Blank date taken issue

[ua_mstf]

hi guys, i'm newbie. I'm organizing my archive of 20k photos. The date taken columns of some photos are blanks. Can I fill in these blanks with the date columns? I added an attachments screenshot. Thanks.

[StarGeek]

Looks like What's App images?

What's App strips away all metadata for privacy.

Try this to add a timestamp
exiftool "-AllDates<${Filename;m/(\d{8})/;$_=$1} 000000}" /path/to/files/

This command creates backup files.  Add -Overwrite_Original to suppress the creation of backup files.  Add -r to recurse into subdirectories.

[ua_mstf]

Yes these are whatsapp pictures. There are non-Whatsapp photos without a date taken. I couldn't use the command. Is it possible for you to make 1 example for me? Thanks.

[ua_mstf]

Looks like What's App images?

What's App strips away all metadata for privacy.

Try this to add a timestamp
exiftool "-AllDates<${Filename;m/(\d{8})/;$_=$1} 000000}" /path/to/files/

This command creates backup files.  Add -Overwrite_Original to suppress the creation of backup files.  Add -r to recurse into subdirectories.

I did it  thanks. But I have a problem. time is not like the original file.

[StarGeek]

For your other files that appear to have the full date and time in the filename, you can use
exiftool "-AllDates<FileName" /path/to/files/

For other options, use FAQ #3 to figure out the names of the tags you want to copy from.

[ua_mstf]

For your other files that appear to have the full date and time in the filename, you can use
exiftool "-AllDates<FileName" /path/to/files/

For other options, use FAQ #3 to figure out the names of the tags you want to copy from.

I am grateful.  My English is not very good. I read FAQ # 3 but I don't understand. What do I have to do with the files I sent with the attachments?

[StarGeek]

It tells you how to figure out what tag holds what data.  That way you can figure out where your program that is displaying your screenshots is getting it's data from.

[ua_mstf]

It tells you how to figure out what tag holds what data.  That way you can figure out where your program that is displaying your screenshots is getting it's data from.

For your other files that appear to have the full date and time in the filename, you can use
exiftool "-AllDates<FileName" /path/to/files/

For other options, use FAQ #3 to figure out the names of the tags you want to copy from.

I am grateful.  My English is not very good. I read FAQ # 3 but I don't understand. What do I have to do with the files I sent with the attachments?

I still could not solve this problem. I sent with the attachments.

[StarGeek]

There's no frame of reference for that image.  I don't know what I'm looking at.

None of those filenames are in the form of a timestamp, so you can't copy from the filename.

Run this on a file
exiftool -time:all -G0 -a -s file.jpg

Your output will be something like this

Code Select Expand

[File]          FileModifyDate                  : 2013:12:17 18:51:08-08:00
[File]          FileAccessDate                  : 2017:06:18 14:39:19-07:00
[File]          FileCreateDate                  : 2017:06:18 14:39:19-07:00
[EXIF]          ModifyDate                      : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[EXIF]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[EXIF]          CreateDate                      : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[MakerNotes]    TimeZone                        : -08:00
[MakerNotes]    DaylightSavings                 : Yes
[MakerNotes]    DateDisplayFormat               : Y/M/D
[MakerNotes]    PowerUpTime                     : 2013:12:17 18:50:39
[EXIF]          SubSecTime                      : 50
[EXIF]          SubSecTimeOriginal              : 50
[EXIF]          SubSecTimeDigitized             : 50
[EXIF]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[Composite]     SubSecCreateDate                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50
[Composite]     SubSecDateTimeOriginal          : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50
[Composite]     SubSecModifyDate                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50

Figure out which tag has the value you want and which one has the incorrect value.  You then just copy from one tag to the other
exiftool "-ERRORTAG<CORRECTAG" File.jpg

[ua_mstf]

There's no frame of reference for that image.  I don't know what I'm looking at.

None of those filenames are in the form of a timestamp, so you can't copy from the filename.

Run this on a file
exiftool -time:all -G0 -a -s file.jpg

Your output will be something like this

Code Select Expand

[File]          FileModifyDate                  : 2013:12:17 18:51:08-08:00
[File]          FileAccessDate                  : 2017:06:18 14:39:19-07:00
[File]          FileCreateDate                  : 2017:06:18 14:39:19-07:00
[EXIF]          ModifyDate                      : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[EXIF]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[EXIF]          CreateDate                      : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[MakerNotes]    TimeZone                        : -08:00
[MakerNotes]    DaylightSavings                 : Yes
[MakerNotes]    DateDisplayFormat               : Y/M/D
[MakerNotes]    PowerUpTime                     : 2013:12:17 18:50:39
[EXIF]          SubSecTime                      : 50
[EXIF]          SubSecTimeOriginal              : 50
[EXIF]          SubSecTimeDigitized             : 50
[EXIF]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08
[Composite]     SubSecCreateDate                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50
[Composite]     SubSecDateTimeOriginal          : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50
[Composite]     SubSecModifyDate                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08.50

Figure out which tag has the value you want and which one has the incorrect value.  You then just copy from one tag to the other
exiftool "-ERRORTAG<CORRECTAG" File.jpg

That's my fault.

I uploaded a new attachment. I hope I can explain. How can I find only the green zone in attachment?

[StarGeek]

Ok that's very weird.  I have no idea what's happening there.  Obviously, it's not taking the time from anything in the file.

Is this Windows? 

Is this a synced file?  For example, Dropbox or Google Drive?

What does it say when you use DIR on the file, e.g. dir file.jpg

Searching Google for the problem mentions it might be a sync issue with a cloud drive such as Dropbox.  But otherwise I have no idea where it's pulling that date from.

[ua_mstf]

Ok that's very weird.  I have no idea what's happening there.  Obviously, it's not taking the time from anything in the file.

Is this Windows? 

Is this a synced file?  For example, Dropbox or Google Drive?

What does it say when you use DIR on the file, e.g. dir file.jpg

Searching Google for the problem mentions it might be a sync issue with a cloud drive such as Dropbox.  But otherwise I have no idea where it's pulling that date from.

Yes windows. No dropbox or cloud drive.

How can I delete the " [EXIF]          DateTimeOriginal                : 2013:12:17 18:51:08 "  in output?

[StarGeek]

To remove the DateTimeOriginal tag from the file, you would use
exiftool -DateTimeOriginal= file.jpg

Though that tag is usually the main one Windows uses to fill the "Date Taken" property.