Question

I need to replace square brackets in filenames, and I’ve successfully created (and validated at the console) a -replace. Now I’m trying to Move-Item to a new directory because this bug in Powershell 2.0 prevents me from doing a simple file rename.

Here’s my script:

$txtPath = "c:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\cgc\tx"     #source files
$txtPath2 = "c:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\cgc\tx2"   #renamed files
Get-ChildItem $txtPath | foreach { 
    Move-Item -literalpath C:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\test001 ($_.Name -replace '\{|}','_') 
}

Here’s what’s happening: I was using the $txtPath2 variable, but kept getting “cannot bind to null directory” errors, so I explicitly coded to the path to see if there was something odd with how the variable parsed. Now, I get this error:

Move-Item : Cannot move item because the item at 'C:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\test001' does not exist.
At C:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\cgc\rni.ps1:5 char:10
+ Move-Item <<<<  -literalpath C:\users\xxxxxx\desktop\test001 ($_.Name -replace '\{|}','_')
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Move-Item], PSInvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperation,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.MoveItemCommand

Here’s what’s odd: I create the new directory. I run the script, watch it vanish from my desktop as the script fails. WTF? I’ve quit and restarted the console application to flush any variables. I’ve tried different flavors of variable vs. constant in the Move-Item line. Unless there’s a Move-Item parameter that I’m missing, I really have no idea what’s going on. Does anyone else see anything that would cause my file to be deleted?

EDIT:
After editing to

Get-ChildItem $txtPath | % { [system.io.file]::Move($_.fullname, ($i.FullName -replace '\[|\]', '') ) }

I get a new error:

Exception calling "Move" with "2" argument(s): "Empty file name is not legal.
Parameter name: destFileName"
At C:\users\x46332\desktop\cgc\rni.ps1:6 char:52
+ Get-ChildItem $txtPath | % { [system.io.file]::Move <<<< ($_.fullname, ($i.FullName -replace '\[|\]', '') ) }
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

Answer 1

You set a modified version of $_.Name as destination (second arg). “Name” is just the FILEname of an item, so I’m guessing your test001 file/folder got moved to the place you run the script from and renamed to whatever $_.Name was (it uses Name as a relative path). So if you run this script from c:\windows\system32 (default folder when PS is running as admin), you move it there.

The next time in your foreach-loop, test001 is already moved and it returns an error. -LiteralPath is source location, not destination.

Try:

Get-ChildItem $txtPath | % { [system.io.file]::Move($_.fullname, ($_.FullName -replace '\[|\]', '') ) }