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# rmx
**⚡ Fast Parallel Deletion for Windows**
*Quickly delete files, folders, and resolve file locking issues at blazing speed*
[](LICENSE)
[](https://www.microsoft.com/windows)
[](https://www.rust-lang.org)
[English](./README.md) | [简体中文](./README_zh-CN.md)
</div>
<table align="center">
<tr>
<td align="center"><b>🖥️ Explorer vs rmx</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>⚡ Terminal Benchmark</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><img src="docs/demo.webp" alt="rmx Explorer demo" width="400"></td>
<td><img src="docs/promo.webp" alt="rmx terminal benchmark" width="400"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><sub>Windows Explorer delete vs rmx — night and day</sub></td>
<td align="center"><sub>rmx vs rmdir /s /q — parallel wins</sub></td>
</tr>
</table>
---
## ✨ Performance
Benchmark: 476 MB / 51,705 files+directories (npm node_modules, 3-run average)
| Rank | Method | Time | vs rmx |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| 🥇 | **⚡ rmx** | **4,120 ms** | **1.00x** |
| 🥈 | cmd rmdir /s /q | 7,496 ms | 1.82x slower |
| 🥉 | PowerShell Remove-Item | 7,623 ms | 1.85x slower |
| 4 | Git Bash rm -rf | 8,394 ms | 2.04x slower |
## 🚀 Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| 📁 **Files & Folders** | Delete individual files, directories, and batch deletions seamlessly |
| 🔥 **POSIX Delete** | Uses `FILE_DISPOSITION_POSIX_SEMANTICS` for immediate namespace removal |
| ⚡ **Parallel** | Multi-threaded workers with dependency-aware scheduling |
| 🎯 **Direct API** | Bypasses high-level abstractions using native Windows API |
| 📏 **Long Paths** | Handles paths >260 characters with `\\?\` prefix |
| 🔄 **Auto Retry** | Exponential backoff for locked files |
| 🔓 **Delete Locked Items** | Terminate processes locking files/directories and delete them with `--kill-processes` |
| 🔓 **Unlock Items** | Unlock files/directories by closing handles and terminating locking processes without deletion using `--unlock` |
## 📦 Installation
### Scoop (Recommended)
```powershell
# Add the rmx bucket
scoop bucket add rmx https://github.com/zerx-lab/rmx
# Install
scoop install rmx
```
### Cargo
```bash
# Install from GitHub
cargo install --git https://github.com/zerx-lab/rmx
# Or install from local source
cargo install --path .
```
### Manual Download
Download the latest release from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/zerx-lab/rmx/releases).
## 🔄 Update
```bash
# Self-upgrade (recommended)
rmx upgrade
# Only check for updates
rmx upgrade --check
# Force upgrade, bypass package manager detection
rmx upgrade --force
```
Or update via your package manager:
```powershell
# Scoop
scoop update rmx
# Cargo
cargo install --git https://github.com/zerx-lab/rmx --force
```
## 📖 Usage
### Delete Directories
```bash
# Delete a single directory
rmx ./node_modules
# Delete multiple directories at once
rmx ./target ./node_modules ./dist
# Recursively delete directory and contents
rmx -r ./build_output
```
### Delete Files
```bash
# Delete a single file
rmx ./log.txt
# Delete multiple files
rmx ./file1.txt ./file2.log ./cache.db
```
### Delete Locked Files or Directories
```bash
# Terminate processes locking files/directories and delete them
rmx --kill-processes ./locked_directory
# Force termination, recursive deletion with locking process cleanup
rmx -rf --kill-processes ./path
```
### Unlock Files or Directories (Without Deleting)
```bash
# Only unlock a file without deleting it
rmx --unlock ./locked_file.txt
# Unlock a directory without deleting it
rmx --unlock ./locked_directory
# Unlock with verbose output to see process details
rmx --unlock -v ./path
```
### Preview & Safety
```bash
# Dry run (preview what would be deleted without actually deleting)
rmx -n ./node_modules
# Verbose mode with detailed statistics
rmx -v --stats ./target
# Force deletion (skip confirmation prompt)
rmx --force ./path
```
### Self Upgrade
```bash
# Upgrade to the latest version
rmx upgrade
# Only check if a new version is available
rmx upgrade --check
# Force upgrade, bypass package manager detection
rmx upgrade --force
```
rmx auto-detects the installation method (Scoop, Cargo, npm). For manual installations, it downloads the latest release from GitHub and replaces the binary in-place.
