What's New in this Version?

Magic File Renamer 8 is a full rewrite of the classic MFR 7 desktop app with a modern Windows UI. It keeps the batch-renaming workflow - filters, live preview, presets, and tag-aware renaming - and adds the capabilities below around the Rename List, photo tags, formats, undo, scripting, and console automation.

Free and Pro

Unlike MFR 7's limited trial renames, MFR 8 stays Free from the first run - with up to 20 items per GO. Unlock Pro for unlimited batch size via Help → Unlock Pro… - see Unlocking Pro.

New features vs MFR 7

• Refreshed desktop UI
  • Built with a modern UI toolkit for current Windows
  • Familiar layout: File List, Rename List, Available Filters, Filter Chain, and Filter Configuration
• Rename List upgrades
  • Add progress dialog: Cancel discards the in-progress batch; Cancel and keep added stops resolving and inserts what was already collected
  • Before/After mode - flip the same columns between original and preview values
  • CSV export of the visible columns
  • Add / Set columns from the current Filter Chain (write targets and format tokens)
  • Search fields across groups in Select fields…
  • Rename List Field Selector now shows Audio, Image, and Document groups. Apply To now shows Audio and Image groups
  • Group names on nested column headers (Make (EXIF)). Toggle Show group names in headers from the Rename List menu, the row context menu, or Options (on by default)
  • Xiph Rename List columns (and Apply To targets) for Vorbis / FLAC / Opus-style tags
• Format Editor
  • Search tokens across groups (Search tokens…)
  • Drop a Rename List cell or Explorer file path into the format string
  • Insert ID3v1, ID3v2, and Xiph tokens - the same values as those Rename List columns
• Broader image and audio format support
  • Formatter tokens can read WebP and HEIF/HEIC image properties (read-only)
  • EXIF tokens work on JPEG and also on PNG, TIFF, WebP, and HEIF/HEIC, including typed GPS latitude/longitude (<exif-gps-lat> / <exif-gps-lon> and Geo Latitude/Longitude columns)
  • Nearby / GeoNames tokens <geo-place> / <geo-region> / <geo-country> and Geo Nearby columns - online reverse geocoding; Options → Geo-location → GeoNames username defaults to the built-in account; language defaults to English (en), overridable per token with lang=
  • Opus files use the same Xiph comment path as Ogg Vorbis / FLAC
• Document format support
  • PDF Document Info tokens and Rename List columns (title, author, page count, and related fields; read-only)
  • EPUB Document Info tokens and Rename List columns (title, creator, publisher, and related Dublin Core fields; read-only)
  • Office Document Info tokens and Rename List columns for DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX (title, author, subject, and related fields; read-only)
• Photo tag editing (8.1)
  • Image Tag Setter writes photo tags on JPEG and PNG. Rating shows as stars in Explorer. See Image Tag fields.
  • Image Tag Rename List columns and format tokens
  • Set and remove EXIF, XMP, PNG text, and JPEG/GIF comments (see Image Tag filters)
  • Date Taken Shifter moves photo Date Taken. Match clocks fills the shift from two photos of the same moment.
  • Rename List group Jpeg Tag is now EXIF, with more columns and editable camera fields on JPEG (see EXIF fields)
• Undo Last as a preview session
  • Ctrl+Z (or Undo Last) loads reverse values from the last GO
  • Clears the Filter Chain
  • Nothing is written until you press GO again
• Generate Rename Script
  • Tools → Generate Rename Script exports pending path and attribute changes as .bat or PowerShell .ps1
• Command Line Builder
  • Tools → Command Line Builder builds a ready-to-run mfrc line from the current window
  • Copy after you pick a saved preset. See Console Mode
• Desktop UI command-line startup
  • Positional paths / wildcards seed the Rename List; --initial-folder opens the File List
  • Add modifiers match console names; when omitted, Options settings apply
  • -l / --log-level sets the launch minimum: debug, info, warn, or error (default info)
  • Desktop launch is interactive only: it does not run a preset, dry-run, or confirm/commit (use mfrc for that)
  • See Command Line Parameters - Desktop UI
• Console automation upgrades
  • --dry-run previews commit outcomes without changing disk
  • -o / --output-file writes JSON results
  • --set overrides config keys for a run
  • See Console Mode
• New storage format for settings and presets
  • Settings in config.json under AppData
  • Presets use JSON
  • One-shot offer when ProgramData MFR 7 .mps presets are found
  • Best-effort conversion with a result summary; re-offered after Reset Configuration
  • See Migrating from MFR 7 - One-shot import offer

Coming from MFR 7? See the name and feature map in Migrating from MFR 7.

