Software is Excel'97 under WinXP-Pro with SR-2
My version of Excel'97 has most all Microsoft Updates.

I store an Excel file on an FTP server so it can be access by a few people. Each time anyone updates file, I ripple down name change such that file-version2.xls becomes file-version3.xls and file-version3.xls becomes file-version4.xls, and etc. I am seeking VBA code for a macro to automate the manual file renaming that can be done from within Excel. From with Excel you can command to change the name of the file on the server without the need to sequentially down load, rename and upload the file.

I can manually rename a file from within Excell by going to SaveAs | SaveIn, designating the file on the server, right clicking and entering revised name. It would seem to me that if I can do the operation from within Excel, I should be able to write a macro to automate the steps.

What I want to do is the equivalent of this code which works for C:/ drive:
Name "Test3.xls" as "Test4.xls"

I have successfully implemented approach where I sequentially download each file and then re-save the file under the new name. It takes lots of time because each historical version must be download and then uploaded.

Step 3 of that approach uses this VBA code that works:

'opens a file via VBA code with this syntax:
Workbooks.Open FileName:= _
"ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest3.xls"

'saves the file to the server with this syntax:
ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs FileName:= _
"ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest4.xls", _
FileFormat:=xlNormal, Password:="", WriteResPassword:="", _
ReadOnlyRecommended:=False, CreateBackup:=False

Based on this, you would think "FileName:= " was needed in front of the route, and you would think that one of the following would work, … but they don't.

Workbooks.name FileName:= _
"ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest3.xls" _
as FileName:= _ "ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest4.xls"

Or that this might work, but it does not:

Workbooks.name (FileName:= _ "ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest3.xls") _
As Workbooks.name (FileName:= _ "ftp://12.34.567.194/public_html/Actions/DownLoad-UploadTest4.xls")

I've tried lots of other variations including using verb "rename" without success.
One site on the internet talks about using a function "FtpRenameFile" but I'm not sure how to access that function. I'll buy newer version of Excel if it will solve problem. SUGGESTIONS??