How do I get current date/time on the Windows command line in a suitable format for usage in a file/folder name?

See Windows Batch File (.bat) to get current date in MMDDYYYY format:

@echo off
For /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /t') do (set mydate=%%c-%%a-%%b)
For /f "tokens=1-2 delims=/:" %%a in ('time /t') do (set mytime=%%a%%b)
echo %mydate%_%mytime%

If you prefer the time in 24 hour/military format, you can replace the second FOR line with this:

For /f "tokens=1-2 delims=/:" %%a in ("%TIME%") do (set mytime=%%a%%b)

C:> .\date.bat
2008-10-14_0642

If you want the date independently of the region day/month order, you can use "WMIC os GET LocalDateTime" as a source, since it's in ISO order:

@echo off
for /F "usebackq tokens=1,2 delims==" %%i in (`wmic os get LocalDateTime /VALUE 2^>NUL`) do if '.%%i.'=='.LocalDateTime.' set ldt=%%j
set ldt=%ldt:~0,4%-%ldt:~4,2%-%ldt:~6,2% %ldt:~8,2%:%ldt:~10,2%:%ldt:~12,6%
echo Local date is [%ldt%]

C:>test.cmd
Local date is [2012-06-19 10:23:47.048]

Regionally independent date time parsing

The output format of %DATE% and of the dir command is regionally dependent and thus neither robust nor smart. date.exe (part of UnxUtils) delivers any date and time information in any thinkable format. You may also extract the date/time information from any file with date.exe.

Examples: (in a cmd-script use %% instead of %)

date.exe +"%Y-%m-%d"
2009-12-22

date.exe +"%T"
18:55:03

date.exe +"%Y%m%d %H%M%S: Any text"
20091222 185503: Any text

date.exe +"Text: %y/%m/%d-any text-%H.%M"
Text: 09/12/22-any text-18.55

Command: date.exe +"%m-%d """%H %M %S """"
07-22 "18:55:03"`

The date/time information from a reference file:
date.exe -r c:\file.txt +"The timestamp of file.txt is: %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"

Using it in a CMD script to get year, month, day, time information:

for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6* delims=," %%i in ('C:\Tools\etc\date.exe +"%%y,%%m,%%d,%%H,%%M,%%S"') do set yy=%%i& set mo=%%j& set dd=%%k& set hh=%%l& set mm=%%m& set ss=%%n

Using it in a CMD script to get a timestamp in any required format:

for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('C:\Tools\etc\date.exe +"%%y-%%m-%%d %%H:%%M:%%S"') do set timestamp=%%i

Extracting the date/time information from any reference file.

for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6* delims=," %%i in ('C:\Tools\etc\date.exe -r file.txt +"%%y,%%m,%%d,%%H,%%M,%%S"') do set yy=%%i& set mo=%%j& set dd=%%k& set hh=%%l& set mm=%%m& set ss=%%n

Adding to a file its date/time information:

for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('C:\Tools\etc\date.exe -r file.txt +"%%y-%%m-%%d.%%H%%M%%S"') do ren file.txt file.%%i.txt

date.exe is part of the free GNU tools which need no installation.

NOTE: Copying date.exe into any directory which is in the search path may cause other scripts to fail that use the Windows built-in date command.

Two more ways that do not depend on the time settings (both taken from :How get data/time independent from localization:). And both also get the day of the week and none of them requires admin permissions!:

1. MAKECAB - will work on EVERY Windows system (fast, but creates a small temp file) (the foxidrive script):

   @echo off
   pushd "%temp%"
   makecab /D RptFileName=~.rpt /D InfFileName=~.inf /f nul >nul
   for /f "tokens=3-7" %%a in ('find /i "makecab"^<~.rpt') do (
      set "current-date=%%e-%%b-%%c"
      set "current-time=%%d"
      set "weekday=%%a"
   )
   del ~.*
   popd
   echo %weekday% %current-date% %current-time%
   pause
   

   More information about get-date function.

2. ROBOCOPY - it's not native command for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, but it can be downloaded from microsoft site. But is built-in in everything from Windows Vista and above:

   @echo off
   setlocal
   for /f "skip=8 tokens=2,3,4,5,6,7,8 delims=: " %%D in ('robocopy /l * \ \ /ns /nc /ndl /nfl /np /njh /XF * /XD *') do (
    set "dow=%%D"
    set "month=%%E"
    set "day=%%F"
    set "HH=%%G"
    set "MM=%%H"
    set "SS=%%I"
    set "year=%%J"
   )
   
   echo Day of the week: %dow%
   echo Day of the month : %day%
   echo Month : %month%
   echo hour : %HH%
   echo minutes : %MM%
   echo seconds : %SS%
   echo year : %year%
   endlocal
   

   And three more ways that uses other Windows script languages. They will give you more flexibility e.g. you can get week of the year, time in milliseconds and so on.

3. JScript/batch hybrid (need to be saved as .bat). JScript is available on every system form NT and above, as a part of Windows Script Host (though can be disabled through the registry it's a rare case):

   @if (@X)==(@Y) @end /* ---Harmless hybrid line that begins a JScript comment
   
   @echo off
   cscript //E:JScript //nologo "%~f0"
   exit /b 0
   *------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
   
   function GetCurrentDate() {
           // Today date time which will used to set as default date.
           var todayDate = new Date();
           todayDate = todayDate.getFullYear() + "-" +
                          ("0" + (todayDate.getMonth() + 1)).slice(-2) + "-" +
                          ("0" + todayDate.getDate()).slice(-2) + " " + ("0" + todayDate.getHours()).slice(-2) + ":" +
                          ("0" + todayDate.getMinutes()).slice(-2);
   
           return todayDate;
       }
   
   WScript.Echo(GetCurrentDate());
   

4. VSCRIPT/BATCH hybrid (Is it possible to embed and execute VBScript within a batch file without using a temporary file?) same case as JScript, but hybridization is not so perfect:

   :sub echo(str) :end sub
   echo off
   '>nul 2>&1|| copy /Y %windir%\System32\doskey.exe %windir%\System32\'.exe >nul
   '& echo current date:
   '& cscript /nologo /E:vbscript "%~f0"
   '& exit /b
   
   '0 = vbGeneralDate - Default. Returns date: mm/dd/yy and time if specified: hh:mm:ss PM/AM.
   '1 = vbLongDate - Returns date: weekday, monthname, year
   '2 = vbShortDate - Returns date: mm/dd/yy
   '3 = vbLongTime - Returns time: hh:mm:ss PM/AM
   '4 = vbShortTime - Return time: hh:mm
   
   WScript.echo  Replace(FormatDateTime(Date,1),", ","-")
   

5. PowerShell - can be installed on every machine that has .NET - download from Microsoft (v1, v2, v3 (only for Windows 7 and above)). It is installed by default on everything from Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 and above:

   C:\> powershell get-date -format "{dd-MMM-yyyy HH:mm}"
   

   To use it from a batch file:

   for /f "delims=" %%# in ('powershell get-date -format "{dd-MMM-yyyy HH:mm}"') do @set _date=%%#
   

6. Self-compiled jscript.net/batch (never seen a Windows machine without .NET, so I think this is a pretty portable):

   @if (@X)==(@Y) @end /****** silent line that start JScript comment ******
   
   @echo off
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :::       Compile the script    ::::
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   setlocal
   if exist "%~n0.exe" goto :skip_compilation
   
   set "frm=%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\"
   
   :: Searching the latest installed .NET framework
   for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%v in ('dir /b /s /a:d /o:-n "%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v*"') do (
       if exist "%%v\jsc.exe" (
           rem :: the javascript.net compiler
           set "jsc=%%~dpsnfxv\jsc.exe"
           goto :break_loop
       )
   )
   echo jsc.exe not found && exit /b 0
   :break_loop
   
   
   call %jsc% /nologo /out:"%~n0.exe" "%~dpsfnx0"
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :::       End of compilation    ::::
   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :skip_compilation
   
   "%~n0.exe"
   
   exit /b 0
   
   
   ****** End of JScript comment ******/
   import System;
   import System.IO;
   
   var dt=DateTime.Now;
   Console.WriteLine(dt.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss"));
   

7. Logman This cannot get the year and day of the week. It's comparatively slow and also creates a temporary file and is based on the time stamps that logman puts on its log files. It will work on everything from Windows XP and above. It probably will be never used by anybody - including me - but is one more way...

   @echo off
   setlocal
   del /q /f %temp%\timestampfile_*
   
   Logman.exe stop ts-CPU 1>nul 2>&1
   Logman.exe delete ts-CPU 1>nul 2>&1
   
   Logman.exe create counter ts-CPU  -sc 2 -v mmddhhmm -max 250 -c "\Processor(_Total)\%% Processor Time" -o %temp%\timestampfile_ >nul
   Logman.exe start ts-CPU 1>nul 2>&1
   