Not yet vs MFR 7

The rewrite does not yet match every MFR 7 capability. These items are omitted on purpose for now and may return later.

• FreeDB album lookup (Set from FreeDB filter)
• Image property tokens no longer cover WMF or EMF

Detailed changes between minor versions

Smaller fixes and additions in each release. Major capabilities are listed above under New features vs MFR 7.

8.1

• Photo tag editing
  • Image Tag filters: Image Tag Setter, XMP Tag Setter, EXIF Tag Setter, PNG Tag Setter, Image Comment Setter, Image Tag Remover, Date Taken Shifter (Match clocks fills the shift from two photos)
  • Rename List columns and format tokens: Image Tag, EXIF (was Jpeg Tag), XMP, PNG, JPEG Comment, and GIF Comment
• Tools → Command Line Builder builds a ready-to-run mfrc line
• Rename List Field Selector now shows Audio, Image, and Document groups. Apply To now shows Audio and Image groups
• Nested Rename List column headers can include the parent group (Make (EXIF)). Toggle Show group names in headers from the Rename List menu, the row context menu, or Options (on by default)
• Format tokens for ID3v1, ID3v2, and Xiph fields, matching the Rename List groups. Everyday tags stay under Audio Tag. ID3v2 Custom Field sits with the other ID3v2 tokens.

8.0.8

• Install from the Microsoft Store or with Chocolatey: choco install magic-file-renamer (see Installation)

8.0.7

• Stable release
• Unlocking Pro: Free renames up to 20 items per GO; unlock Pro via Help → Unlock Pro… (see Unlocking Pro)
• Setup: fixed Rename with MFR 8 in File Explorer (right-click did not open the app after a fresh install; see File Explorer right-click menu)
• Undo Last: undoing a folder rename no longer adds the folder's files as extra items

8.0.6-beta

• <clipboard>: line breaks and other control characters become spaces; empty, whitespace-only, or image-only clipboard content contributes nothing (see Clipboard Text)
• Formatter filter option: format string is single-line (multi-line paste no longer opens a tall field; see Format Editor)

8.0.5-beta

• Format tokens for audio, images, PDF, EPUB, and Office show a clear preview error when the file type does not match (for example an audio token on a JPEG), instead of leaving the name blank (see Format Editor)
• MP3-only tokens require a .mp3 file, and report an error when the file is not real MPEG audio (see MP3 Properties Tokens)
• <clipboard> format token - insert clipboard text (or the first clipboard file path); see Clipboard Text

8.0.4-beta

• Audio and ID3 format tokens show a preview error on file types that cannot hold those tags (for example ID3 on an MP4 or JPEG), instead of leaving the name blank (see Audio Tag Tokens and Audio ID3 Tokens)
• Console mode (mfrc): optional clearer log lines and a switch to turn off per-file preview detail (see Console Mode)
• Help menu: Web Site opens the product page in your browser (see Website & Updates)

8.0.2-beta

• Installer: unchecking Explorer integration (or uninstalling) fully removes the Rename with MFR 8 right-click menu item (see File Explorer right-click menu)

8.0.1-beta

• Import from MFR 7: one-time offer to bring in classic .mps presets, with a result summary; offered again after Reset Configuration - see Migrating from MFR 7
• Undo Last: canceling the undo prepare step no longer clears the Rename List; nothing is written until you press GO
• Audio Tag Remover: some remove-all / whole-tag operations cannot be undone (preview shows them as unrestorable)
• Filter Options: OK with no changes no longer refreshes the preview unnecessarily