Windows 10: Power Rename to Modify Part of Filename

Somehow when using Power Rename several hundred filenames in our database got modified incorrectly. Here are three examples: 2016_08_16 SMITH John16_09_16 CW.jpg - 2017_12_13 JONES William17_12_17 CW.jpg - 2018_12_18 BROWN George18_12_18 CW.jpg. A space and the number 20 got chopped off of what was supposed to be a representation of a date. The filenames should have looked like this: 2016_08_16 SMITH John 2016_09_16 CW.jpg - 2016_12_13 JONES William 2017_12_17 CW.jpg - 2018_12_18 BROWN George 2018_12_18 CW.jpg. I have tried many combinations, including using REGEX suggested by ChatGPT, but not

:)

 

Which non-alphabetic and non numeric characters are accepted in a filename?

Thank you Mr_Meow and Rodrigo.Queiroz, but playing a bit with the directory list I was given, I realize there is one step I cannot resolve.

I can find from the lists I was given, the names that have illegal characters but it is a bit complicated to do:

"filename","full path/filename","owner","creation date","loast modified date"

As soon as I try a Text-to-column action in Excel, the lines having illegal character may mess up the column twice and working from there to find illegal filenames is more complicated. I could simply load up the CSV and not do a text-to-column and then find the illegal filenames, it would be easier. But the problem is the next step.

Even if I isolate the illegal filenames, the only known way to fix this is to give the owners those filenames and ask them to rename them. This will take a few months to do because it will be their lowest priority and they are pretty busy right now.

Isn't there a tool existing that can scan a server or directory to find all invalid filenames and somehow offer a solution to rename them (depending on the case)?

If not, I don't see how this will be fixed with in a few days (no deadline, its just that this has been going on for so long) ...

 

Search for filename parts on local storage

This is an example filename that is stored on the hard disk:

20161118-photo-of-something-20-edit-a.jpg

I want to find all "edit-a" versions of .jpg files on a disk or in a folder.

Windows Vista was finding it immediately, Win 10 displays "no results"

When I type in the search box any of these:

edit

edit-a

-edit-a

edit a

-edit

edit jpg

edit-a.jpg

nothing is found. I guess that "-" (minus) is interpreted as exclusion that's why the files are not found, but it does not find "edit a" without "-" too.

I cannot rename thousands of filenames from "-" to "_". Many files are parts of larger projects and the project files store the original filenames.

 

Search for part of a filename

Thank you for replying. However, the issue is not resolved.

1. The same problem exists regardless of which folder I am in and exists when I search a USB drive as well.

2. I ran the Troubleshooter but am still experiencing the same problem.

3. In Indexing Options I had already added the local drive to the index. The folder containing the pictures has a check in the checkbox. (The exceptions listed for the local drive are: ProgramData; App Data; App Data; Windows.)

Did you try to search for part of a filename (ie. the "xyz" from "aaaxyzbbb.txt") using Windows 10? Does it work for you? Am I the only one experiencing this issue? Only text from the beginning of the filename is located.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.