   Logman.exe stop ts-CPU >nul 2>&1
   Logman.exe delete ts-CPU >nul 2>&1
   for /f "tokens=2 delims=_." %%t in  ('dir /b %temp%\timestampfile_*^&del /q/f %temp%\timestampfile_*') do set timestamp=%%t
   
   echo %timestamp%
   echo MM: %timestamp:~0,2%
   echo dd: %timestamp:~2,2%
   echo hh: %timestamp:~4,2%
   echo mm: %timestamp:~6,2%
   
   endlocal
   exit /b 0
   

8. One more way with WMIC which also gives week of the year and the day of the week, but not the milliseconds (for milliseconds check foxidrive's answer):

   for /f %%# in ('wMIC Path Win32_LocalTime Get /Format:value') do @for /f %%@ in ("%%#") do @set %%@
   echo %day%
   echo %DayOfWeek%
   echo %hour%
   echo %minute%
   echo %month%
   echo %quarter%
   echo %second%
   echo %weekinmonth%
   echo %year%
   

9. Using TYPEPERF with some efforts to be fast and compatible with different language settings and as fast as possible:

   @echo off
   setlocal
   
   :: Check if Windows is Windows XP and use Windows XP valid counter for UDP performance
   ::if defined USERDOMAIN_roamingprofile (set "v=v4") else (set "v=")
   
   for /f "tokens=4 delims=. " %%# in ('ver') do if %%# GTR 5 (set "v=v4") else ("v=")
   set "mon="
   for /f "skip=2 delims=," %%# in ('typeperf "\UDP%v%\*" -si 0 -sc 1') do (
      if not defined mon (
         for /f "tokens=1-7 delims=.:/ " %%a in (%%#) do (
           set mon=%%a
           set date=%%b
           set year=%%c
           set hour=%%d
           set minute=%%e
           set sec=%%f
           set ms=%%g
         )
      )
   )
   echo %year%.%mon%.%date%
   echo %hour%:%minute%:%sec%.%ms%
   endlocal
   

10. MSHTA allows calling JavaScript methods similar to the JScript method demonstrated in #3 above. Bear in mind that JavaScript's Date object properties involving month values are numbered from 0 to 11, not 1 to 12. So a value of 9 means October.

    <!-- : Batch portion
    
    @echo off
    setlocal
    
    for /f "delims=" %%I in ('mshta "%~f0"') do set "now.%%~I"
    
    rem Display all variables beginning with "now."
    set now.
    
    goto :EOF
    
    end batch / begin HTA -->
    
    <script>
        resizeTo(0,0)
        var fso = new ActiveXObject('Scripting.FileSystemObject').GetStandardStream(1),
            now = new Date(),
            props=['getDate','getDay','getFullYear','getHours','getMilliseconds','getMinutes',
                'getMonth','getSeconds','getTime','getTimezoneOffset','getUTCDate','getUTCDay',
                'getUTCFullYear','getUTCHours','getUTCMilliseconds','getUTCMinutes','getUTCMonth',
                'getUTCSeconds','getYear','toDateString','toGMTString','toLocaleDateString',
                'toLocaleTimeString','toString','toTimeString','toUTCString','valueOf'],
            output = [];
    
        for (var i in props) {output.push(props[i] + '()=' + now[props[i]]())}
        close(fso.Write(output.join('\n')));
    </script>
    

Here's a variant from alt.msdos.batch.nt that works local-independently.

Put this in a text file, e.g. getDate.cmd

-----------8<------8<------------ snip -- snip ----------8<-------------
    :: Works on any NT/2k machine independent of regional date settings
    @ECHO off
    SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS
    if "%date%A" LSS "A" (set toks=1-3) else (set toks=2-4)
    for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=(-)" %%a in ('echo:^|date') do (
      for /f "tokens=%toks% delims=.-/ " %%i in ('date/t') do (
        set '%%a'=%%i
        set '%%b'=%%j
        set '%%c'=%%k))
    if %'yy'% LSS 100 set 'yy'=20%'yy'%
    set Today=%'yy'%-%'mm'%-%'dd'% 
    ENDLOCAL & SET v_year=%'yy'%& SET v_month=%'mm'%& SET v_day=%'dd'%

    ECHO Today is Year: [%V_Year%] Month: [%V_Month%] Day: [%V_Day%]

    :EOF
-----------8<------8<------------ snip -- snip ----------8<-------------

To get the code to work sans error msg's to stderr, I had to add the single quotes arount the variable assignments for %%a, %%b and %%c. My locale (PT) was causing errors at one stage in the looping/parsing where stuff like "set =20" was getting executed. The quotes yield a token (albeit empty) for the left-hand side of the assignment statement.

The downside is the messy locale variable names: 'yy', 'mm' and 'dd'. But hey, who cares!

I use this (again not region independent (UK))

set bklog=%date:~6,4%-%date:~3,2%-%date:~0,2%_%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%