\*"
$folder6 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Favorites\*"
$folder7 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\links\*"
$folder8 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Music\*"
$folder9 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\OneDrive\*"
$folder10 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Pictures\*"
$folder11 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Searches\*"
$folder12 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Videos\*"
If (Test-Path $folder) {
Remove-Item $folder -Exclude AppData,Contacts,Desktop,Documents,Downloads,Favorites,Links,Music,OneDrive,Pictures,Searches,Videos -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder2 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder3 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder4 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder5 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder6 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder7 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder8 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder9 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder10 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder11 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder12 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
I've tried the following way and it doesn't work:
$folder = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\*"
$folder2 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Desktop\*"
$folder3 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Documents\*"
$folder4 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Contacts\*"
$folder5 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Downloads\*"
$folder6 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Favorites\*"
$folder7 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\links\*"
$folder8 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Music\*"
$folder9 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\OneDrive\*"
$folder10 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Pictures\*"
$folder11 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Searches\*"
$folder12 = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Videos\*"
If (Test-Path $folder) {
Remove-Item $folder -Exclude AppData,Contacts,Desktop,Documents,Downloads,Favorites,Links,Music,OneDrive,Pictures,Searches,Videos -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $folder2 + $folder3 + $folder4 + $folder5 + $folder6 + $folder7 + $folder8 + $folder9 + $folder10 + $folder11 + $folder12 -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
I would also like to get a log of what has been done, for example, if files or folders were found within the paths.
Thank you so much.

Answer 1

The -Path parameter of Remove-Item accepts a string array as input, if you want to remove more than one item at once.
Now with the syntax $folder2 + $folder3 you are creating a concatenated string like: "C:\Users\foo\Desktop\*C:\Users\foo\Desktop\*"". That is nothing that Remove-Item can handle.
You can build a string array of paths like this:
$folder = "C:\Users\$env:USERNAME"
$foldersToRemove = #(
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Desktop",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Documents",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Contacts",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Downloads",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Favorites",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\links",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Music",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\OneDrive",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Pictures",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Searches",
"C:\Users\$env:USERNAME\Videos")
If (Test-Path $folder) {
Remove-Item $folder -Exclude AppData, Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, OneDrive, Pictures, Searches, Videos -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item $foldersToRemove -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
About your second requirement:
The -Verbose parameter will make Remove-Item tell you, which folders are removed. If you need your log in a file, you can redirect the verbose stream like this:
Remove-Item $foldersToRemove -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Verbose 4> .\deletedFolders.log