# Remove last 17 characters of a filename? **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [August 23, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986 "2013-08-23T07:54:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/alan_sh)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/1 "2013-08-23T07:54:10Z")
I have a set of files and the last 17 characters are always rubbish. Is there a way to remove them, no matter what it says? I have looked in the "Actions" but it's not immediately obvious what I can do. thanks for any advice Alan ---
**Author:** ![alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/alan_sh)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/2 "2013-08-23T12:09:59Z")
I think I need a regular expression. The bit I want to remove always starts with "b0" and always ends with "default". Can anyone help provide me with this? [edit] so far I have " b0\*" replace with "mp3" as the expression wipes out the extension. Can it be better? Alan ---
**Author:** ![stevehero](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/stevehero/32/337_2.png) [@stevehero](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stevehero)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/3 "2013-08-24T11:36:31Z")
> [@Alan Sharkey](#): > > I think I need a regular expression. The bit I want to remove always starts with "b0" and always ends with "default". > > Can anyone help provide me with this? > > [edit] > > so far I have " b0\*" replace with "mp3" as the expression wipes out the extension. > Can it be better? > > Alan Help says: $cutRight(x,n) removes the last n characters of string x and returns the result. So for you: $cutRight(%\_FILENAME%,17) ---
**Author:** ![alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/alan_sh)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/4 "2013-08-30T14:00:27Z")
> [@stevehero](#): > > Help says: > $cutRight(x,n) removes the last n characters of string x and returns the result. > > So for you: $cutRight(%\_FILENAME%,17) That doesn't seem to be doing anything. In the Field box, I have "\_Filename" as the entry In the Regular Expression box, I have $cutRight(%\_FILENAME%,17) In the replace with, I have ".mp4a" (or something else). It does nothing at all. Alan ---
**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:** [August 30, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/5 "2013-08-30T14:06:37Z")
> [@Alan Sharkey](#): > > That doesn't seem to be doing anything. In the Field box, I have "\_Filename" as the entry > In the Regular Expression box, I have $cutRight(%\_FILENAME%,17) > In the replace with, I have ".mp4a" (or something else). > > It does nothing at all. > > Alan You have to use an action of the type "Format value" for \_FILENAME. Alternatively, you can use Convert\>Tag-Filename with the mask $cutright(%\_filename%,17) This has even a preview. ---
**Author:** ![alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@alan\_sh](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/alan_sh)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/6 "2013-09-01T14:57:57Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > You have to use an action of the type "Format value" for \_FILENAME. > > Alternatively, you can use Convert\>Tag-Filename with the mask > $cutright(%\_filename%,17) > This has even a preview. Convert worked perfectly. Many thanks. Alan ---
**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, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-last-17-characters-of-a-filename/14986/7 "2026-02-09T12:24:38Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC