Renames files or directories. This command is the same as the rename command.
For examples of how to use this command, see Examples.
Syntax
ren [<Drive>:][<Path>]<FileName1> <FileName2> rename [<Drive>:][<Path>]<FileName1> <FileName2>
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
|
[<Drive>:][<Path>]<FileName1> |
Specifies the location and name of the file or set of files you want to rename. FileName1 can include wildcard characters (* and ?). |
|
<FileName2> |
Specifies the new name for the file. You can use wildcard characters to specify new names for multiple files. |
|
/? |
Displays help at the command prompt. |
Remarks
- You cannot specify a new drive or path when renaming files.
- You cannot use the ren command to rename files across
drives or to move files to a different directory.
- You can use wildcard characters (* and ?) in
either FileName parameter. Characters that are represented
by wildcard characters in FileName2 will be identical to the
corresponding characters in FileName1.
- FileName2 must be a unique file name. If
FileName2 matches an existing file name, ren displays
the following message:
Duplicate file name or file not found
Examples
To change all the .txt file name extensions in the current directory to .doc extensions, type:
ren *.txt *.doc
To change the name of a directory from Chap10 to Part10, type:
ren chap10 part10