How can Bulk Rename Utility automatically select next file down, after I renamed current highlighted file?

Question

I use Bulk Rename Utility 3.0.0.1.

After I click 'Rename', the file I just renamed remains highlighted! How I order Bulk Rename Uility automatically select the next file below?

did you try the down arrow key? – Moab Mar 06 '20 at 16:50 — Moab, Mar 06 '20 at 16:50

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 08 '20 at 01:08

How do I order Bulk Rename Uility to automatically select the next file?

I don't believe there is an option to automatically select the next file in Bulk Rename Utility.

That is, as already pointed out in the comments, you need to have the current file selected and press the ↓ (Down Arrow) key manually.

However, as a possible work around, you could try using a program such as AutoHotkey in conjunction with Bulk Rename Utility to provide an arguably similar feature.

AutoHotkey is a free utility that helps create keyboard macros (among other things).

Script Overview

The following example AutoHotkey scripts define a hotkey of ex. F4 which can then be used to send several keystrokes to Bulk Rename Utility. Specifically, these keystrokes are:

Ctrl + r (as ^r), the keyboard shortcut for Rename in Bulk Rename Utility.
The Enter key (as {Enter}), which is required to close the default BRU Warning and/or Confirmation notification dialogs (but only if they are enabled).
The ↓ (Down Arrow) key (as{Down}), which is required to move to the next item in the BRU item list.

To use these scripts:

Install AutoHotkey
Cut and past one of the AutoHotkey scripts below into a new text file (depending on which notification dialog boxes are enabled in Bulk Rename Utility) .
Rename that text file with an .ahk (AutoHotkey script file) extension.
Double click the .ahk file to activate the script/hotkey.

You can disable the script/hotkey by simply closing AutoHotkey from the Windows notification area via AutoHotkey's H icon:

ex. AutoHotkey Notification Icon

Example AutoHotkey Scripts

ex. BRU_Default_Dialog_Boxes.ahk

F4::
    if WinActive("ahk_exe Bulk Rename Utility.exe"){

        Send ^r

        ; Close Warning Notification Dialog
        Sleep 25
        Send {Enter}

        ; Close Confirmation Notification Dialog
        Sleep 25
        Send {Enter}

        Sleep 25
        Send {Down}

        Return
    }

ex. BRU_Single_Dialog_Box.ahk

F4::
    if WinActive("ahk_exe Bulk Rename Utility.exe"){

        Send ^r

        ; Close Warning *or* Confirmation Notification Dialog
        Sleep 25
        Send {Enter}

        Sleep 25
        Send {Down}

        Return
    }

ex. BRU_No_Dialog_Boxes.ahk

F4::
    if WinActive("ahk_exe Bulk Rename Utility.exe"){

        Send ^r

        ; If both the default BRU Warning and Confirmation dialogs boxes are
        ; disabled, go straight to pressing the Down Arrow key.

        Send {Down}

        Return
    }

Important Note

Any one of the scripts above should allow you to press F4 and have the next item selected. This can include repeatedly pressing F4 to apply changes to files, in order.

However, this will only occur if the file you are operating on is (re)selected after you have applied any filter changes i.e.:

F4 will Rename the file but will not select the next file (the current file isn't highlighted in dark blue):
F4 will Rename the file and select the next file (the current file is highlighted in dark blue):

To reiterate, as long as a file name is selected (highlighted in dark blue), using ex. F4 will move to the next file. You can still use the ↓ (Down Arrow) key to manually skip over files as well.

Warning and Confirmation Dialog Boxes

You can adjust whether the Rename Warning or Confirmation notification dialogs are displayed under the Renaming Options menu in Bulk Rename Utility:

ex. Rename Notification Options

AutoHotkey Resources

How can Bulk Rename Utility automatically select next file down, after I renamed current highlighted file?

1 Answers1