# Tag -\> Tag Always Affecting All Files in View
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 20, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600 "2025-02-20T22:20:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MikhailCompo](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MikhailCompo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/1 "2025-02-20T22:20:44Z")
I have two issues really. The first one is that Tag-\>Tag is always affecting ALL files in the view, even when only some are selected. How can i get this to run on indivudal files?
I wouldn't actually need an answer to this question if the Tag-\>Tag was working as expected in the first place! If I run Tag -\> Tag and set to [path]%artist%%album% for some reason it is only using the first %artist% and first %album% and applying those values to all files.....
And then when I try to undo Mp3Tag locks up and has to be forced closed....
Really not enjoying using mp3Tag today....
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/2 "2025-02-20T22:45:39Z")
Can you post a screenshot of what you are doing in the Tag\>Tag box? It sounds like you are trying to change the directory path name and that will affect all files in that directory.
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### Author:  [@MikhailCompo](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MikhailCompo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/3 "2025-02-20T23:17:17Z")
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### Author:  [@MikhailCompo](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MikhailCompo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/4 "2025-02-20T23:19:00Z")
When I press OK, this is the result.... All files, not just selected file, all moved to a different folder, and a single folder at that. I cannot see how that action has any connection to what I am asking it to do.
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/5 "2025-02-20T23:26:41Z")
The \_DIRECTORY changes that path name for ALL files in that path. If you want to manage it by each file use \_FILENAME instead.
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### Author:  [@MikhailCompo](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MikhailCompo)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/6 "2025-02-20T23:43:21Z")
I WANT to change the path for all files, I want the path to be the artist\album.
This worked with another bunch of files just a few minutes ago.... as per this screenshot:
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2025, 1:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/7 "2025-02-21T01:53:45Z")
> [@MikhailCompo](#):
>
> Tag-\>Tag is always affecting ALL files in the view, even when only some are selected. How can i get this to run on indivudal files?
> [@MikhailCompo](#):
>
> I WANT to change the path for all files, I want the path to be the artist\album.
When you use \_DIRECTORY to change the path for any _one_ file, it affects _all_ files in that directory. It is like using explorer to change the name of any folder.
If you use \_FILENAME it works at the file level. But you _can_ apply folder level changes using tags and even absolute drive details like for example
`D:\%albumartist%\%album%\%track% %title%`
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### Author:  [@Reason](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Reason)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/8 "2025-02-21T03:14:45Z")
Thank you! This was the exact same problem I was having, described here:
> [@Renaming a single file to include directory renames or moves subdirectories in same folder](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-a-single-file-to-include-directory-renames-or-moves-subdirectories-in-same-folder/67286):
>
> Win10x64 MP3Tag 3.28 x64 I start with my albumartist folder, which in this case contains one album in a subfolder, and two singles: E:\Music\Allman Brothers Band[1972] Eat A Peach [MP3] E:\Music\Allman Brothers Band\Allman Brothers Band - Jessica.mp3 E:\Music\Allman Brothers Band\Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider.mp3 I run my "Rename Standard" action group, which consists of two operations: Format value "\_FILENAME" %artist% - %album% - $num(%track%,2) - %title% Format val…
I did not realize I could name the directory as I wanted by using the "\_FILENAME" parameter. I've mucked up a couple of directories by not being careful, and I was resigned to just having to clean up future mistakes, but this should mitigate almost all of those errors.
So in my case, I changed it from two actions:
```auto
Format Value:
"_FILENAME"
%artist% - %album% - $num(%track%,2) - %title%
Format Value:
"_DIRECTORY"
E:\Music\%albumartist%\'['%year%']' %album% '['$upper(%_extension%)']'\
```
to one action:
```auto
Format Value:
"_FILENAME"
E:\Music\%albumartist%\'['%year%']' %album% '['$upper(%_extension%)']'\%artist% - %album% - $num(%track%,2) - %title%
```
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/9 "2025-02-21T13:00:38Z")
There is one key difference here between \_DIRECTORY and \_FILENAME.
The directory function only needs to be done once for any file. But this will rename the folder for ALL files within that same original directory including any that are not music files. Cover art, other images, pdf booklets, and any other files will all get the new directory name.
The filename function works on individual files only. So it will NOT move any other files within that original folder.
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### Author:  [@MikhailCompo](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MikhailCompo)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2025, 9:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/10 "2025-03-09T09:46:23Z")
> [@MotleyG](#):
>
> `D:\%albumartist%\%album%\%track% %title%`
I know its been a long time but i finally found some time to test this and thank you, your comment was very helpful.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2025, 9:47am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-tag-always-affecting-all-files-in-view/67600/11 "2025-04-08T09:47:16Z")
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