I need to replace part of a file name using a command line utility. I have a directory full of files all prefixed with a name that I want to change, unfortunately the name i want to change to is longer than the original name so rename oldname*.txt longname*.txt changes oldname@file.txt to longnamefile.txt note the missing @ from the name e.g. it should gave been longname@file.txt any ideas?

The resource kits have good tools for this kinda thing..

Moin Lee, this way it will work: ren DriveLetter:\path\???@file.txt verylong@file.txt where you must type exactly as many questionmarks as the old filenames' identical part has got spells. mfg, Carl.

Thanks guys.... I needed to do this with an environment variable.... I came across this on a scripting site and it works... for %%f in (*.txt) do call :RENAME %%f :RENAME echo Called with %1 for /f "eol=; tokens=1* delims=@" %%I in ("%1") do rename %1 %env_variable%@%%J So job done thanks. Carl thanks - I would have needed to know how many chr in the original file - is there a length function in batch files so I could work out how many ???? to use? I'm doing this on multiple machines with multiple users. Basically Im trying to migrate the users cookies in a login script without asking the user to do anything.

The "problem" with the original code is that it does exactly what you asked: @ is part of oldname and you did not include it in longname. Instead of ren DriveLetter:\path\???@file.txt verylong@file.txt Why not ren DriveLetter:\path\*@file.txt verylong@file.txt That way it will change any size oldname file withoput having to count "?".

Hi "Why not ren DriveLetter:\path\*@file.txt verylong@file.txt" I'm trying to rename every instance of oldname@something.txt not one instance so I need a wildcard in both parts of the command. your command would rename every file to verylong@file.txt , well it would try to but fail after the first instance. what i have is lots of files: oldname@bt.com.txt oldname@microsoft.com.txt oldname@citrix.com.txt and I want to rename them all to newname@bt.com.txt newname@microsoft.com.txt newname@citrix.com.txt Thanks for the help guys... but I have a solution in my previous post now using a for command.