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ren (command)
open-in-new
<h2 id="implementations">Implementations</h2> <p>The command is available in the operating systems <a href="/facts/Digital_Research/9bYQl2pI">Digital Research</a> <a href="/facts/CP%2fM/n5rTgXdC">CP/M</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> <a href="/facts/MP%2fM/slxQMszr">MP/M</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Cromemco/5s4vFkQK">Cromemco</a> <a href="/facts/Cromemco_DOS/DQlC6uKq">CDOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> <a href="/facts/MetaComCo/2mq2Jlb3">MetaComCo</a> <a href="/facts/TRIPOS/Wrj0r0ma">TRIPOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> <a href="/facts/DOS/sWwDXNmX">DOS</a>, <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a> <a href="/facts/OS%2f2/uVBl6ItP">OS/2</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> <a href="/facts/ReactOS/BFmfC6BB">ReactOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> <a href="/facts/SymbOS/xwVckFY0">SymbOS</a>, and DexOS. </p><p><a href="/facts/Multics/y7A5peyu">Multics</a> includes a rename command to rename a directory entry. It can be contracted to rn.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/Stratus_Technologies/Hy4RpnW3">Stratus</a> <a href="/facts/Stratus_VOS/aBAqvTrD">OpenVOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Digital_Equipment_Corporation/ztxs6keA">DEC</a> <a href="/facts/RT-11/AXaahzdB">RT-11</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> <a href="/facts/OS%2f8/tentXljI">OS/8</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> <a href="/facts/RSX-11/aQB8k3f5">RSX-11</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Intel/SMF0gJJX">Intel</a> <a href="/facts/ISIS_(operating_system)/xJMURtnq">ISIS-II</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> <a href="/facts/RMX_(operating_system)/wXBPoFsh">iRMX 86</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> <a href="/facts/TOPS-20/uBCxEqk9">TOPS-20</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Zilog/sB6jH5vw">Zilog</a> <a href="/facts/Z80-RIO/LTEUl0KU">Z80-RIO</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Technical_Systems_Consultants/ePzb8MtR">TSC</a> <a href="/facts/FLEX_(operating_system)/SH7UGP0E">FLEX</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Microware/voC4tGPv">Microware</a> <a href="/facts/OS-9/6dYWMW3f">OS-9</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> DR <a href="/facts/FlexOS/563z8WWo">FlexOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> IBM/<a href="/facts/Toshiba/QHRaw8Tr">Toshiba</a> <a href="/facts/4690_Operating_System/wEIsvjtF">4690 OS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Hewlett-Packard/abuNSYNu">HP</a> <a href="/facts/HP_Multi-Programming_Executive/sqWtI9Qh">MPE/iX</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a> <a href="/facts/THEOS/sM4UKLrs">THEOS/OASIS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24"><sup>24</sup></a> and <a href="/facts/OpenVMS/rAnHAgpD">OpenVMS</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25"><sup>25</sup></a> also provide the rename command which in some cases can be contracted to ren. </p><p>The rename command is supported by <a href="/facts/Tim_Paterson/HBX5RLAl">Tim Paterson</a>'s <a href="/facts/Seattle_Computer_Products/Av2YUqDQ">SCP</a> <a href="/facts/86-DOS/u0Hm0Ijv">86-DOS</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26"><sup>26</sup></a> On <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a>, the command is available in versions 1 and later.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27"><sup>27</sup></a> <a href="/facts/DR_DOS_6.0/GcCTKutW">DR DOS 6.0</a> also includes an implementation of the ren and rename commands.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28"><sup>28</sup></a> </p><p>In <a href="/facts/Windows_PowerShell/G1d10lwn">Windows PowerShell</a>, ren is a predefined <a href="/facts/Alias_(command)/BL5hJMxl">command alias</a> for the Rename-Item Cmdlet which basically serves the same purpose.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29"><sup>29</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/The_Software_Link/43yMylCR">TSL</a> <a href="/facts/PC-MOS/4HyyxdDa">PC-MOS</a> includes an implementation of rename.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:30" href="#fn:30"><sup>30</sup></a> Like the rest of the operating system, it is licensed under the <a href="/facts/GPL_v3/S75KhLSX">GPL v3</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:31" href="#fn:31"><sup>31</sup></a> </p><p>It is also available in the <a href="/facts/Open-source_license/FlFTwHmd">open source</a> MS-DOS <a href="/facts/Emulator/FMHE8qDj">emulator</a> <a href="/facts/DOSBox/Du2egHYo">DOSBox</a>. </p> <h2 id="example">Example</h2> >ren filename newname >ren *.htm *.html <p>Another example. This will rename a default video found in <a href="/facts/Windows_7/tldLdbnX">Windows 7</a> with a new name: </p> >rename "C:\Users\Public\Videos\Sample Videos\Wildlife.wmv" "Wildlife2.wmv" <p>The first parameter <i>may</i> contain a drive and a path, but the second parameter must contain only the new filename. </p><p>To remove certain characters of a file name in Microsoft Windows command prompt (XP & Higher) : </p> >rename "abcd*.txt" "////*.txt" <p>This will remove <i>abcd</i> from the file name. </p><p>Notes: </p> <ol><li>Same number of / as the number of initial characters to remove.