Rename-Item

Syntax

Rename-Item
      [-Path] <String>
      [-NewName] <String>
      [-Force]
      [-PassThru]
      [-Credential <PSCredential>]
      [-WhatIf]
      [-Confirm] 
      [<CommonParameters>]

Rename-Item
      -LiteralPath <String>
      [-NewName] <String>
      [-Force]
      [-PassThru]
      [-Credential <PSCredential>]
      [-WhatIf]
      [-Confirm] 
      [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Rename-Item cmdlet changes the name of a specified item. This cmdlet does not affect the content of the item being renamed.

You can't use Rename-Item to move an item, such as by specifying a path together with the new name. To move and rename an item, use the Move-Item cmdlet.

Examples

Example 1: Rename a file

This command renames the file daily_file.txt to monday_file.txt.

Rename-Item -Path "c:\logfiles\daily_file.txt" -NewName "monday_file.txt"

Example 2: Rename and move an item

You can't use Rename-Item to both rename and move an item. Specifically, you can't supply a path for the value of the NewName parameter, unless the path is identical to the path specified in the Path parameter. Otherwise, only a new name is permitted.

Rename-Item -Path "project.txt" -NewName "d:\archive\old-project.txt"

Rename-Item : can't rename because the target specified represents a path or device name.
At line:1 char:12
+ Rename-Item <<<<  -path project.txt -NewName d:\archive\old-project.txt
+ CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [Rename-Item], PS>  Move-Item -Path "project.txt" -De
stination "d:\archive\old-project.txt"

This example attempts to rename the project.txt file in the current directory to old-project.txt in the D:\Archive directory. The result is the error shown in the output.

Use the Move-Item cmdlet, instead.

Example 3: Rename a registry key

This example renames a registry key from Advertising to Marketing. When the command is complete, the key is renamed, but the registry entries in the key are unchanged.

Rename-Item -Path "HKLM:\Software\MyCompany\Advertising" -NewName "Marketing"

Example 4: Rename multiple files

This example renames all the *.txt files in the current directory to *.log.

Get-ChildItem *.txt

Directory: C:\temp\files

Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----        10/3/2019   7:47 AM           2918 Friday.TXT
-a----        10/3/2019   7:46 AM           2918 Monday.Txt
-a----        10/3/2019   7:47 AM           2918 Wednesday.txt

Get-ChildItem *.txt | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace '.txt','.log' }
Get-ChildItem *.log

Directory: C:\temp\files

Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----        10/3/2019   7:47 AM           2918 Friday.log
-a----        10/3/2019   7:46 AM           2918 Monday.log
-a----        10/3/2019   7:47 AM           2918 Wednesday.log

The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets all the files in the current folder that have a .txt file extension then pipes them to Rename-Item. The value of NewName is a script block that runs before the value is submitted to the NewName parameter.

In the script block, the $_ automatic variable represents each file object as it comes to the command through the pipeline. The script block uses the -replace operator to replace the file extension of each file with .log. Notice that matching using the -replace operator is not case sensitive.

Parameters

-Confirm

-Credential

-Force

-LiteralPath

-NewName

-PassThru

-Path

-WhatIf

Inputs

String

You can pipe a string that contains a path to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None or an object that represents the renamed item.

This cmdlet generates an object that represents the renamed item, if you specify the PassThru parameter. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

Rename-Item is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type Get-PsProvider. For more information, see about_Providers.

Related Links

• Clear-Item
• Copy-Item
• Get-ChildItem
• Get-Item
• Invoke-Item
• Move-Item
• New-Item
• Remove-Item
• Rename-ItemProperty
• Set-Item
• about_Providers