Batch Rename

Use this dialog to rename many files and directories in a batch using specified rules.

Menu

The Batch Rename dialog contains menu with following commands:
Commands/Rename
Starts batch renaming. It changes filenames on disk according to rules specified in this dialog. It can also move files to another directories if you rename filenames including their full or relative paths.
Commands/Validate
Tries if batch renaming will succeed. It reports syntax errors in new filenames, duplicate filenames (more original filenames with the same resulting name), and some other errors. Use this command to prevent only partially finished batch rename operation.
Commands/Undo
Reverts all performed rename operations in the last batch (the last use of the Rename command).
Commands/Exit
Closes this Batch Rename dialog.
Edit/Store List to Clipboard
Works only in the manual mode of the batch rename, see the Manual mode checkbox. Copies the list of new names to clipboard, so you can e.g. paste it to your favorite text editor to edit them.
Edit/Load List from Clipboard
Works only in the manual mode of the batch rename, see the Manual mode checkbox. Replaces the list of new names by a text from the clipboard, so you can use it e.g. to copy the changed list of new names from your favorite text editor back to this dialog.
Edit/Open List in External Editor...
Works only in the manual mode of the batch rename, see the Manual mode checkbox. It saves the list of new names to a temporary file, opens this file in your favorite text editor, and waits until you finish editing and save changes. Then it loads back the list of new names from this temporary file. You can specify your favorite text editor in the Advanced Options dialog.
Edit/Filter List Through Shell Command...
Works only in the manual mode of the batch rename, see the Manual mode checkbox. It executes specified shell command (or any command line application) and sends it the list of new names to the standard input. The standard output of this shell command is used as the new list of new names.
View/Sort by Original Name
Changes sorting of items in the Preview listview to sorting by the Original Name column.
View/Sort by Size
Changes sorting of items in the Preview listview to sorting by the Size column.
View/Sort by Time
Changes sorting of items in the Preview listview to sorting by the Date and Time columns.
View/Sort by Path
Changes sorting of items in the Preview listview to sorting by the Path column.
View/All Files
Displays all files in the Preview listview.
View/Successfully Renamed Files
Displays only successfully renamed files in the Preview listview.
View/Not Renamed Files
Displays only not renamed files in the Preview listview. Renaming of these files has failed, you can try to correct their new names.
Options/Rename Filenames
Choose this option if you want to work only with filenames without paths.
Options/Rename Relative Path
Choose this option if you want to work with filenames with relative paths. It has sense only if you want to rename files in subdirectories selected in panel before opening of the Batch Renamer dialog. You need also to select the Include subdirectories check box. It enables you to move files to another directories.
Options/Rename Full Path
Choose this option if you want to work with filenames with full paths. It enables you to move files to another directories and drives.
Options/Remove Emptied Directories
When you rename (move) files to another directories, some of original directories can be emptied (all files from these directories are moved away). Check this option if you want to delete such empty directories.
Options/Last Used
Sets all options in this dialog to values used in the last batch rename operation. Use this command to easily repeat the same batch rename operation.
Options/Reset
Sets the default values to all options.
Options/Advanced...
Opens the Advanced Options dialog.
Help/Batch Rename Dialog
Displays this help page.
Help/Regular Expressions
Displays the Regular Expressions help page.

Options

Mask
You can filter files for batch rename operation by this mask. It's especially important when you rename files in subdirectories (e.g. you want to rename only *.htm files).
Include subdirectories
When checked, you are working with all files contained in selected subdirectories in panel (instead of working with selected subdirectories).
Rename/Validate/Undo
See commands in menu Commands.
Manual mode
When checked, you can edit a list of new names as a plain text directly in this dialog, using an external text editor, or change these names using a command line application.
New name
Specify a template for a new name here. You can use predefined variables containing various useful values (e.g. an original file name, a file extension, a counter). Click the button next to the combo box to see a context menu with all these variables.
Search for/Replace with
You can search for a substring in the new name and replace it with something else. You can use also regular expressions here, it can be used for sophisticated substitutions and reordering of words in the new name. Click buttons next to the combo boxes to see context menus with parts of regular expressions.
Case sensitive
When checked, searching for a substring is case sensitive. Otherwise, searching is not case sensitive (upper and lower case characters are equal).
Only once in each name
When checked, only one substring is replaced in each name (other occurrences of the substring are ignored).
Whole words
When checked, a found substring must be preceded and followed by a space, tab, or punctuation character, or be at the start or end of the name. Otherwise, the found substring may be a fragment of a larger string.
Regular expression
When checked, the Search for field contains a regular expression. Otherwise, it contains a plain text. See description of regular expressions.
Exclude extension
When checked, searching for a substring is performed only in a name part of the new name (the extension part of name is ignored).
File name
You can choose upper/lower/mixed case for a name part of the new name here.
Extension
You can choose upper/lower/mixed case for an extension part of the new name here.
Include path part
When checked, changing of case of a name part is applied also to a path part of the new name.
Preview
You can see all planned changes in a real-time preview of resulting names. Columns contain original names, new names, sizes, dates, times, and paths. New names are displayed in a gray color if they are the same as original names. You can sort this preview by clicking on column headers or in the View menu.

See Also

Batch Renaming