Renaming Hidden and System files Command

batch-file delete-file file-rename xcopy
Built on Sin picture Built on Sin · Jul 30, 2013 · Viewed 17.2k times · Source

I'm trying to figure out a way to rename Desktop.ini to *.ini and back again. The problem is I need to do this with the attributes in tact (So I cannot remove hidden and system and then rename). The only solution I have come up with is xcopy and del but I am having trouble with the syntax on options, source options and destination options.

This is what I have come up with:

@ECHO OFF

xcopy /H /R Desktop.ini Desktop.txt /K
del /Q /AHS Desktop.ini
xcopy /H /R Desktop.txt Desktop.ini /K
del /Q /AHS Desktop.txt

Pause

exit /b

Answer

Ansgar Wiechers picture Ansgar Wiechers · Jul 30, 2013

When using ren you must remove hidden and system flags, rename the file, then set the flags again:

attrib -s -h desktop.ini
ren desktop.ini desktop.txt
attrib +s +h desktop.txt

If you can't do that, you have to use something else, e.g. VBScript:

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
fso.GetFile(WScript.Arguments(0)).Name = WScript.Arguments(1)

or PowerShell:

Rename-Item 'desktop.ini' 'desktop.txt' -Force

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