Renaming files in a folder

[Guest]

How can rename every file in a particular folder by replacing just certain
words? I need to replace 3 non connected words in each file name with the
same word for each file. It has been a long time and I have tried doing this
two ways through the command prompt and can not get it to work.

Please help!

Thank you!

 

[Bob I]

A really complicated rename can be done with Excel or other spreadsheet
program. and then make a BAT file

First DIR > filelist.txt

gets you a listing to work with

Pop a copy into the spreadsheet workbook sheet one and a second copy on
sheet two.

On sheet one insert a column left of the names and fill it with "rename"

On sheet 2 do a find and replace for the "words" you need to change out

Now copy column A from sheet 2 over to column C on sheet 1
So "rename" is column A, and old filename is in colunm B, and
newfilename is column C

Now save sheet 1 as text.

you should have a file with one line per file to be renamed, rename to
to newname.bat and run it to change the names.

 

[Guest]

Okay Bob. These are Word documents which I am talking about. They are all
in the same folder and this is all that is in the folder. Is there no way to
use the rename or replace function at the command prompt to replace the words
which I need to change? What you have explained sounds more complicated than
what I have been doing. I guess I thought there had to be an easier way than
renaming each file seperately by right clicking and changing the 3 words on
every file. Maybe there isn't. Thank you for your response. I hope there
is an easier way!

 

[Bob I]

Well it's like this, I don't know the file names, and I don't know what
words are to be replaced, and I don't know what number of letters in the
words to be replaced is, or if letters are to be added or subtracted
making the file names longer or shorter. I gave you a method that will
work. Plus you can look at the bat file and tell whether it's right or
not before you run it. So I ask, you want easy, or you want right? Other
possibility is to find someone else to do it, I guess.

 

[Guest]

Okay Bob. I have done this and after I was finished I saved the file as a
..txt file. Then I am in the folder where I want to run this file, I type Run
and the file path of the .txt file and it tells me that run is not recognized
as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. I took
out the run thinking if I just typed in the path of the file it might run it
and it tells me the same thing about C:\Documents which is where I have my
file saved. I must be doing something wrong. Can you help me?

 

[Bob I]

My last line of instructions were

you should have a file with one line per file to be renamed, rename to
"newname.bat" and run it to change the names