Script to remove special characters from filenames - batch-file

Question

I have a folder containing a large number of files. A lot of the filenames have '%' and/or '&' characters in them.
e.g. Test&doc.pdf
e.g Test%doc.doc
Is there a quick way I could remove the '%' and '&' characters using a windows batch file, vbscript or something similar?
All help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Here's how you can do it in batch (in case you're curious). The big limitation is that if you have filenames with more than one percent sign, it won't work because the shell expands it to a variable. I don't know immediately how to fix that.
It starts from whatever directory the script is in, and works recursively over all subdirectories.
#echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%N in (`dir /s /b`) do (
set var=%%~nN
set var=!var:^&= !
set var=!var:%%= !
if not "!var!"=="%%~nN" (
if not exist "%%~dpN!var!%%~xN" (
echo "%%N" --^> "!var!%%~xN"
ren "%%N" "!var!%%~xN"
) else (
echo File "!var!%%~xN" ^(from %%N^) already exists.
)
)
)
E.g., prints output like this:
C:\batch\schar>schar
"C:\batch\schar\Test%doc.doc" --> "Test doc.doc"
"C:\batch\schar\Test%doc.pdf" --> "Test doc.pdf"
File "Test doc.pdf" (from C:\batch\schar\Test&doc.pdf) already exists.
"C:\batch\schar\subdir\FILE%here" --> "FILE here"

Answer 2

#indiv
If someone can produce a batch solution without character limitations, I'll be massively impressed.
Ok, I'll try.
#echo off
setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%N in (`dir /s /b`) do (
set var=%%~nxN
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set "org=!var!"
set "var=!var:&= !"
set "var=!var:%%= !"
if not "!var!"=="!org!" (
if not exist "%%~dpN!var!" (
echo "!org!" --^> "!var!"
ren "!org!" "!var!"
) else (
echo File "!var!" ^(from !org!^) already exists.
)
)
endlocal
)
The trick is, to toggle the delayed expansion, because expanding of for-loop-vars (%%N) should be done without delayed expansion, else you lose the exclamation marks, and got problems with carets.
But to handle and modify the strings you should use delayed expansion.
But why? The answer is to understand the phases of the batch parser.
I tried to explain it here.
how-does-the-windows-command-interpreter-cmd-exe-parse-scripts

Answer 3

I've quickly thrown that together and didn't test it, but this VBScript should do the trick. Tell me if you need fancy stuff like folder recursive replacing etc.
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'Your folder here
objStartFolder = "X:\MYFOLDER"
Set objFolder = objFSO.GetFolder(objStartFolder)
Set regEx = New RegExp
'Your pattern here
regEx.Pattern = "[&%]"
Set colFiles = objFolder.Files
For Each objFile in colFiles
objFile.Rename(regEx.Replace(objFile.Name, "")
Next