converting filename encoding

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Level 1

8 points

converting filename encoding

I installed and tried the File Name Encoding Repair utility. It converted the filename, but to something unintelligible. I know for sure that the filenames are originally in Cyrillic, but I think this utility is meant specifically for converting files from OS 9. The files I have came to me from someone using a Windows system.

Is there another way (besides the utility) to convert unintelligible filenames into their proper Cyrillic characters?

Thank you to anyone who can help.

iMac G5, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Mar 27, 2008 10:39 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,154 points

Mar 28, 2008 7:03 AM in response to allios

You are correct, the Utility is designed to convert names from MacCyrillic to Unicode. Your Windows files could be in Windows-1251, KOI8-R, or ISO-8859-5.

I think the only way to fix the names might be manually -- retyping the correct names. Are there a lot of them? Do you still have them in their original form (before you ran the utility)? I might be able to figure out a way to determine what they are supposed to be.

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Answer 2

allios Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2008 7:59 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thank you.

I found a couple of sites on the internet that convert various encodings, but they don't give info about what encoding I'm converting from or to what the site converts to. However, from what I was able to glean the original filenames were in Windows-1251. Since you ask, actually there are a lot of filenames to convert (it's an audio recording [mp3] of a Slavic Bible and broken down into one file for each chapter of every book!). Unfortunately, when I used the File Name Encoding Repair Utility I chose the option to convert ALL the filenames within the main folder.

So, I think I know what the original encoding is. If you know a way to convert it, I would be extremely grateful . . .

Otherwise I think I will have to change each one manually. I think that is doable for the file names, but there is other (equally unintelligible) information that the files display in iTunes (columns like album and artist).

Let me know if anything can be done. Thanks again.

allios

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Answer 3

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,154 points

Mar 28, 2008 8:04 AM in response to allios

I think that is doable for the file names, but there is other (equally unintelligible) information that the files display in iTunes (columns like album and artist).

For that you need to fix the ID3 tags. There are some utilities for that, like Unicode Rewriter and ID3Mod. See this page:

http://homepage.mac.com/thgewecke/mlingos9.html#itunes

I don't know if they would help with the file names themselves. Otherwise, it would require some experimentation to convert them, like pasting them into TextEdit, the saving and reopening in different encodings.

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Answer 4

allios Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2008 3:33 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

I went through the helpful info on your webpage. The ID3Mod2 program looks promising. It partially (but good enough) converted a couple of test files, but I would prefer to run straight from iTunes (which the program allows). Unfortunately the ID3Mod2 only allows me to "load" the entire file (comprising some 1189 individual files), that is, that's the only option in the iTunes drawer. That's probably far too much for it too handle at one time. I would gladly load a few files at a time, but the program doesn't allow it (from within iTunes).

If nothing else, ID3Mod2 will enable me to identify what most of the filenames are. Since these are mostly books of the Bible, it doesn't involve a lot of guess work.

Speaking of which, when it comes to editing the filenames manually, where should I do that so that the changes are reflected wherever that file is listed? From the main Library panel of iTunes? From the Finder window? Do you get what I'm asking?

Also, will these manually entered changes be reflected on my iPod the next time I hook it up? Or will I have it to delete from it those files with the unintelligible names and re-add them from the adjusted list in iTunes?

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Answer 5

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,154 points

Mar 28, 2008 3:37 PM in response to allios

Speaking of which, when it comes to editing the filenames manually, where should I do that so that the changes are reflected wherever that file is listed? From the main Library panel of iTunes? From the Finder window?

I would do it from the Finder, but I am not totally sure that is necessary.

Also, will these manually entered changes be reflected on my iPod the next time I hook it up? Or will I have it to delete from it those files with the unintelligible names and re-add them from the adjusted list in iTunes?

I think it will probably be the latter -- you will need to re-add the files with the fixed names and tags.

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Answer 6

allios Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2008 7:23 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thanks again.

I think I can safely mark this question as "solved".

Now to get to work on those 1189 files . . .

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