Use the built-in Batch Rename in Windows Explorer to give files consistent and readable names
The Scenario
One has a lot of oddly named files such as thsoe produced by a digital camera.
Example of what a digital camera might produce:
- pic383718.jpg
- pic120453.jpg
- pic938889.jpg
- pic109012.jpg
- pic433590.jpg
- pic219093.jpg
The Pain Experienced
- The names are meaningless
- The ordering is unclear
- One has to open them up to determine their content and order
What is Desired
- Give the files nice names that make sense without having to open them up.
- A way to do this without having to download or purchase a tool
Windows XP comes with a built-in solution to batch rename files
- Browse Windows Exploer to the files you want to fix
- Switch to Details view (recommended, but not required)
- Order the view by time or name or size as desired
- multi-select all the files to with the names you don't like
- While the files are selected, right click on the file you want to consider as the *first* one. The context menu will appear.
- Select Rename
- The file upon which you right-clicked will now show that you can edit its name
- Change the name as desired and add a space and a starting number in parenthesis and leave the extension alone
- Example:
- Rename this file: "pic383718.jpg"
- To this: "My Vacation in Italy (1).jpg"
- The rest of the files will be renamed to match that pattern.
- Final Output
- My Vacation in Italy (1).jpg
- My Vacation in Italy (2).jpg
- My Vacation in Italy (3).jpg
- My Vacation in Italy (4).jpg
- My Vacation in Italy (5).jpg
- My Vacation in Italy (6).jpg
What happens if the number in parenthesis is left out? For example, if one named the first file "foo.jpg"?
The results will look like this:
- foo.jpg
- foo (1).jpg
- foo (2).jpg
- foo (3).jpg
- foo (4).jpg
- foo (5).jpg
