Add DateTimeOriginal to FileName if it is not in the FileName #447

C-Denninger · 2026-07-25T05:25:56Z

C-Denninger
Jul 25, 2026

Hello,

I'm using this command line in the Windows (DOS)-environment to add the date and time to filenames is they are not already in it:
ExifTool.exe -r -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S" -if "$exif:DateTimeOriginal and $FileName !~ $DateTimeOriginal" -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" "-FileName<DateTimeOriginal" DIR

Now, if I test this command line it it works fine, but if I execute this command line it still adds the DateTimeOriginal to all the files.

Example test command line:
ExifTool.exe -r -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S" -if "$exif:DateTimeOriginal and $FileName !~ $DateTimeOriginal" -FileName -DateTimeOriginal DIR
That command works fine but when I test it using -TestName it also goes wrong:
ExifTool.exe -r -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S" -if "$exif:DateTimeOriginal and $FileName !~ $DateTimeOriginal" -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" "-TestName<DateTimeOriginal" DIR

So I think it has something to do with the -d FMT (-dateFormat) I'm reusing to add the original filename to the execution part of the command as explained on the Exiftool page.
That is: -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S" if statement -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" execution part

The problem is: I need to configure the date format to check if it is in (a part of) the filename by replacing the ":" with "-" and then I need to add the original filename to the format to rename it.
I also tried to use -FileName=$DateTimeOriginal %f.%e and -FileName=$exif:DateTimeOriginal %f.%e to rename the files without -d reformatting in the execution part but those commands result in an error.
I must be doing something wrong but I don't know what.

Notes:

DIR in de command line examples stands for the directory path in which to execute the command.
I'm using the -r[.] (-recurse) option to process all supported files in the subdirectories, you can use the same command line without -r for the current directory only.
In the DOS-environment you have to use double quotes (") instead of single quotes (') in LINUX.

Answered by StarGeekSpaceNerd

Jul 29, 2026

Sorry for taking so long. After getting back from my convention, I was hit by a case of Con Crud.

To make your command work, you want to use the DateFmt helper function when checking to see if the filename already matches. The -d option is used for the actual renaming part of the command.

exiftool -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" -if "$Filename!~${DateTimeOriginal;DateFmt('%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S')}" "-TestName<DateTimeOriginal" /path/to/files/

Example. There are two files that already match the time stamp pattern and one that doesn't, but has the same time stamp as one of the other files. So there are two files that fail the -if option because they already have the correct time stamp in the …

View full answer

StarGeekSpaceNerd · 2026-07-25T14:17:47Z

StarGeekSpaceNerd
Jul 25, 2026
Maintainer

I can't really give a proper answer right now because I don't have access to my desktop at the moment. But you cannot have more than one -d option in a command.

What I think is happening is that only the last -d option applies, and because you are using the%c variable, you will never have a match because if there's a file already existing with that name the count variable will be incremented.

I won't be able to give a proper answer until tomorrow evening. I'll come back and edit this response when I have access to my computer.

1 reply

C-Denninger Jul 27, 2026
Author

Thanks @StarGeekSpaceNerd,

I expected the problem to be in the -d option. That is why I started testing with command lines like
ExifTool.exe -r -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S" -if "$exif:DateTimeOriginal and $FileName !~ $DateTimeOriginal" -TestName=$DateTimeOriginal%%-c %%f.%%e DIR
But those commands won't change the (test) filename correctly...

Is there a way to add the $DateTimeOriginal to the filename by using the = instead of the < character?
I mean by using only the ExifTool.exe -r -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" "-FileName<DateTimeOriginal" DIR command it will add the time and date to every file, also the ones that already have the DateTimeOriginal in it.
Thus resulting in filenames with endless repeating dates in them...

StarGeekSpaceNerd · 2026-07-29T19:50:40Z

StarGeekSpaceNerd
Jul 29, 2026
Maintainer

Sorry for taking so long. After getting back from my convention, I was hit by a case of Con Crud.

To make your command work, you want to use the DateFmt helper function when checking to see if the filename already matches. The -d option is used for the actual renaming part of the command.

exiftool -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" -if "$Filename!~${DateTimeOriginal;DateFmt('%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S')}" "-TestName<DateTimeOriginal" /path/to/files/

Example. There are two files that already match the time stamp pattern and one that doesn't, but has the same time stamp as one of the other files. So there are two files that fail the -if option because they already have the correct time stamp in the name, and the one that doesn't match is correctly renamed, including the count number.

C:\>exiftool -G1 -a -s -DateTimeOriginal Y:\!temp\x\y\NewFolder
======== Y:/!temp/x/y/NewFolder/2026-01-01 09-00-00 Test4.jpg
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 2026:01:01 09:00:00
======== Y:/!temp/x/y/NewFolder/2026-07-29 12-00-00 Test4.jpg
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 2026:07:29 12:00:00
======== Y:/!temp/x/y/NewFolder/Test4.jpg
[ExifIFD]       DateTimeOriginal                : 2026:07:29 12:00:00
    1 directories scanned
    3 image files read

C:\>exiftool -d "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S%%-c %%f.%%e" -if "$Filename!~${DateTimeOriginal;DateFmt('%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S')}" "-TestName<DateTimeOriginal" Y:\!temp\x\y\NewFolder
'Y:/!temp/x/y/NewFolder/Test4.jpg' --> 'Y:/!temp/x/y/NewFolder/2026-07-29 12-00-00-1 Test4.jpg'
    1 directories scanned
    2 files failed condition
    0 image files updated
    1 image files unchanged
    0 image files read

1 reply

C-Denninger Jul 31, 2026
Author

Yes, that is the solution!

Using the DateFmt (I had not noticed that one) solves the use -d once in a commandline.

Thanks @StarGeekSpaceNerd!

Navigation Menu

Uh oh!

Add DateTimeOriginal to FileName if it is not in the FileName #447

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

{{editor}}'s edit

{{editor}}'s edit

Uh oh!

Replies: 2 comments 2 replies

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

{{editor}}'s edit

{{editor}}'s edit

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

{{title}}

Uh oh!

Select a reply

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Add DateTimeOriginal to FileName if it is not in the FileName #447

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

C-Denninger Jul 25, 2026

Replies: 2 comments · 2 replies

Uh oh!

StarGeekSpaceNerd Jul 25, 2026 Maintainer

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

C-Denninger Jul 27, 2026 Author

Uh oh!

StarGeekSpaceNerd Jul 29, 2026 Maintainer

Uh oh!

C-Denninger Jul 31, 2026 Author

C-Denninger
Jul 25, 2026

Replies: 2 comments 2 replies

StarGeekSpaceNerd
Jul 25, 2026
Maintainer

C-Denninger Jul 27, 2026
Author

StarGeekSpaceNerd
Jul 29, 2026
Maintainer

C-Denninger Jul 31, 2026
Author