Windows – How to rename a file with a partially unknown filename

batchcmd.exewindows 10

This is a Windows 10 batch file question. I need to rename a series of files based on their names, but I only know part of the name for each file. With guidance from various pages on this site, I've tried the following steps. I tired the commented FOR but they didn't work. The REN command worked partially, but didn't preserve the entire original filename. I hope the following code will help you understand what I'm trying to do.

::Append 00 as a prefix to the name of whatever filename contains a specific string
::
setlocal
::set fname=
set fname=ADPMasterControl.pdf
::SITE EXAMPLE: for %a in (prefix*.txt) do @(set "fname=%a" & call ren "%fname%" "%fname:*prefix=%")
::for %a in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf) do @(set fname=%a & call ren %fname% "%fname:*prefix=%")
::for %a in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf) do @(set fname=%a & call ren %fname% "00 %fname%")
::for %a in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf) do (set fname=%a & call ren %fname% "00 %fname%")
ren *%fname% "00 *%fname%" <----------this KINDA SORTA works but it's dropping/replacing the first three characters of the original filename instead of just appending "00 " to the beginning

Desired:
ren 1234_###_1_4641_2020-07-30_ADPMasterControl.pdf "00 1234_###_1_4641_2020-07-30_ADPMasterControl.pdf"

What actually happened:
ren 1234_###_1_4641_2020-07-30_ADPMasterControl.pdf "00 4_###_1_4641_2020-07-30_ADPMasterControl.pdf"

echo . > "08 Pays to Non-Actives.txt" <---THIS WORKED FINE
pause
exit

Best Answer

  • For PowerShell one line:

For test first with -WhatIf

Get-item "C:\Folder\Files\*ADPMasterControl.pdf" | Foreach-Object { Rename-Item $_.FullName -NewName ('00 '+$_.Name) -WhatIf }

# Or,... ::

gi "C:\Folder\Files\*ADPMasterControl.pdf" | % { ren $_.fullname -new ('00 '+$_.name) -WhatIf }

If the results in the predicted executions are the expected effects, just remove -WhatIf and effectively the execution will take place:

Get-item "C:\Folder\Files\*ADPMasterControl.pdf" | Foreach-Object { Rename-Item $_.FullName -NewName ('00 '+$_.Name) -WhatIf  }

# Or,... ::

gi "C:\Folder\Files\*ADPMasterControl.pdf" | % { ren $_.fullname -new ('00 '+$_.name) -WhatIf }
  • For cmd/bat/command-line

For only actual folder:

cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for %i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%~fi" "00 %~nxi"

For recursively:

cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for /r %i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%~fi" "00 %~nxi"

Obs.: 1 To use in the command line, in bat, you have to double the variable %~i | %%~i in for loop, yours attempts are not doing/using this:

cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for %%i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%%~fi" "00 %%~nxi"
cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for /r %%i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%%~fi" "00 %%~nxi"

Obs.: 2 Remove the echo\ after seeing in the outputs if it works well for what you need:

cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for %%i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%%~fi" "00 %%~nxi"
cd /d "d\your\root\folder\where\files\tree\start\"
for /r %%i in (*ADPMasterControl.pdf)do echo\rename "%%~fi" "00 %%~nxi"
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