14 DAY TRIAL // Although another year has passed and everybody celebrated the new one the best they could, nothing really changed (save for our plans for walking through life and the new set of dreams and ideas plotted all across 2007). We have the same needs when working with the PC and the same problems and difficulties occur.
One very time consuming chore most computer users have hit upon is file renaming. The standards have grown a lot from a few years back when all we wanted from this operation was to change the name of the files and, if we were lucky, maybe add a few things of our own. Now all this has turned into a child's play and with the appropriate software you can complete the renaming of hundreds of files in seconds.
Batch renaming has been integrated in more and more file managers integrate this function, although sometimes its capabilities may be quite limited for what you need. In this case a third party installation could very well do the trick and bring up the desired settings and options.
With Rename Master its name says it all. The application is absolutely free and is designed to give you a large help with modifying the names and extensions of multiple files at once. It does not matter the type of the file Rename Master handles, as it can deal with absolutely any file and any file quantity, from any folder on your computer.
Rename Master is highly configurable and one of its great advantages is that it needs absolutely no installation. However, the moment it is launched it will create a number of files so I suggest containing its executable file in a folder.
The interface seems to be the only downside of the software as it is plain and simple, with no bells and whistles. But this only shows developer's concern for the functionality of the software rather than its good looks. Users benefit from a folder browser utility that provides easier access to the location of the soon to be renamed files (by default this is not visible but pressing Ctrl+B will do the trick).
In the lower part of application window there are the settings for renaming selected files and here is where the application shows its real beauty as it comes with multiple options for modifying the names the way you want it. I can't help myself saying that Rename Master comes in as a real pal when dealing with digital camera images.
The list of options comprises two Add To tabs, two Replace tabs, two Remove tabs and a Case tab. Setting these up properly can give you the means of changing file names the way you want it. You can add a personal stamp to the name of the file or even in its extension. Meta-Variables inject more flexibility in the application allowing the use of different variables like current date or the use of ID3 tag information when dealing with MP3 files, like artist, album name, song title, track, comment or year.
Users can add whatever character they want in the name of the original file in any part of the name, or rearranging the file name by changing the position of different parts. Sure, all these actions are possible only for the invariable part of the name and the operation will be easier if the files are numbered and this would be the only difference between them.
Additional actions you can use Rename Master for include replacing different parts of the name with anything you want, from order numbers to text strings. Actually, the software features an option similar to "find and replace" as it allows replacing any piece of the file name with what you desire, thus making the ordering process even more flexible (any character can be replaced or eliminated, according to their place in the name).
For most of the options, be they for adding new elements to the file name, replacing certain parts and even for removing certain characters, Rename Master makes use of Meta-Variables which can help you a lot as they function just like regular expressions but translated so that any user can understand them. These make replacing the name of the file with the current date or with the name of the artist in the case of MP3 files or different JFIF and EXIF information enclosed in JPEG images a snap.
However, using the Meta-Variables is not exactly for everybody and for most users it may take a while to comprehend its use and functionality. The documentation in this sense is not abundant and users cannot enrich Rename Master's "vocabulary" for creating additional regular expressions. But for simple rename or replace operations the tool does a great job.
And to make it even easier for you, all renaming options you make can be saved as a script and used for any job you see fit. You can load it whenever it is needed and complete renaming job in an instant, all without having to reconfigure the rename options.
Configuring the entire application is not a tough job to undertake and it will allow preserving certain settings each time you start Rename Master, like saving window position and size at each startup or remembering the last folder used when exiting. There isn't much you can do in this section of the application as everything seems to be set up to needs of the general user: preview is automatic, collision detection speed has been improved (takes a second), the colors used in the application definitely do not create a problem (but you can change them according to your feng-shui preferences).
All in all the application does a great job at renaming the files on your computer and moves very fast (in our testing it renamed about 100 files in a jiffy). You have collision control should two or more files have the same name and even if Meta-Variables take a while to accommodate with, they are worth it as make it all much easier.
The Good
Rename Master is very fast in renaming the files and all the modifications are previewed beforehand and all collisions are marked in red and their number displayed at the bottom of the screen. And even if you miss that the moment you hit "Rename" button an error message will pop up, so there is absolutely no chance to screw things up.
The Bad
Learning curve may be a bit steep for some of the users, especially the use of Meta-Variables as in lack of proper documentation one has to make a few tests first in order to get the hang of the options.
The interface is not one of Rename Master's strengths but this is just a side effect for its functionality.
The Truth
Despite its looks and the few minutes you have to invest for learning how to use it, Rename Master is very good at what it does as it moves fast and error free.
Its flexibility is extended beyond simple renaming jobs as it can also move selected files to a different folder of the same directory. Also, you can change the extensions of the files in no time and with the least effort.
Ease of use when working with Rename Master is not exactly one of its top features but if you take a few minutes to understand how it works, you will discover a great file renaming tool that works flawlessly.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
