>
>
>
>

Persistent (static) routes in Windows remain active even after system reboots, unlike temporary routes which are cleared upon restart. These routes are stored in the Windows registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\PersistentRoutes.

>
>
>
>

The simplest way to clear all persistent routes is using the route command with the -f flag:

>
>

route -f
>
>

>
>

However, this command clears ALL routes (both temporary and persistent). To specifically target only persistent routes, we need a more nuanced approach.

>
>
>
>

To view all persistent routes before deletion:

>
>

route print -4
>
>route print -6
>
>

>
>

For a more surgical removal of specific persistent routes:

>
>

route -p delete 192.168.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1
>
>

>
>
>
>

For automation scenarios, here's a VBScript solution:

>
>

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
>
>objShell.Run "cmd /c route -f", 0, True
>
>

>
>
>
>

This PowerShell script completely removes all persistent routes by cleaning the registry:

>
>

Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" -Name "PersistentRoutes" -Force
>
>

>
>
>
>

1. Administrative privileges are required for all these operations
>
>2. Clearing routes may disrupt network connectivity
>
>3. Consider backing up routes before deletion using:
>
>route print > routes_backup.txt

>
>

---

Persistent (static) routes remain in the routing table even after system reboots, unlike temporary routes which disappear when the interface goes down or the system restarts. This persistence is useful for maintaining critical network paths but can become problematic when configurations change.

The most efficient way to clear all persistent routes is through the command prompt with administrative privileges:

@echo off
:: Backup current persistent routes
route print > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\route_backup.txt"

:: Remove all persistent routes
for /f "tokens=3 delims= " %%i in ('route print ^| findstr "Persistent"') do (
    route delete %%i
)

:: Verify removal
route print | findstr "Persistent"
if %errorlevel% equ 1 (
    echo All persistent routes removed successfully
) else (
    echo Some persistent routes remain, try running as Administrator
)

For automated environments or system administrators who prefer scripting:

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objExec = objShell.Exec("cmd /c route print")

strOutput = objExec.StdOut.ReadAll
arrLines = Split(strOutput, vbCrLf)

For Each strLine in arrLines
    If InStr(strLine, "Persistent") > 0 Then
        arrParts = Split(strLine)
        strInterface = arrParts(3)
        objShell.Run "route delete " & strInterface, 0, True
    End If
Next

WScript.Echo "All persistent routes have been removed"

• Always back up current routes before deletion
• Some routes may be protected by system policies
• Removing all routes may cause network connectivity issues
• For hybrid networks, consider selective deletion using network masks

If you encounter "The requested operation requires elevation" errors:

1. Right-click Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator"
2. For scripts, use "runas" command or Task Scheduler with highest privileges