Log cleanup automation in PowerShell - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of log cleanup automation?

To automatically delete or archive old log files to save disk space and keep the system organized.

beginner

In PowerShell, which cmdlet is commonly used to remove files?

The <code>Remove-Item</code> cmdlet is used to delete files or folders.

intermediate

How can you find files older than 30 days in PowerShell?

Use Get-ChildItem with Where-Object to filter files by their LastWriteTime property, like: Get-ChildItem | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30) }.

beginner

Why is it important to test a log cleanup script before scheduling it?

To make sure it deletes only the intended files and does not remove important data by mistake.

beginner

What PowerShell feature allows you to schedule a script to run regularly?

You can use Windows Task Scheduler to run PowerShell scripts on a schedule.

Which PowerShell cmdlet deletes files?

A Set-Location

B Get-Content

C Remove-Item

D New-Item

Remove-Item deletes files or folders. The others do not delete files.

How do you select files older than 7 days in PowerShell?

A Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7) }

B Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -gt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7) }

C Get-ChildItem -OlderThan 7

D Remove-Item -OlderThan 7

Files older than 7 days have LastWriteTime less than the date 7 days ago.

What is a safe first step before deleting files with a script?

A Delete all files immediately

B Run the script as administrator without testing

C Ignore file dates

D Run the script with <code>-WhatIf</code> to simulate deletion

-WhatIf shows what would happen without deleting files, helping avoid mistakes.

Which tool schedules PowerShell scripts to run automatically?

A Windows Task Scheduler

B PowerShell ISE

C Notepad

D File Explorer

Windows Task Scheduler runs scripts or programs on a set schedule.

What does Get-ChildItem do in PowerShell?

A Changes file permissions

B Lists files and folders in a directory

C Creates new files

D Deletes files

Get-ChildItem lists files and folders, useful for selecting files to delete.

Explain how to create a PowerShell script that deletes log files older than 30 days.

Think about listing, filtering, deleting, and testing steps.

Describe how to schedule a PowerShell log cleanup script to run every week.

Focus on scheduling steps using Windows tools.