File Renaming: Permission denied

[Icyhot]

Hello world! I am writing a C++ program that finds the Word Documents on your computer that have '+' or "%2B" in the name and replacing those '+' and "%2B" with ' '. I am writing this program for my school's University Writing Center, so I predict the only places they will have these files are the USB memory stick, Desktop, Documents, and Downloads. I encounter a problem, however, when I run this program and it renames the files in Downloads: Permission denied. I am using the windows.h to do this. How do I give the program permissions to that folder?

update:
This program is going to be written in C++.

[johny10151981]

Several reason can be available for an application to fail renaming.

first thing is you cant have a file with name that include
\/:*?"<>| ;anyway that is not the problem you are having

you didnt say if it is failing with all kind of doc file. The doc file you are trying to rename may be in use. you can't delete or rename a doc file which is possessed ;) by Application.

You may have trying to edit or rename file of other user.

you better state more briefly about your problem

[Icyhot]

This program works (renames the desired .docx files in ALL directories) on one of the school computers, but it would not work on my computer (see complaint above). Here is my code:

#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <cstring>
#include <string>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <vector>
#include <windows.h>
#include <Lmcons.h>
 
using namespace std;
 
class filemanip
{
    private:
        string str,dirstr,path;
        bool keepgoing;
        vector <string> files, oldfiles;
        WIN32_FIND_DATA fd; //You have to declare a spot in the WIN32_FIND_DATA structure...
        HANDLE h;   //...and a handle for finding files.
        TCHAR name[UNLEN+1];    //array for the username
        DWORD size;   //value of the size of the array
        int c;  //this is for PressEnterToContinue()
        int result; //and this is for the rename()
    public:
        filemanip();
        filemanip(string);
        void PressEnterToContinue();
        void findfiles();
        void filerename();
};  //end class
 
filemanip::filemanip()
{
    c = 0;
    result = 0;
    path = "";
}   //end null constructor
 
filemanip::filemanip(string directory)
{
    str = directory;
    size = UNLEN+1;
    keepgoing = true;
}   //end constructor
 
void filemanip::PressEnterToContinue()
{
    printf( "Press ENTER to continue... " );
    fflush( stdout );   //flush the standard output
    do      //This loop is for forcing the user to press ENTER to continue...
        c = getchar();  //...by continuing to ask for the user's input...
    while ((c != '\n') && (c != EOF));  //...while that input is NOT the ENTER key
}
void filemanip::findfiles()
{
    if (GetUserName((TCHAR*)name,&size))
    {
        path = "C:/Users/"+(string)name+'/'+str+'/';
        dirstr = path+"/*+*.docx";
 
        //FindFirstFile() takes in a full directory, so you would need to examine ALL directories where the .docx files are held... :(
        //The algorithmic complexity from this alone might be high. Not to mention the fact that you would also have to search the files for a
        //'+' in their name
        h = FindFirstFile(dirstr.c_str(), &fd);
        if (h!=INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
        {
            //compact conditional
            do
            {
                oldfiles.push_back(path+fd.cFileName);   //store the file in the vector
            }   //end do
            while (FindNextFile(h, &fd));
            FindClose(h);   //close the handle
        }   //end if
        else
        {
            cout<<"FindFirstFile failed"<<GetLastError()<<endl;
        }   //end else
        for (int x=0; x<oldfiles.size(); x++)
        {
            cout<<"oldfiles["<<x<<"] == "<<oldfiles[x]<<endl;
        }   //end for
    }   //end if
    else
    {
        cout << "An error occurred with the retrieval of the username."<<endl;
        bool keepgoing = false;
        PressEnterToContinue();
    }   //end else
}   //end findfiles
 
void filemanip::filerename()
{
    if (!keepgoing)
    {
        //Do nothing; the program must end!
    }   //end if
    else
    {
        //At this point, the oldfiles vector has files in it. We need to fill the files vector with the same files, without their space-
        //substitute characters.
        for (int x = 0; x<oldfiles.size(); x++)
        {
            files.push_back(oldfiles[x]);   //Dumping the contents of oldfiles into files
            //to perform string manipulation on them
            for (size_t pos = (files[x]).find_first_of('+'); pos != (files[x]).npos; pos = (files[x]).find('+', pos+1))
            {
                (files[x]).at(pos) = ' ';
            }   //end inner for
            cout<<"files["<<x<<"] == "<<files[x]<<endl;
            result = rename((oldfiles[x]).c_str(), (files[x]).c_str());   //Now to rename the oldfiles to the files hahaha
            if (result != 0)
            {
                perror("This error occurred: ");
                PressEnterToContinue();
            }   //end if
        }   //end for
    }   //end else
}   //end filerename
 
int main()
{
    string ctor[] = {"Desktop", "Documents", "Downloads"};
    //ctor[2] might get its own conditional.
    filemanip * f = new filemanip [3];
    for (int y = 0; y < 3; y++)
    {
        f[y] = filemanip(ctor[y]);
        f[y].findfiles();
        f[y].filerename();
    }   //end for
    return 0;
}   //end main
 

The first elements in the heap result in both functions working without difficulty. However, the third one results in the program finding the files like it's supposed to, but it can't rename them because of permission denial. (This might be something dealing with my computer itself, but how to resolve the error is beyond my knowledge at this moment.)

[Icyhot]

Now, in that same folder, it is throwing a "File exists" error.

[Icyhot]

Now, there is no error at all! I need beta testers to confirm this...