</li> <li>Double quotes for both arguments.</li> <li>It doesn't remove . from file name</li></ol> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: <i>Guide to Windows Commands</i> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_DOS_commands/d72UqhJ3">List of DOS commands</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Windows_PowerShell/G1d10lwn">List of PowerShell commands</a></li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>Wolverton, Van (1990). <i>MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition</i>. <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Press/5bNASSu4">Microsoft Press</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1556152894.</li> <li>Kathy Ivens; Brian Proffit (1993). <i>OS/2 Inside & Out</i>. <a href="/facts/Osborne_McGraw-Hill/srSyQSsY">Osborne McGraw-Hill</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0078818714.</li> <li>Frisch, Æleen (2001). <i>Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference</i>. <a href="/facts/O%2527Reilly_Media/Fr3Kv7sm">O'Reilly</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-596-00148-3.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ren">ren | Microsoft Docs</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Rügheimer, Hannes; Spanik, Christian (September 19, 1988). AmigaDOS quick reference. Grand Rapids, Mi : Abacus. ISBN 9781557550491 – via Internet Archive. <a href="9781557550491" target="_blank">9781557550491</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Manual" (PDF). www.cpm.z80.de. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="http://www.cpm.z80.de/manuals/cpm22-m.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.cpm.z80.de/manuals/cpm22-m.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Digital Research (July 1981) [1979]. MP/M - Multi-Programming Monitor Control Program - User's Guide (PDF) (4 ed.). Pacific Grove, CA, USA: Digital Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-04. <a href="/wiki/Digital_Research" target="_blank">/wiki/Digital_Research</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Digital Research (1981-09-25). MP/M-86 Operating System - User's Guide (PDF) (1 ed.). Pacific Grove, CA, USA: Digital Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-04. <a href="/wiki/Digital_Research" target="_blank">/wiki/Digital_Research</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>CDOS USER'S MANUAL <a href="http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/Cromemco/CDOSv1.PDF" target="_blank">http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/Cromemco/CDOSv1.PDF</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Manual" (PDF). www.pagetable.com. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="https://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigados_tripos/tripos_manuals.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigados_tripos/tripos_manuals.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands". Archived from the original on 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2019-07-06. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#RENAME" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#RENAME</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Microsoft TechNet Rename (ren) article". 11 September 2009. <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490987.aspx" target="_blank">https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490987.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"reactos/reactos". GitHub. 3 January 2022. <a href="https://github.com/reactos/reactos" target="_blank">https://github.com/reactos/reactos</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Multics Commands". www.multicians.org. <a href="https://www.multicians.org/multics-commands.html" target="_blank">https://www.multicians.org/multics-commands.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Manual" (PDF). stratadoc.stratus.com. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="http://stratadoc.stratus.com/vos/19.1.0/r098-19/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/r098-19.pdf" target="_blank">http://stratadoc.stratus.com/vos/19.1.0/r098-19/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/r098-19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"RT-11 HELP FILE". paleoferrosaurus.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2018-07-16. