How can I flatten out a folder in Windows 7, assuming all file names are different?

Question

For example, say that I have the following folder hierarchy:

Folder1
   File1
   Folder2
      File2
   Folder3
      File3
      Folder4
         File4

I want to perform some command that results in:

Folder1
   File1
   File2
   File3
   File4

or something similar. I'm not very familiar with Windows, so I would appreciate as much detail as possible in the answer.

Answer 1

The absolute easiest way is to enter the common root folder and do a search for all files (i.e. search for *). When all files are found, mark all files, press Ctrl + X and navigate to the common root folder again. Now press Ctrl + V to paste all the files into the root folder. When finished, delete all subdirectories.

I do not know if this can be done as a batch job.

Answer 2

I used this powershell approach in the end when I needed to flatten a large hierarchical structure (in my case pngs) :

Get-ChildItem C:\sourcefolder -Recurse -Filter "*.png" | Copy-Item -destination C:\destinationfolder\

Answer 3

windows exe: http://en.sourceforge.jp/projects/sfnet_flatfolder/

or AHK:

fileselectfolder,MyFold,::{20d04fe0-3aea-1069-a2d8-08002b30309d}
SetWorkingDir, %MyFold%
loop, *.*,0,1
{
  parentpath := RegExReplace(A_LoopFileDir,"\\","-")
  ;StringReplace, parentpath, A_LoopFileDir, \,-,All
  newname = %parentpath%-%A_LoopFileName%
  ;msgbox %newname%
  If a_loopfiledir <>
    filemove, %a_loopfilefullpath%,%newname%
}

loop, %myfold%\*.*,2,1
  fileremovedir, %a_loopfilefullpath%,1

exitapp

or use Directory Opus

or Powershell

(ls -r -include *.jpg) | % { mv -literal $_ $_.Name.Insert(0, [String]::Format("{0} - ", $_.Directory.Name))}

or Batch (as mentioned above)

or the manual search, cut and paste as mentioned above

There are many ways, depending on your skill and inclinations you can choose any of these, and refine according to your needs.

You might need this Remove Empty Directories after the above operation

Answer 4

Pretty simple with a command-line option for those not super technically inclined.

1. Create a file somewhere called "flatten.cmd"
2. Open that file in Notepad

3. In the file, place the following:

   FOR /R {SourcePath} %%G IN (*.mp3) DO move "%%G" {Destination}
   

4. Replace "{SourcePath}" with the folder you want to flatten. In your case "c:\Folder1"

5. Replace "{Destination"} with the folder you want the files moved to. In your case also "c:\Folder1". The code should now look like:

   FOR /R c:\Folder1 %%G IN (*.mp3) DO move "%%G" c:\Folder1
   

6. Open up a command line window. Can do this a number of ways, but this is fast:

   • Click the Start button
   • Click All Programs
   • Click Accessories
   • Click Command Prompt

7. In the command line window, type:

   cd {folder where you put the flatten.cmd file}
   flatten
   

And that will do it (Windows 8+) I just did that to flatten a folder of 10,000 music files. Works like a charm.

You can find the options for the FOR command-line utility at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490909.aspx.

Answer 5

If you only need to flatten dir manually from time to time, Total Commander is perfect.

In Total Commander: Goto to your dir you want to flatten. In menu click Commands > Branch View. And you see it all flattened, you can move/copy it to another folder.

If you need to tinker a bit with filenames: Select all files in flattened view, in menu go to Files > Multi-Rename Tool. Here you can add some info from the path to actual filenames using "Rename mask", you just need to use plugin tag/button there, search & replace feature and the little foolder button, which lets you to make some last edits to filenames in text editor. May sound complicated, but really the easiest way IMO :)

Answer 6

using a batch script (off the top of my head):

Look up the FOR command

The first line moves all the files from the subdirectories up to the root The second delete the the sub folders

for /f %f in ('dir "c:\folder\*" /s/b/a-d') do if not %~ff"=="c:\folder" move "%f" "c:\folder"
for /f %f in ('dir "c:\folder\*" /s/b/ad') do if not "%~ff"=="c:\folder" rd /s/q "%f" 

Answer 7

Hi you can also use xxcopy (www.xxcopy.com) tool, its xcopy on steriods (sort-of). With this tool you can "flatten" the files in folders into one folder.

c:> xxcopy /source-folders /flatten /SG

Just read this link: http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy16.htm

Cheers.