F.A.Q.

I've entered all my rename criteria but the Rename button is greyed out
You most likely have not actually selected any files to rename. Only selected files are processed, and you must select which entries to process. Either click the filenames or press Ctrl+A.

Can the program be operated from the command line / Windows Scheduler?
Sorry no, Bulk Rename Utility is designed solely as a GUI application. However, I now have a second product called Bulk Rename Command, which may be downloaded here. This product contains most of the functionality of Bulk Rename Utility but from a command line

In older versions I could see the "Date Taken" information; in the latest version this column is blank
Extracting EXIF data is very slow, so this is now disabled by default. To enable it, just tick the "Extract EXIF data" menu item and then refresh your screen (F5).

Does the application support UNC paths?
Not very well. If you map a drive-letter then you're fine, but full UNC names will upset the software.

Can I rename files from a list?
Yes, you can import filenames form a text file. The text file must consist of an OLD filename, a pipe character, and a NEW filename, on each line. See the help file for more information.

I get Page Not Found when I try to download the application
The chances are that you have restrictive settings on your firewall! A firewall is a great thing, and every computer should use one - but not one which inhibits your own ability to surf! Try allowing access to domain www.acedsl.co.uk and seeing if that helps.

Must I uninstall the software before installing an upgrade?
No, you can simply replace your .EXE file with the file on the website (download the no-install version). You should extract and replace all the files contained in the ZIP file. For versions 2.3.0.0 or later you can simply download and run the latest file from the website and it will automatically upgrade your installation!

What are the Regular Expressions boxes for?
Regular Expressions are powerful, but often confusing methods of manipulating the filenames. If you don't want to use them, simply ignore the section.

Why doesn't the software run on Windows 95 or Windows 98 first-edition?
Many of the function calls were only introduced in Windows 98SE. And to be honest, Windows 95 /98 users really should consider an upgrade...

Does the program support Unicode?
Mostly!

It's an identical codebase for Unicode and Non-Unicode. In fact it's the same source files. They are just compiled differently. So it doesn't matter which version you use, they are functionally identical. Only if you deal with far-eastern character sets (Chinese etc) - non-ASCII - do you need the Unicode version.

There are two reasons for the "partially" caveat. First, I've had a report that "all languages except Korean" show fine, but I have other users who are happily using Korean. But secondly, I use the PCRE Regular Expression library, and I use a precompiled Windows version. And from what I can tell, the library exists only as a non-unicode version. Therefore when people using the Unicode version enter a Regular Expression, the Unicode text gets "downgraded" to ASCII, and therefore their searching facilities are limited.

Also, please note that there are now Unicode libraries available for Windows 98. As such, you cannot run the Unicode version on Windows 98.

Does the program support MP3 ID3 tags?
Yes, it supports V1 tags for Artist, Album and Title. If you need support for V2 tags then there are lots of programs out there which already support this. I personally use (and would recommend) JJ MP3 Renamer.

Are there versions in different languages??
Not yet. I am gradually replacing hard-coded text with text from a table, and once this is complete it will pave the way for versions in different languages..

Is there a DOS version available?
No. Having polled the userbase it became apparent that there wasn't sufficient demand for a DOS-based version.

Can I change the sequence in which the operations are processed?
Not yet! It's on the wishlist...

Why not used a Tabbed layout??
A major strength of BRU is seeing all your controls on the one screen.Therefore I will not be introducing a tabbed layout.

The screen layout is confusing, can it be changed?
Ideally I'd like to space out the controls, and even add more controls, but the program is designed to work on 800x600 screens and there's just no space left! I've looked at introducing tabbed controls, but this would mean that the renaming-criteria wouldn't always be visible, which is a strength of the program.

Is there a version for the Mac?
Sorry, no. Unless someone wants to buy me a Mac....

Is there a version for Linux?
Sorry, no.

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Bulk Rename Utility, Copyright Jim Willsher 2002-2008