# Format String Renaming issue

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/format-string-renaming-issue/16304>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [November 8, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/format-string-renaming-issue/16304 "2014-11-08T06:36:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tdw](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@tdw](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/tdw)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/format-string-renaming-issue/16304/1 "2014-11-08T06:36:32Z")

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I'm finding format string "Convert Tag To Filename" now moves files to the MP3Tag installation drive e.g. my C: Drive. Before the update the below format string would simply rename the files in the existing directory.

Using the format string:  
\%albumartist%\%artist% - %album%[' '][' ('$left(%YEAR%,4)')']$num(%track%,2). %artist% - %title%

Has the string formatting changed?

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**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/format-string-renaming-issue/16304/2 "2014-11-08T08:58:17Z")

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As you use the backslash, the formatting string also would not have renamed a file but actually have created a relative path.  
If the new path also happened to be the old path then you wouldn't notice any difference.  
If you only want to rename a file in the current directory then do not add any path-parts to the filename.  
The correct mask for a filename only rename would be:  
$num(%track%,2). %artist% - %title%

I think that what has changed is your workflow. The root for your relative path has changed. If you add a working directory to the link when calling MP3tag that restores the old root, you should be fine.

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**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/format-string-renaming-issue/16304/3 "2026-02-09T12:25:21Z")

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Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC