Strugging with Exiftool

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Steve,

Odd.  Just changing the FileName should not affect the file creation/modification dates.  But if you changed something else unintentionally with ExifTool, then you will find the "_original" files that ExifTool creates to allow the original files to be restored.

- Phil

[vetinry]

It's official....

I am an idiot.  Upon further checking, I found that all of the (what I thought was corrupted files) were in my November file, consistent with the date that I was using the new batch file.  I checked the EXIF data for them and found that they didn't have any Date Time Original info.  Strange, I thought.  I just thought that I'd count how many files there were in case that I needed to rename them all.  754 files.  Thankfully my short term memory kicked in and I remembered that I'd converted exactly 754 RAW images to JPEG the previous day.

Do RAW files not carry EXIF info?  Or did I remove this during my conversion.  I just used a freeware program to convert from RAW to JPEG (could this have been done with Exif Tool?).

So, at least I know where these files came from. Next couple of questions.  Can Exif Tool rename RAW files?  Unfortunately, these 754 files now seem to have 23/11/2014 as their date created and date modified dates and no other information.

And does anyone know if there is a good programme for comparing pictures that are identical in image but different in size.  I use Fast Duplicate Files to look for exact copies, but I would like to check whether these RAW (now JPEG) images are duplicates of other files.  I can only think at one point I was shooting in RAW, but I'm sure that I would only have done that if I was also shooting a JPEG at the same time.

Anyway, thanks for the responses as always.  Very reassuring to know that I couldn't have altered the Exif information using the batch commands.

Best wishes

Steve

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Steve,

It's official....

I am an idiot.

I doubt that very much.

Do RAW files not carry EXIF info?

Often not.  Many people use ExifTool to copy the metadata from RAW to JPG images.

I just used a freeware program to convert from RAW to JPEG (could this have been done with Exif Tool?).

ExifTool does not develop RAW images.  The best you can do is use ExifTool to extract any embedded JPEG from the RAW.

Can Exif Tool rename RAW files?

ExifTool can rename any file.  (It doesn't even need to be a supported format.)

Unfortunately, these 754 files now seem to have 23/11/2014 as their date created and date modified dates and no other information.

If you want, you can rename the files from the metadata in the corresponding RAW file. This is easy if they have the same name.  For example, if the RAW files have ".nef" extension:

exiftool -tagsfromfile RAWDIR/%f.nef "-filename<..." ...

And does anyone know if there is a good programme for comparing pictures that are identical in image but different in size.

Sorry, I can't help with this.

- Phil

[vetinry]

Is it really over 5 years since my last post?

Good evening everyone.  I am writing from a new and very different life than I had before.  But strangely still with some of the same challenges.
I'm trying to resurrect my photo filing to deal with a mountain of new photos from me and from a new relationship.
I've dug out all of the old work, downloaded latest exiftool, moved to windows and removed the "k"
On my desktop I have set up another Test folder and also copied one of the strings above into notepad and saved as a batch file.
However, as soon as I drag a photo onto the batch file, the command prompt opens and seems to be constant scrolling down through the same repeating line, without ending and without renaming the photo.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Using Windows 10 rather than 7 and a faster laptop but nothing else changed so can't understand what's happening
Thanks in advance

Steve

[StarGeek]

It would help to know what exactly you put in the bat file and if possible, what the repeating line is.

[vetinry]

Hi StarGeek

Oops - yes, that would have been helpful....

This is the line in the bat file:

exiftool -k -d "%%Y_%%m_%%d %%H.%%M.%%S%%%%-c.%%%%e" "-filename<c:\Users\Steve\Desktop\Test\${FileModifyDate}" "-filename<c:\Users\Steve\Desktop\Test\${DateTimeOriginal}" %1

This is a straight copy of what I used previously and so I assumed it would be right (never assume anything).  I know that I spent quite a bit of time getting to begin to understand this last time and just about got the hang of it.  But I've pretty much forgotten it all and so just hoping there is a simple fix which means that I don't have to do that.

I've taken a screenshot - is there a way to upload a picture here?

The line says:

c:\Users\Steve\Desktop>exiftool -k -d "%%Y_%%m_%%d %%H.%%M.%%S%%%%-c.%%%%e" "-filename<c:\Users\Steve\Desktop\Test\${FileModifyDate}" "-filename<c:\Users\Steve\Desktop\Test\${DateTimeOriginal}" -k

It seems to just continue to repeat this and scroll quickly down without stopping

Any ideas?

Thanks

Steve

[StarGeek]

To attach a file to the post, click the "Attachments and other options" just below the text box.

I don't see anything wrong with the command and it seems to work here.  Rather than drag/dropping a file on it, try running it from CMD.

What is the name of the file you are trying to process?

[vetinry]

Thank you for trying to help

Name of file: IMG_1917

How do I run from CMD?  The reason I liked the .bat is that I could throw an entire folder on to the .bat sitting on the desktop and it would then process everything and pop the renamed files in my Test folder.

I've attached the picture so you can see what opens when I drop the photo onto the bat file.

So frustrating - it used to work perfectly.  And I know that I'm not skilled enough to diagnose on my own

Best wishes

Steve

[Phil Harvey]

Somehow it looks like your .bat file is in an endless loop.  If you attach the entire .bat file we can see what the problem is.

- Phil

[vetinry]

Hi Phil

Hope you're well.  Yes, that's exactly what's happening - I just wasn't able to describe it properly

Here is the file...

Thanks

Steve

[Phil Harvey]

The problem is that your .bat file is calling itself.  The first command in the .bat file is "exiftool", which is the name of the .bat file, so it runs itself... endlessly.

- Phil

[vetinry]

Hi Phil

I thought I'd called it that same name previously but obviously not.  Batch file renamed to "Exiftoolbatch" and now it works perfectly

Thank you very much for working out what was wrong

Best wishes

Steve