Tips & Tricks

Rename using Multi-rename tool

Reference: https://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/Multi-rename_tool

Mask: ISO8601

Default rename mask in Multi-rename tool

Is there a way to redefine the default rename mask in Totalcmd’s Multi-rename tool?

Not by overwriting Total Commander’s built-in <Default> entry. That entry resets the Multi-Rename Tool to “no changes to the names.” (ghisler.ch1)

The practical way is to save your preferred rename mask as a preset, then tell Total Commander to load that preset whenever the Multi-Rename Tool opens.

Methods:

  1. Save as profile: Configure your desired mask in the Multi-Rename Tool, then press F2 → Save settings to save it as a named profile.

  2. Set as default: Add this line to your wincmd.ini under [Configuration]: 
    [Configuration]
MultiRenameLoadSettings=YourProfileName

    This will automatically load your saved mask every time you open the Multi-Rename Tool.

  3. Toolbar button: Create a button with command MULTIRENAME YourProfileName to always open the tool with your custom mask.

MultiRenameLoadSettings defines what settings the Multi-Rename Tool starts with: empty means last-used settings, a valid name loads that saved preset, and an unknown name loads the built-in defaults. (ghisler.ch2)

The saved MRT presets themselves are stored in wincmd.ini under the [rename] section, unless that section has been redirected to another file. (ghisler.ch3)

Alternative: button or shortcut only

Instead of changing global MRT startup behavior, you can create a button/user command with:

MULTIRENAME MyDefault

That opens MRT with your saved preset without changing how plain Ctrl+M behaves. The MULTIRENAME <profile_name> command is the standard way to launch MRT with a saved rename profile. (ghisler.ch4)

  1. https://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/Multi-rename_tool “Multi-rename tool - TotalcmdWiki” ↩

  2. https://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=49044 “9.12: multi file rename, lower cases as default setting? - Total Commander” ↩

  3. https://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=84251 “Is there a way to make the rename forget? - Total Commander” ↩

  4. https://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=42942 “Multi Rename Tool: change the defaults settings - Total Commander” ↩