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#RENAME" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#RENAME</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Concise Command Language" (CCL)."OS/8 Handbook" (PDF). April 1974. Retrieved 28 November 2017. <a href="http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp8/os8/OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf" target="_blank">http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp8/os8/OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>John F. Pieper (1987). RSX A Guide for Users (PDF). Digital Equipment Corporation. ISBN 0-932376-90-8. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="0-932376-90-8" target="_blank">0-932376-90-8</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>ISIS II Users Guide <a href="http://bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/ISIS_II/9800306-06_ISIS-II_Users_Guide_May81.pdf" target="_blank">http://bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/ISIS_II/9800306-06_ISIS-II_Users_Guide_May81.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>iRMX™86 INTRODUCTION AND OPERATOR'S REFERENCE MANUAL For Release 6 <a href="https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_inteliRMX1_19819263" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_inteliRMX1_19819263</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"TOPS-20 Command manual" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2018-07-18. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Z80-RIO OPERATING SYSTEM USER'S MANUAL <a href="https://www.z80cpu.eu/mirrors/oldcomputers.dyndns.org/public/pub/rechner/zilog/zds/z80-rio_os_userman.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.z80cpu.eu/mirrors/oldcomputers.dyndns.org/public/pub/rechner/zilog/zds/z80-rio_os_userman.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"FLEX 2.0 User's Manual" (PDF). <a href="http://www.flexusergroup.com/flexusergroup/pdfs/flex2um.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.flexusergroup.com/flexusergroup/pdfs/flex2um.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Paul S. Dayan (1992). The OS-9 Guru - 1 : The Facts. Galactic Industrial Limited. ISBN 0-9519228-0-7. <a href="0-9519228-0-7" target="_blank">0-9519228-0-7</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>"FlexOS User's Guide" (PDF). www.bitsavers.org. 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100808010315/http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100808010315/http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>"Users guide" (PDF). archive.org. Retrieved 2020-09-19. <a href="https://archive.org/details/4690OSV6r2UsersGuide/page/n169" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/4690OSV6r2UsersGuide/page/n169</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>"MPE/iX Command Reference Manual" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2018-10-21. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232213/http://www.teamnaconsulting.com/compresources/pdfs/c01687363.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232213/http://www.teamnaconsulting.com/compresources/pdfs/c01687363.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:24"><p>THEOS/OASIS User's Handbook <a href="http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/phaseOneSystems/THEOS_OASIS_Users_Handbook_1985.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/phaseOneSystems/THEOS_OASIS_Users_Handbook_1985.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:25"><p>OpenVMS User's Manual[permanent dead link] <a href="https://www.itec.suny.edu/scsys/vms/OVMSDOC073/v73/6489/6489pro_005.html" target="_blank">https://www.itec.suny.edu/scsys/vms/OVMSDOC073/v73/6489/6489pro_005.html</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:26"><p>86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual (PDF). Version 0.3 (Preliminary ed.). Seattle, Washington, USA: Seattle Computer Products, Inc. 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2019-07-14. (59 pages) <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:27"><p>Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7. <a href="0-7356-1812-7" target="_blank">0-7356-1812-7</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:28"><p>DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips <a href="https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:29"><p>"Microsoft TechNet PowerShell Rename-Item (ren) article". 22 October 2009. <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176940.aspx" target="_blank">https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176940.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:30"><p>PC-MOS User Guide <a href="https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501/blob/master/DOCS/v4/PCMOSv4UserManual.pdf" target="_blank">https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501/blob/master/DOCS/v4/PCMOSv4UserManual.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:31"><p>Jansen, Roeland (8 February 2018). "pcmos386v501: PC-MOS/386 v5.01 final release including cdrom driver sources" – via GitHub. <a href="https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501" target="_blank">https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501</a> <a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>