Recursively Rename Files in Windows Batch Script

Batch scripting is a powerful tool for automating tasks in the Windows environment. One such task is renaming files recursively in a directory and its subdirectories. This guide will walk you through creating a basic batch script to achieve this, highlighting each step and providing a comprehensive explanation.

Creating a Batch Script for Recursive File Renaming

To rename all .txt files to .bak files in a specified directory and its subdirectories, you can use a combination of the for and ren commands in a Windows batch script. Below is a simple example of such a script.

Example Batch Script

@echo offsetlocal enabledelayedexpansionrem Specify the directory to start fromset startDirC:pathtostartdirectorycd /d %startDir%rem Recursively find and rename filesfor /r %F in (*.txt) do (    set newName%~dpF%~    ren %F %newName%)endlocal

Explanation of the Batch Script

@echo off: Prevents commands from being displayed in the command prompt. setlocal enabledelayedexpansion: Enables delayed variable expansion, allowing dynamic variables within loops. set startDirC:pathtostartdirectory: Replace this path with the directory where you want to start renaming files. cd /d %startDir%: Changes the current directory to the specified start directory. for /r %F in (*.txt) do: This command iterates over each .txt file found in the specified directory and its subdirectories. set newName%~dpF%~ Constructs the new file name by taking the drive path and name of the original file and appending .bak as the new extension. ren %F %newName%: Renames the original file to the new file name. endlocal: Ends the local environment.

Usage

Copy the script into a text file. Change the path in set startDirC:pathtostartdirectory to your target directory. Save the file with a .bat extension, for example Run the batch file by double-clicking it.

Note: Be cautious when running scripts that rename files as this action can’t be easily undone. Consider testing the script in a safe environment first.

Using the REN Command

For more manual file renamings, you can use the ren command directly in the command prompt. For instance, to rename mydocument.txt to myfile.txt, use the following command:

ren mydocument.txt myfile.txt

To view the full syntax and options for the ren command, enter:

ren /?

This guide should help you become proficient in using batch scripts for recursive file renaming in the Windows command prompt.