Batch help

[Jxshh]

Hello;

I have a Batch file that changes my file types from .bat to .txt for me to make some changes.

I need it to change them to .txt files, then wait for my input, then change them back to .bat files.

So far, it changes them to .txt files but then closes before I can make it change them back to .bat....

Can anyone help?

Code so far:

dir C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch
ren *.bat *.txt
PAUSE
ren *.txt *.bat

Thanks in advance!

[Jxshh]

Never Mind, after trying for an hour, I go back to it after a few minutes and spot the issue!

dir C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch
ren *.bat *.txt
PAUSE
dir C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch
ren *.txt *.bat

Missed one simple bit of code

[Jxshh]

Nope, this has stopped working now....

Can anybody advise why? It changes them from .bat to .txt but then closes, it doesn't pause or change them back for me....

Any help please!?

[Salmon Trout]

Is this the folder where the bat -> txt operation is supposed to happen? C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch\ ...?

If the current folder is not the same one, you either need to CD into it, or use the full path to the files you want to rename. You can find out the current folder
by using echo %cd% in your script.

Either do this

CD C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch
ren *.bat *.txt

or this

ren C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch\*.bat *.txt
ren C:\Users\joshd\Desktop\Batch\*.txt *.bat

[Jxshh]

Yes, this is where the files are located that I need renaming. I will try this when I next get a chance and will get back to you.

Thanks

[DaveLembke]

Curious what the need is for a batch script like this to switch batch files to text and back to batch? 

[Jxshh]

Curious what the need is for a batch script like this to switch batch files to text and back to batch? 

I have a bat file that opens multiple Word documents for me, but I need to change the number at the end of the file name each time I run it.

I've been told there is no way for it to do it automatically so I need to do it manually.

So I:

Change them to Text files
Change the numbers
Change them back to Bat files
Run the Bat to open the word documents....

[DaveLembke]

If your editing the contents within the batch file manually, you can do this as a .BAT without switching it to .TXT

If you Right-Click on the Batch file and then select EDIT it will open in Notepad without having to rename file extensions each time. Just have to be careful when saving the edited version of this that its saved with .BAT as the file extension and not .TXT

Lastly, I'd save a backup copy of all batches in a folder somewhere else so that if you accidentally mess up the batch file you have a known good batch to go back to and copy from the backed up version to the working folder where your batches are edited and run from.

[Salmon Trout]

I've been told there is no way for it to do it automatically so I need to do it manually.

There is almost certainly a way to do this.

[Squashman]

Change them to Text files
Change the numbers
Change them back to Bat files
Run the Bat to open the word documents....

Can't say I have ever renamed the file extension of a bat file to edit it.  By default, notepad will edit batch files when you right click on the file and chose edit.