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manny213's avatar
manny213
Brass Contributor
Nov 08, 2024
Solved

Remove characters from a file name

Hi everyone I have a bunch of CSV files in a folder that need to be cleaned up.  Both the file name and file contents have unneeded apostrophes.  I need the apostrophes removed from the file name on...
Windows PowerShell
  • LainRobertson's avatar
    LainRobertson
    Nov 08, 2024

    Hi manny213 ,

     

    A simple one-liner can handle this.

     

    Get-ChildItem -Path "D:\Data\Temp\Forum" | ForEach-Object { Rename-Item -Path $_.FullName -NewName "$($_.Name.Replace("'", ''))"; }

     

    Example

     

    Cheers,
    Lain

LainRobertson's avatar
LainRobertson
Silver Contributor
Nov 08, 2024

Hi manny213 ,

 

A simple one-liner can handle this.

 

Get-ChildItem -Path "D:\Data\Temp\Forum" | ForEach-Object { Rename-Item -Path $_.FullName -NewName "$($_.Name.Replace("'", ''))"; }

 

Example

 

Cheers,
Lain

  • manny213's avatar
    manny213
    Brass Contributor
    Nov 09, 2024

    Hi LainRobertson.  Thanks for the prompt reply.  I am getting an error.  Do you know how to fix this?

    Rename-Item : Cannot create a file when that file already exists.
At C:\Users\Me\Documents\Trading\SSIS\Powershell\RemoveApostropheInFilenamesScript.ps1:1 char:104
+ ... ch-Object { Rename-Item -Path $_.FullName -NewName "$($_.Name.Replace ...
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: (C:\Users\Me...Ord Shs (D).csv:String) [Rename-Item], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : RenameItemIOError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.RenameItemCommand

     

    • LainRobertson's avatar
      LainRobertson
      Silver Contributor
      Nov 09, 2024

      Hi manny213 ,

       

      The error's fairly straightforward.

       

      During a Rename-Item action, a file with the proposed "new name" already exists, meaning the existing file that Rename-Item is working on cannot be renamed.

       

      Here's an example where the file named "forum'.ps1" cannot be renamed as another file named "forum.ps1" already exists.

       

       

      Cheers,
      Lain

      • manny213's avatar
        manny213
        Brass Contributor
        Nov 09, 2024

        Hi LainRobertson 

        I deleted all the source files and started over.  Looks like the script ran b/c I can see the apostrophes gone.  Now, I am getting a new error:

        Rename-Item : The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
At C:\Users\Me\Documents\Trading\SSIS\Powershell\RemoveApostropheInFilenamesScript.ps1:1 char:104
+ ... ch-Object { Rename-Item -Path $_.FullName -NewName "$($_.Name.Replace ...
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: (C:\Users\Me...eries A (D).csv:String) [Rename-Item], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : RenameItemIOError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.RenameItemCommand

        Do you know how to fix this one?

        Thank you

         

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