•Arnošt Havelka
The Rename Command
Give files new names.
Start Interactive Lesson
The ren (or rename) command is straightforward: it changes the name of a file. It cannot move files to a different directory; for that, you need move.
Try the command
Try renaming a file!
Build the command
ren
filenameThe current name of the file.
newnameThe new name for the file. Note: You cannot specify a new path here.
Terminal
C:\Users\Student>ren draft.txt final.txt
Real-World Examples
Simple rename:
Terminal
C:\Users\Student>ren raw_data.csv data_2024.csv
Bulk rename extensions:
Terminal
C:\Users\Student>ren *.htm *.html
Knowledge Check
1 / 2Can 'ren' move a file to another folder?
References
These documentation links provide authoritative details for the commands used in this article.
Up Next
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Learn to move files and folders, rename them, and control overwrite prompts with the CMD move command and /y switch.