One of my team members was working on some files in PowerShell, and they had to add the current date to the file name. I suggested a few methods. In this tutorial, I will explain how to add the date to a filename using PowerShell with examples.
To add a date to a filename during file creation using PowerShell, you can use the Get-Date cmdlet to retrieve the current date and format it. Here’s a simple script: $Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"; $FilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file_$Date.txt"; New-Item -Path $FilePath -ItemType "File". This script formats the current date as yyyyMMdd, appends it to the filename, and creates a new file with the updated name.
Add Date to Filename Using PowerShell
PowerShell provides the Get-Date cmdlet, which retrieves the current date and time. You can format this date and append it to your filenames. Here’s a basic syntax:
$Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
Rename-Item "C:\MyFolder\file.txt" "C:\MyFolder\file_$Date.txt"In this example, Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd" formats the date as 20240921, which is then appended to the filename.
Let me show you a few other methods for adding current date to file names in PowerShell.
Method 1: Add Date to Filename During File Creation
If you are creating a new file and want to include the current date in its name, you can use the following PowerShell script:
$Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
$FilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file_$Date.txt"
New-Item -Path $FilePath -ItemType "File"This script creates a new file with the current date appended to its name. This method ensures that every new file you create will have the current date appended to its name.
I executed the above script, and you can see the output in the screenshot below:
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Method 2: Rename Existing Files
To rename existing files and add the current date, you can use the Rename-Item cmdlet in PowerShell.
Here is an example and the complete PowerShell script.
$Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
$OriginalFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file.txt"
$NewFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file_$Date.txt"
Rename-Item -Path $OriginalFilePath -NewName $NewFilePathThis script renames the existing file by appending the current date.
You can see the exact output in the screenshot below:
Method 3: Add Date and Time to Filename
Sometimes, you might need to add both date and time to the filename for more granularity. Here’s how you can do it:
$DateTime = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd_HHmmss"
$OriginalFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file.txt"
$NewFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file_$DateTime.txt"
Rename-Item -Path $OriginalFilePath -NewName $NewFilePathThis script appends the current date and time, formatted as 20240921_153045, to the filename.
You can see the exact output in the screenshot below:
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Method 4: Add Date to Filename After a Specific Character
If your filenames follow a specific pattern and you want to insert the date after a particular character, you can use the following approach:
$Date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
$OriginalFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\file_name.txt"
$FileName = [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($OriginalFilePath)
$Extension = [System.IO.Path]::GetExtension($OriginalFilePath)
$NewFileName = $FileName.Insert($FileName.IndexOf("_") + 1, $Date)
$NewFilePath = "C:\MyFolder\$NewFileName$Extension"
Rename-Item -Path $OriginalFilePath -NewName $NewFilePathThis script inserts the date immediately after the first underscore in the filename.
You can see the output in the screenshot below:
Conclusion
Using PowerShell, you can add a date to file names to manage and organize them. In this tutorial, I explained how to add the current date to file names while creating new files, renaming existing ones, or inserting dates at specific positions.
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Bijay Kumar is an esteemed author and the mind behind PowerShellFAQs.com, where he shares his extensive knowledge and expertise in PowerShell, with a particular focus on SharePoint projects. Recognized for his contributions to the tech community, Bijay has been honored with the prestigious Microsoft MVP award. With over 15 years of experience in the software industry, he has a rich professional background, having worked with industry giants such as HP and TCS. His insights and guidance have made him a respected figure in the world of software development and administration. Read more.
