Moving multiple files with name auto resolve

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Level 1

8 points

Moving multiple files with name auto resolve

I am trying to move a couple of hundred files from one folder to another and most of the names are duplicated even though most of the files are not. Is there a way to force the GUI to auto-resolve the names and keep all files? If not, is there a way to do this from TERMINAL with a linux command?

I have called apple support and they said the 3 file limit is hard and cannot be changed because apparently people have "accidentally" lost multiple files doing this... although I do not understand how you can lose files when you are keeping both versions by automatically renaming them.

Mac Studio, macOS 14.2

Posted on Dec 19, 2023 7:54 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

EJames

Level 1

26 points

Jul 11, 2024 3:11 PM in response to CAVelarde

You can hold down the option key to see the 'keep both' option with more than 3 files.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,300 points

Dec 22, 2023 5:48 AM in response to CAVelarde

You could probably do it with a Unix utility. Some Linux utilities don’t work on Unix or aren’t available.

rsync would do it, but it is a bit complicated. There may be a tutorial on the web.

Take a look at this OSX Daily article on ditto. https://osxdaily.com/2014/06/11/use-ditto-copy-files-directories-mac-command-line/

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

215,754 points

Dec 22, 2023 2:49 PM in response to CAVelarde

If the destination folder is on a volume formatted for Macs you'll get a warning like this that duplicate names are encountered and if you want to keep both, replace or cancel.

If you keep both the duplicate will have copy at the end of the name:

You can then use You can then use Name Mangler to search for copy and replace that with whatever you'd like:

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 22, 2023 6:42 AM in response to CAVelarde

Unless your Mac is incorrectly formatted for a case-sensitive filesystem, only one filename can exist in a given filesystem location without the Finder assigning a generation set as a suffix (e.g. foo 2.txt). That said, I do not understand your comment about:

"I am trying to move a couple of hundred files from one folder to another and most of the names are duplicated even though most of the files are not."

Can you clarify that statement?

You can have two filenames that are different and contain the same data and no macOS move/copy solution will attempt to reconcile duplicate data in different filenames. The default behavior for a macOS Terminal-based move (mv) operation is to overwrite files during a move, though it does have a "-n" switch to prevent overwrites.

MacOS is based on flavors of BSD UNIX, and although there may be Linux commands with the same name, the Free Software Foundation (GNU) has seen fit to add additional or conflicting named switch arguments to these applications that produce different results even for the same switch argument. Unfortunately, the majority of Google searches that post solutions are from those using Linux, and not macOS with wrong or impossible results.

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 22, 2023 1:36 PM in response to CAVelarde

Hope with Apple is not a strategy and you need to inform the macOS product team of your need for a feature enhancement. These are fellow user supported public communities and the Apple product teams do not participate here and will not read your post.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

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Answer 6

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 23, 2023 7:15 AM in response to CAVelarde

Do not assume that busy Apple support staff will do what they say. You and only you should send feedback to the product team in your own words so a). it is truly done, and b) not a misrepresentation by someone else of what you said they are attempting to reconstruct from memory or brief notes.

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Answer 7

CAVelarde Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 22, 2023 9:51 AM in response to VikingOSX

It is exactly as it reads. I grab 876 files to move to another folder with similar files. The system tells me there are files with the same name and gives me the option to skip, overwrite, or cancel the move.

If I do this 4 files at a time the options are to keep both, overwrite, skip, or cancel the move.

Obviously this is extremely time consuming so I need to option to keep both when I am moving 876 files a lot more than when I am only moving 4.

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Answer 8

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Dec 22, 2023 11:14 AM in response to CAVelarde

What you are experiencing is programmed into Finder and only the macOS product team could alter the behavior of that Finder dialog on larger quantities of files. I am unaware of any Finder workaround to get the low volume move dialog to apply to higher volumes of files.

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Answer 9

CAVelarde Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 22, 2023 12:11 PM in response to VikingOSX

What makes this limitation ironic is that it was made to keep people from losing files accidentally, and it actually does the opposite. By not having the option to keep both files when moving large amounts, you could lose any image that has the same name as a completely different image because of the way naming works on Files created or manipulated in iPhone or iPad. I hope Apple fixes this soon.

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