Batch rename of restored back-up files

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Back in ancient times (45 years or so ago), in the days of MS-DOS 3.3, I had learned about batch renaming files that involved stripping out a string from the name. Fast forward to the present, I find myself back in this quandary after restoring a bunch of backed-up files. Windows 8/8.1/10’s File History appends a date and time to a file name when it makes its copies, but for my purposes, I need the “bare” original name.

In other words, how to I batch rename a set of files that have different base names, but have the same appended strings to those names, such as “text one (date1 time1).jpg”, “roly poly 12 (date1 time1).jpg”, etc., to “text one.jpg”, “roly poly 12.jpg”, etc.? I need to do this stripping out of the string “ (date1 time1)” operation about 600 times, if I was doing it manually.

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I use Portable ReNamer : https://www.den4b.com/products/renamer
and Portable Bulk Rename Utility : https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

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If you click on History in File Explorer (Home Tab) you can either restore or restore to by right clicking on the green button. This will do the trick for you. Just go to the top folder of what you want to restore and click history.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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access-mdb wrote:

If you click on History in File Explorer (Home Tab) you can either restore or restore to by right clicking on the green button. This will do the trick for you. Just go to the top folder of what you want to restore and click history.

I am confused now…this is how I got into the dilemma I am in now, with the added date and time string. Did I somehow get File History to save it’s copies in a nonstandard way?

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No, that’s the way it does it. You don’t need to go to where FH stores the files just use the history button to restore them. You can restore/restore to individual files, even ones which are many versions old, or restore whole folders.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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[AtraEquus]

Alex5723 wrote:

I use Portable ReNamer : https://www.den4b.com/products/renamer
and Portable Bulk Rename Utility : https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

Using an app is an option, but I see it as a last resort one. Even though it has been awhile since I last needed to use batch scripting skills, that mode of working is what I am seeking here. Pride is funny like that. :p

I will keep it in mind, but I’m certain Windows 10 has parity with the command line tools that are common across Linux distros. Powershell is another possibility, but it is way “wordy”…though my initial impression of that is that its a “makes sense” kind of wordy-ness.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by AtraEquus.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by AtraEquus.

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If the date/time naming is consistent then it’s an easy task with a Batch file or PowerShell.

Can you post some sample names?

cheers, Paul

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