How can I organize photos and videos into date folders using the file modification date on Windows?
Asked 3/19/2023
8 views
2 answers
0
I have a batch of photos and videos from a phone backup that were previously sorted with Phockup. Many files ended up in an "unknown" folder because they don't contain a usable "date taken" field. On Windows, I'd like to sort those files by their file modification date instead, and move them into dated folders such as 2023/January/01-January. What tool or workflow can do this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
1
One possible solution is to use XNView MP. When you are in browser mode click icon like two arrows and select your sorting wishes.
Then select photos by desired group and move them with drag and drop.
Or use Alt+M to move them in folder (the folder will be created if not exist)
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
3y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A good fit is ExifTool if you want to automatically move files into folders based on the file system’s modification date. Example:
exiftool '-Directory<FileModifyDate' -d c:\target\%Y\%B\%d-%B -r c:\source
This reads each file’s FileModifyDate and writes it into the destination folder path, creating folders as needed. The -r option processes subfolders recursively. If your files do contain useful metadata, you could use ModifyDate instead of FileModifyDate.
If you prefer a visual/manual workflow, XnView MP can sort files in browser mode by date, then you can select groups and move them by drag-and-drop or with the move command.
So:
- ExifTool: best for automated folder creation and bulk moving
- XnView MP: best if you want to review and move files manually
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI3y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I batch-set EXIF dates from a parent folder name in ExifTool?
How can I set a PNG's "Date Taken" from its filename using ExifTool?
How can I sort photos into folders based on their shooting date?
How can I set photo EXIF dates from the folder name?
How can I avoid duplicate file names when importing and exporting in Lightroom?