Automator Rename Finder Items NOT working in Leopard

Question

Level 1

54 points

Automator Rename Finder Items NOT working in Leopard

I used to be able to Replace Text in filenames, as you would expect with Automator, now my old or new Automator actions don't work for this, whether I run them as a Finder plugin or from the Automator Run button...

Anyone else have this problem, or better yet success?

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Nov 8, 2007 3:43 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Aug 3, 2017 1:49 AM in response to Mike K

Your problem, hardware or software, may not be exactly the same as that of the original poster of this older thread, and it can be very confusing for everybody if we try to answer more than one question in each thread, which can also result in you applying the wrong advice to your particular problem.

In order for us to give your problem our proper attention to try to solve it, would you kindly start your own thread, describing the trouble you are having in the fullest detail, including completing your details to show what Mac or iDevice you are using, what operating system, and what version of the application in question. Please remember to post in the forum relevant to your hardware or version of OS X. A full list of all the support forums is here:

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

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Answer 2

OS Lucinity Author

Level 1

54 points

Nov 8, 2007 3:50 PM in response to OS Lucinity

I use:

Get Selected Finder Items
Rename Finder Items >> Replace Text >> Show this action when the workflow runs

Used to work in Tiger but it's not working in Leopard.

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Answer 3

Jeff Self

Level 1

100 points

Nov 8, 2007 7:14 PM in response to OS Lucinity

Same result here. If I tell to Add number to existing item name, it does add the number to the end of the existing file name. But if I tell it to use a new name, all I get is the sequential number in the file name with a dash at the beginning. Definitely a bug.

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Answer 4

Jeff Self

Level 1

100 points

Nov 8, 2007 7:16 PM in response to Jeff Self

And I just did another test. I told it use a new name but put the name after the sequential number and it works. So its definitely a bug with the new file name coming before the sequential number.

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Answer 5

OS Lucinity Author

Level 1

54 points

Nov 9, 2007 12:43 AM in response to Jeff Self

oye, thanks for the confirmation Jeff.

I tried the usual (permissions repair/reboot) and still no luck. Which is too bad, I really like the new look of Automator, and there seem to be some neat new actions.

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Answer 6

JonoH

Level 1

1 points

Nov 9, 2007 3:51 AM in response to OS Lucinity

Yes, I have the same problem.

Whatever rename function I select in the action (usually replace text) it adds the date to the end of the file name rather than doing what I set it to do.

Maybe we should send bug reports to Apple on this one?

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Answer 7

OS Lucinity Author

Level 1

54 points

Nov 9, 2007 8:15 AM in response to JonoH

https://bugreport.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RadarWeb.woa/wa/signIn

http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter/

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html/

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Answer 8

Nov 12, 2007 10:51 AM in response to Jeff Self

Agreed! Very sucky. I used to rely heavily on the Rename Finder Items action (saved as plug-in for easy access from finder). The replace text function is messed up both in the "Make Sequential" tab as well as the "Replace Text" tab. Tsk Tsk apple. Right now I'm pretty helpless in terms of remaining large amounts of files.

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Answer 9

b3man

Level 1

45 points

Nov 12, 2007 2:55 PM in response to OS Lucinity

Not ideal, but I think I've found a temporary workaround. If I choose the items I want to rename, then right-click and go to More - Automator - Create Workflow, the items I chose from Finder are the initial step, then I add the Rename Finder Items step. When I run it right then (using the Run button from Automator), it works. Just don't bother saving it as a Finder Plugin. It won't work. So, each time you want to rename Finder Items, just repeat the process. It is definitely more time consuming than what we had, but still saves time compared to manually renaming files. This will hold me over until a fix is available. Regards.

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Answer 10

paulclark

Level 2

190 points

Nov 14, 2007 7:07 PM in response to b3man

Great workaround b3man. I had one that was so involved it was marginally quicker to just copy and paste a new name to every file and add 01,02,03 etc.

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Answer 11

Nov 14, 2007 7:56 PM in response to paulclark

The real problem here is, why does the Finder have to be so ********! Why all this trouble just to change filenames?!?! Why use automator to do something so simple?!?! I have to use but I hate it!
Please, despite all the Windows problems and faults (and I hate Windows and love Mac), they have a better file manager then we do, because the explorer is a good tool unlike the finder! Why can't we just choose the items and do some "rename" option, or just select all, press "enter" and write what we want (doing a sequential rename by default).
Come on, if windows explorer can do this, why can't we?!?!?
The automator should be used to more advanced stuff, not to just simply rename items...

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Answer 12

rickyv

Level 2

188 points

Nov 14, 2007 8:06 PM in response to João Guilherme

I totally agree with you. I've always wondered why simple functions are not built into finder. I've wondered about this even before Tiger and Leopard.

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