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Author Topic: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]  (Read 2953 times)

HiFiTubes

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Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« on: February 16, 2013, 10:22:34 am »

I've decided to buckle down and clean up my 315K file library and I have copied a .txt out of the Import log of about 1,000 that couldn't be imported due to "Filename Too Long".

Since I can't use the log as a tool to Rename>Move and get rid of about 4-5 sub-folders...anyone have any ideas?


I have found some renaming tools but the first one required a .txt like this

file001.jpg|jimbirthday.jpg

Anyone have experience fixing this with a batch process?

thanks!
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kurushi

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2013, 10:54:07 am »

Edit the names in MC and move some folder...
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HiFiTubes

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2013, 10:59:09 am »

They aren't imported to MC due to the long filenames...
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MrC

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2013, 11:32:01 am »

Do you have an idea of how you want them renamed?  I mean, what part to shorten?

If you have a list, I can return a shortened list.  If you have a need to accomplish it more often and want a tool, I can show you some techniques.
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HiFiTubes

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2013, 11:38:16 am »

Thanks Mr. C for posting to my various dilemmas.

I was thinking just removing the subfolders might work, but I now see that many are in my Genre Folders directory which has things like:

Genre Folders\Indie-Rock, Indie-Pop, Alternative (90's, 2000's, 2010's)\

I could just change all those folders to something more reasonable. In MC, I only use VERY basic Genre tags (Blues, Jamaican, Rock & roll, etc.), and then Style tags.

Let me play around with it so you don't waste your time.

Here's a random one:


    \\DISKSTATION\JCC-Archives\Audio\Music\Genre Folders\Indie-Rock, Indie-Pop, Alternative (90's, 2000's, 2010's)\The Russian Futurists - 2003 - Let's Get Ready To Crumble\02 - When The Sun Drops Like An Anvil - The Russian Futurists - Let's Get Ready To Crumble.mp3
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MrC

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2013, 11:54:20 am »

The first thing I would do is just rename your genre folder.  If that works, you're done.

If you need to do more, the next thing would be to rename the album folders and track names to be unique and very short.  Your goal is to just get them into MC, where you can rename on more sensible templates.

A quick script can handle uniquely changing the name. I'd use a first letter approach, so for your example:

\\DISKSTATION\JCC-Archives\Audio\Music\Genre Folders\Indie-Rock, Indie-Pop, Alternative (90's, 2000's, 2010's)\TRF2LGRTC\02 WTSDLAATRFLGRTC.mp3

If necessary, a unique number can be added to ensure no overwrites.

This assumes your tag data is good.
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sla

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2013, 01:10:52 pm »

The best tool I have found for batch renaming the files is Total Commander, and "Muliti-rename tool"

Another thing you can do is Mp3Tag, you can rename the files including the directories from tags.
That is you can have Mp3Tag create files like here: \Artist-Album\Track-Name
It will create the directories and move all music files there [then you still stuck with moving album covers etc, unless you will have them embedded in the files.]

so in the example above you open Mp3Tag in the directory: \\DISKSTATION\JCC-Archives\Audio\Music and run the tag->filename renaming scheme from there. It will create the directories:
\\DISKSTATION\JCC-Archives\Audio\Music\Artist-Album\Track-Name or whatever information you want there...
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MrC

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2013, 01:19:01 pm »

The best tool I have found for batch renaming the files is Total Commander, and "Muliti-rename tool"

Offtopic - I'm a Directory Opus user.  I just wrote and posted a dynamic renaming script that does some pretty cool renaming based on transformation chains.
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kstuart

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2013, 02:19:31 pm »

The problem here is the duplications of information in the File Path and File Name.

People who put the Artist and/or Album into the File Name and then put both in the File Path always end up with this sort of problem.

Either use:

/Music/Artist - Album - Track# - Title.mp3

or else something like:

/Music/Artist/Album/Track# - Title.mp3

PS  I find the most powerful free renaming utility is "Bulk Rename Utility".  MrC would like it because it includes a lot of Regex support.  :)

MrC

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2013, 02:33:01 pm »

There are a lot of tools that are nothing more than a command line tool in a window, and instead of typing in a black window, you type in white text field boxes surrounded by think black lines with a label.  I find little use for them personally, as they add no real value, especially when the cost $$$.  But that's what makes ALL these tools collectively so nice.
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kstuart

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2013, 02:35:35 pm »

Bulk Rename Utility has several worthwhile aspects - It's Free, it can use Regex or you can use it without Regex (just like Agent Ransack Search), and it has about a dozen different renaming methods on the screen all at once, so you can pick whichever one is applicable.

kurushi

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2013, 11:43:48 am »

 Too much folder is not good personnally i have mine organised by artist. i can localize easyly but anyway i use MC who is better for to find what i want.
If you have less folder you  can import them in mc maybe i was this same problem before.
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HiFiTubes

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2013, 12:50:30 pm »

TMF. I agree!

I inherited a bunch of these folders from my brother.

Yuck!

Thanks all.
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InflatableMouse

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Re: Filenames Too Long [thoughts on fixing]
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2013, 01:32:54 pm »

So you managed to filter the offending files and rename them or are you going through them manually?

If you still have some that are too long but you can't find them, you could output the a DIR /S command to a file, import it in Excel and split the collumn on the max number of characters, so that the 2nd collumn would then only contain whatever is truncated from the too long filenames. Sort on the 2nd collumn and all the offenders are on top.

Ps. you don't need excel, you can do it on Google docs too.
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