# Repathing in an Action
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 1, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810 "2010-02-01T15:36:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/1 "2010-02-01T15:36:50Z")
How in an Action can I change the path of a track from e.g.
Curtains\30s\Loud\02480002928225-1-1.wma
to
Curtains\02480002928225-1-1-30s-Loud.wma
?
(I need this to work around Windows Media Player 11 Sync's Mis\_IDing as duplicates same filenamed and sized files in different directories.)
Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/2 "2010-02-01T17:38:51Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> How in an Action can I change the path of a track from e.g.
>
> Curtains\30s\Loud\02480002928225-1-1.wma
> to
> Curtains\02480002928225-1-1-30s-Loud.wma
>
> Thanks.
if there the original path has been constructed by using tags you can use the tag-filename function again - that would be easisest.
if you need to rearrange parts of the filename it would look something like this:
Find string:
`(.*)\(.*)\(.*)\(.*)` which is supposed to be the equivalent of:
(Curtains)(30s)(Loud)(02480002928225-1-1)
the brackets divide the whole thing into several hits:
($1)$2)($3)($4)
Now you have to rearrange all of it in the
replace with string
`$1$4-$2-$3
BUT: before you apply it to all of your tracks try it first on a single one where it does not hurt so much if I was wrong.
Probably the correct help will come from one of the reg-exp-nerds. I am always ready to learn
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/3 "2010-02-01T17:46:13Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> you can use the tag-filename function
In an Action? How, please?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/4 "2010-02-01T17:53:41Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> In an Action? How, please?
it says function not action, doesn't it?
anyway: the following description of my prior reply refers to the action format tag-field on the field filename - I had hoped that that would have been clear. Never mind.
Please continue reading and find whether those notes are helpful to you.
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/5 "2010-02-01T18:05:24Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> it says function not action, doesn't it?
Yes, and I cannot find it as a function either. If it does solve "How in an Action can I change the path of a track..." please do say how.
> [@](#):
>
> anyway: the following description of my prior reply refers to the action format tag-field on the field filename
If you're referring to a "Format value" Action, thanks, but that doesn't work because it applies only to filename, not full path.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/6 "2010-02-01T18:21:31Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> If you're referring to a "Format value" Action, thanks, but that doesn't work because it applies only to filename, not full path.
have you tried it or do you onyl suspect it?
Actually inserting a backslash will set a new path structure. You can try this with the (her it comes again) tag-filename function (see menu converter) and enter a mask like
%artist%\%album%\%track% - %title%
and you will get a directory with the name of the artist, containing one with the name of the album, filled with the tracks ...
So: formatting the filename with characters that are otherwise used for paths will create a directory structure relative to the currently read directory. Unless you enter an absolute path
"C:\music\%artist% ..."
This should work in the action.
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/7 "2010-02-01T18:38:51Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> have you tried it or do you onyl suspect it?
I'm going by what is allowed... isnce I know better than to reply on undefined/bugged behavior!
> [@](#):
>
> Actually inserting a backslash will set a new path structure.
You're right. That's a failure to work properly since the target "field" is specifically \_FILENAME. Florian, one for your bug list.
> [@](#):
>
> will create a directory structure **relative to the currently read directory.**
That's the snag. It won't in general work in the example given:
e.g. Curtains\30s\Loud\02480002928225-1-1.wma
to Curtains\02480002928225-1-1-30s-Loud.wma
and will never work where the files are in different first folders (Curtains).
Thanks for the info though.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/8 "2010-02-01T19:01:13Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> ... That's a failure to work properly
In the old DOS days a full filename consisted of the path, the filename and the extension - it was only for the users convenience to be able to strip the filename from the other load.
So in my opinion MP3tag works just the way the filesystem is composed.
Back to the "relative" path.
If you enter the parts of the filename that qualify an absolute filename you will get an absolute path.
so a path like
c:\curtains\xx\yy\zz filled with your variables will create an absolute path just fine.
The only precondition is that you start MP3tag on the topmost level to read all the files.
And before you accuse others of
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> undefined/bugged behavior
please think twice, research and then try to be polite.
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/9 "2010-02-01T19:55:58Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> In the old DOS days a full filename consisted of the path, the filename and the extension ...
> So in my opinion MP3tag works just the way the filesystem is composed.
Snag is, Mp3tag is not in general working like that e.g. replace \_FILENAME with XX **does** change just the filename.
> [@](#):
>
> Back to the "relative" path.
> If you enter the parts of the filename that qualify an absolute filename you will get an absolute path.
Sure, but as the original post says, the requirement is for changing relative paths, not absolute.
---
### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/10 "2010-02-01T20:08:42Z")
This is the solution to your problem, chrisjj:
_Action type:_ **Format value**
_Field:_ **\_FILENAME**
_Formatstring:_ **....\%\_filename%**
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/11 "2010-02-01T20:35:10Z")
Thanks Florian, but doesn't work here (V2.45a): e.g.
S:!DJ DAP\WIP Mp3tag curtain repath\Curtains\30s\Loud\02480002928225-1-4.wma
goes to
S:!DJ DAP\02480002928225-1-4.wma
rather than
S:!DJ DAP\WIP Mp3tag curtain repath\Curtains\02480002928225-1-4.wma
CWD is S:!DJ DAP\WIP Mp3tag curtain repath\Curtains\
EDIT: It seems ....\ (and ..\ and .) work relative to the CWD, wheras formatstring with no \ works relative to the track. Not by design, surely??
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/repathing-in-an-action/9810/12 "2026-02-09T12:22:08Z")