### Shell Extension
Initialize rmx shell extension for Windows Explorer right-click menu:
```powershell
# Initialize shell extension (install or reinstall)
rmx init
```
After initialization, right-click any file or folder to see the "Delete with rmx" submenu with "Delete", "Delete (no process kill)" and "Unlock".
**Note:** Run PowerShell or CMD as Administrator for the init command.
### Interface Language
The progress, confirmation, error and unlock windows follow `--lang`:
```bash
# Use English
rmx --gui --lang en -r ./node_modules
# Use Chinese
rmx --gui --lang zh -r ./node_modules
# Follow the settings key, then the Windows interface language (default)
rmx --gui --lang auto -r ./node_modules
```
The Explorer menu follows the `Language` value in
`HKCU\Software\rmx\Settings`, and then the Windows UI language. Set that value
to change the menu language:
```powershell
reg add "HKCU\Software\rmx\Settings" /v Language /t REG_SZ /d en /f
```
With `auto` (the default), the windows use the same order as the menu.
Without a recognized `Language` value, a Chinese Windows shows Chinese and
every other language shows English. The `--lang zh` and `--lang en` values
override the setting for the windows only. The command line output stays
English in every language.
## ⚙️ Options
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `-r, -R, --recursive` | Remove directories and their contents recursively |
| `-f, --force` | Force deletion without confirmation |
| `-t, --threads <N>` | Number of worker threads (default: CPU count) |
| `-n, --dry-run` | Scan but don't delete |
| `-v, --verbose` | Show progress and errors |
| `--stats` | Show detailed statistics |
| `--no-preserve-root` | Do not treat '/' specially |
| `--kill-processes` | Terminate processes locking files/directories, then delete them |
| `--unlock` | Only unlock files/directories (close handles) without deleting |
| `--lang <LANG>` | Interface language: `zh`, `en` or `auto` (the settings key, then the Windows UI language; default) |
### Subcommands
| Subcommand | Description |
|------------|-------------|
| `init` | Initialize shell extension (Windows Explorer right-click menu) |
| `uninstall` | Remove shell extension and context menu handler |
| `upgrade` | Upgrade rmx to the latest version from GitHub Releases |
| `upgrade --check` | Only check for updates without installing |
| `upgrade --force` | Force upgrade, bypass package manager detection |
## 🛡️ Safety Features
| Protection | Description |
|------------|-------------|
| 🚫 System directories | Cannot delete `C:\Windows`, `C:\Program Files`, etc. |
| 🏠 Home directory | Cannot delete user's home directory |
| 📂 Current directory | Warns when deleting CWD or its parents |
| ✅ Confirmation | Asks for confirmation by default (use `-f` to skip) |
## 🔧 Technical Details
### Windows API Usage
- `CreateFileW` with `FILE_SHARE_DELETE` for non-blocking access
- `SetFileInformationByHandle` with `FILE_DISPOSITION_INFORMATION_EX`
- `FILE_DISPOSITION_POSIX_SEMANTICS` for immediate removal
- `FILE_DISPOSITION_IGNORE_READONLY_ATTRIBUTE` for read-only files
- `FindFirstFileExW` / `FindNextFileW` for fast enumeration
### File Lock Handling
When a file is locked by another process:
1. Retry up to 10 times with exponential backoff (10ms → 100ms)
2. If still locked, record failure and continue with other files
3. Report all failures at the end
## 📋 Requirements
- Windows 10 version 1607 or later
- NTFS filesystem
## 📄 License
MIT
---
<div align="center">
**[⬆ Back to Top](#rmx)**
Made with ❤️ for Windows developers
</div>