PowerShell – Rename Pictures to Image Taken

ByDavid Kittell
|
PowerShell
# If you haven't already done so you will need to run this to be able to execute PowerShell scripts
# You will need to run PowerShell as administrator to run this script
set-executionpolicy remotesigned

<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Renames pictures. 

    .DESCRIPTION
        The Rename-Pictures cmdlet to rename pictures to a format where the file creation time is first
        in the name in this format: . The idea is that  

    .PARAMETER Path
        Specifies the path to the folder where image files are located. Default is current location (Get-Location). 

    .EXAMPLE
        PS C:\> Rename-Pictures 

        Description:
        Renames all the pictures in folder you are in. 

    .EXAMPLE
        PS C:\> Rename-Pictures -Path C:\Folder\Pics\  

        Description:
        Renames all the pictures in the given folder path. 

    .NOTES
        Author: Magnus Ringkjøb
        E-mail: magnus.ringkjob@gmail.com
        Image Dimensions Added By David Kittell - Kittell.net
#>

Param(
    [string]$Path
)

if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($Path)) {
    $Path = (Get-Location)
}

$BackupFileName = '_backupdata.csv'
$ErrorFileName = '_errors.csv'

[reflection.assembly]::LoadFile("C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\System.Drawing.dll")
$Script:ErrorLogMsg = $Null
$Script:CorrectPath = $Null

$Path

$ImgsFound = (dir $Path -Include ('*.jpeg', '*.png', '*.gif', '*.jpg', '*.bmp', '*.png') -Recurse   | Select-Object -Property FullName, Name, BaseName, Extension)

# If any file was found 

# Array that takes in the old- and the new filename. This is used for saving a backup to .csv
$BackupData = @() 

# Loops through the images found
foreach ($Img in $ImgsFound) {
    # Gets image data
    $ImgData = New-Object System.Drawing.Bitmap($Img.FullName) 

    $ImgDimensions = $ImgData.Width.ToString() + $("x") + $ImgData.Height.ToString()

    try {
        # Gets 'Date Taken' in bytes
        [byte[]]$ImgBytes = $ImgData.GetPropertyItem(36867).Value
    }
    catch [System.Exception], [System.IO.IOException] {
        [string]$ErrorMessage = (
                        (Get-Date).ToString('yyyyMMdd HH:mm:ss') + "`tERROR`tDid not change name for " + $Img.Name + ". Reason: " + $Error
        )
        $Script:ErrorLogMsg += $ErrorMessage + "`r`n"
        Write-Host -ForegroundColor Red -Object $ErrorMessage

        # Clears any error messages
        $Error.Clear() 

        # No reason to continue. Move on to the next file
        continue
    } 

    # Gets the date and time from bytes
    [string]$dateString = [System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString($ImgBytes)
    # Formats the date to the desired format
    [string]$dateTaken = [datetime]::ParseExact($dateString, "yyyy:MM:dd HH:mm:ss`0", $Null).ToString('yyyy-MM-dd_HH.mm.ss.ms')
    # The new file name for the image
    #  [string]$NewFileName = $dateTaken + '-' + $Img.Name
    [string]$NewFileName = $dateTaken + "_" + $ImgDimensions + [System.IO.Path]::GetExtension($Img.Name)

    $ImgData.Dispose()
    try {
        Rename-Item -NewName $NewFileName -Path $Img.FullName -ErrorAction Stop
        Write-Host -Object ("Renamed " + $Img.Name + " to " + $NewFileName)
    }
    catch {
        [string]$ErrorMessage = (
                        (Get-Date).ToString('yyyyMMdd HH:mm:ss') + "`tERROR`tDid not change name for " + $Img.Name + ". Reason: " + $Error
        )
        $Script:ErrorLogMsg += $ErrorMessage + "`r`n"
        Write-Host -ForegroundColor Red -Object $ErrorMessage

        # Clears any previous error messages
        $Error.Clear() 

        # No reason to continue. Move on to the next file
        continue
    } 

    # Collect data to be added to the backup file
    $BUData = New-Object -TypeName System.Object
    $BUData | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "OldName" -Value $Img.Name
    $BUData | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "NewName" -Value $NewFileName

    # Add data to backup collection
    $BackupData += $BUData

    try {
        $BackupData | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation -Path "$Path\\$BackupFileName"
    }
    catch [System.Exception] {
        [string]$ErrorMessage = "((Get-Date).ToString('yyyyMMdd HH:mm:ss'))`tERROR`tCould not create $Path $BackupFileName Reason: " + $Error
        $Script:ErrorLogMsg += $ErrorMessage + "`r`n"

        # Clears any error messages
        $Error.Clear()
    } 

}
# If there was a problem during the run:
# Print to file, and let user know
if ($Script:ErrorLogMsg -ne $Null) {
    $ErrorLogMsg | Export-Csv -NoTypeInformation -Path "$Path\\$ErrorFileName"
    Write-Host -ForegroundColor Red -Object (
        "Errors were found. Please check " + $Path + "_errors.log"
    )
}

GitHub: https://gist.github.com/dkittell/746e69967a7f4d0f0c52

Reference: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Rename-picture-files-with-97738191 (Magnus Ringkjøb)

Originally Posted on November 20, 2015
Last Updated on October 26, 2025
All information on this site is shared with the intention to help. Before any source code or program is ran on a production (non-development) system it is suggested you test it and fully understand what it is doing not just what it appears it is doing. I accept no responsibility for any damage you may do with this code.