# Important FAQ change regarding folder rename
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [October 23, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618 "2011-10-23T06:40:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Nighty](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Nighty)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/1 "2011-10-23T06:40:03Z")
If I understand correctly, MP3Tag 2.49 doesn't "rename" sub-folders as such -- it creates a new sub-folder and moves **only** your **music** files there. This is an important difference, as it will leave behind any "non-music" files like logs, jpegs, lyrics etc.
**I think this really needs to be explained in the FAQ:**
[/t/8016/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/8016/1)
It should probably be mentioned in the various threads on this subject too, as search engines tend to take you to them first (they do for me anyway).
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/2 "2011-10-23T10:47:04Z")
it can rename folders.
the trick is to use the action "Format Value" and choose "\_DIRECTORY" as field.
---
### Author:  [@Nighty](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Nighty)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/3 "2011-10-23T14:36:45Z")
Yes, but AFAIK that only renames the "current directory", not further up. I'm sorry I wasn't clear: The behaviour I'm describing happens when using the  Converter \> Tag - Filename technique as shown here for example: Renaming files, creating folders and complete directory structures from tags
Here's a simplistic example:
Consider the following directory structure and files:
```
D:\SomeArtist\SomeAlbum\SomeMusic.mp3
D:\SomeArtist\SomeAlbum\SomeArt.jpg
D:\SomeArtist\SomeAlbum\SomeLog.txt
```
If you do  Converter \> Tag - Filename with the following string: %artist% SPAM\%album%\%title%
Your directory structure will now look like this:
```
D:\SomeArtist SPAM\SomeAlbum\SomeMusic.mp3
D:\SomeArtist\SomeAlbum\SomeArt.jpg
D:\SomeArtist\SomeAlbum\SomeLog.txt
```
Notice all the non-music files were left behind? That's because the directory is not actually renamed as the FAQ suggests -- a new directory is created and _only_ music files are moved to it.
To put my original request another way: Please warn people they will orphan any ancilliary files if they use the  Converter \> Tag - Filename technique. The FAQ is not clear enough at the moment in my opinion. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/4 "2011-10-23T14:55:09Z")
> [@Nighty](#):
>
> ... Notice all the non-music files were left behind? ...
Nighty, you have stumbled over a known problem/misconception/misunderstanding/possibly poor documentation.
Mp3tag provides two pseudo tag variables ...
\_FILENAME
\_DIRECTORY
... to let the user work with the filesystem.
By manipulating \_FILENAME one can rename the filename of the current media file resp. move the selected media files from here to there and let create target folder if necessary.
By manipulating \_DIRECTORY one can move entire folders resp. foldertrees including all embedded files.
Search the forum and you will find a bunch of threads with different scenarios how to apply format strings on the pseudo tag-fields \_FILENAME and \_DIRECTORY.
DD.20111023.1855.CEST
---
### Author:  [@Nighty](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Nighty)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/5 "2011-10-23T14:59:54Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Nighty, you have stumbled over a known problem/misconception/misunderstanding/possibly poor documentation.
Yes indeed, which I why I'm suggesting some corrections/clarifications/warnings need to be added to the FAQ at the very least, so other people don't have to waste hours of their life trying to fix their music library like I did. 😳🙂
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/important-faq-change-regarding-folder-rename/12618/6 "2026-02-09T12:23:24Z")