Many office files exported from the system have filenames that contain both numeric codes and English names, such as PDF, Word docx, Excel xlsx, and TXT text files all mixed together in one folder. This article explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select the option to delete text from filenames in the file naming feature, and set the processing type to all English letters, thereby batch-cleaning English characters from filenames while preserving codes and original extensions.
In daily office work, folders often contain mixed formats of data: PDF contracts, Word documents (docx), Excel spreadsheets (xlsx), text records (txt), etc. Often, these files come from business systems, email attachments, or batch download tasks, with filenames containing English names or identifiers, such as 2JamesAnderson.pdf, 10EmilyCarter.pdf, 18RobertMitchell.docx. For subsequent archiving, what is truly needed might just be the preceding number, not the English name.
If using the system's built-in rename function to delete English characters file by file, it is not only inefficient but also prone to inconsistent naming due to variations in copying, selecting, and deleting positions. This article will use the screenshot HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to batch-delete all English letters from filenames using office software. It suits office scenarios requiring batch file processing and reduction of repetitive labor, especially for archivists, administrative staff, finance personnel, project assistants, and users needing to organize large volumes of documents.
Applicable Scenario: Unified Filename Processing for Mixed-Format Files
This method is suitable for processing various office file formats. As seen in the screenshot, the same folder contains PDFs, Excel xlsx files, Word docx files, and TXT text files. The file types differ, but they share a common point: the main part of the filename contains English letters, and the user wishes to batch-delete this English content.
For example, client data files contain English names, but the archiving system identifies them only by number; training assignment filenames have English student names, but they ultimately need sorting by student ID; project materials contain English project codes after download, but internal archiving requires deleting these codes; scanned documents or exported reports have English tags and need to be unified into concise numbers. The above situations can all be handled using the "Delete text from filenames" function.
It should be noted that this tutorial processes filenames, not file contents. That is, it will not modify the body text of Word documents, the page content of PDFs, or the data in Excel spreadsheets; it only batch-adjusts the display names of files in the folder. This is safer, clearer, and more aligned with common practices for batch renaming during office file organization.
Effect Preview: English Names Deleted, Numbers and Formats Preserved
Before processing, filenames contain obvious English character strings. For example, English names like JamesAnderson, EmilyCarter, RobertMitchell are located between the numbers and the extension. With many files, this English content makes the list look lengthy and hinders quick searching by number.
After processing, the filenames become very concise. The English names are batch-deleted, leaving only the numbers and original extensions. For instance, 10EmilyCarter.pdf becomes 10.pdf, 12EmilyCarter.txt becomes 12.txt, 20RobertMitchell.docx becomes 20.docx. The file types remain unchanged; PDFs are still PDFs, Word files are still docx, Excel files are still xlsx.
The value of this processing method lies in its unified rule. Regardless of the varying length of the English content, as long as it consists of English letters, it is deleted according to the same rule. For dozens or even hundreds of files, using a batch processing tool can save a significant amount of time on repetitive operations.
Operating Steps: Complete Batch Deletion of English Characters Following the Wizard
Step One: Open the Filename Category
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , find "Filename" in the left navigation bar. This category is used for filename-related tasks, including find and replace, inserting text, adding prefixes/suffixes, case conversion, etc. Since this article aims to delete English characters from filenames, select "Delete text from filenames".
After entering this function, the software proceeds through a step-by-step process flow. The page displays process prompts from selecting records, setting processing options, setting the save location, to starting the process. This wizard-style design is suitable for office users, as each step has a clear purpose, eliminating the need to memorize complex commands.
Step Two: Import Pending PDF, Word, Excel Files
On the file selection page, options like "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder" are provided at the top. If you only need to process a few specified files, you can use "Add Files"; if you need to process files from an entire folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is recommended. The imported list in the screenshot displays information such as filename, path, extension, creation time, modification time, etc.
The key point of this step is verification. Please check the Name column to confirm these files indeed contain the English characters needing deletion; check the Extension column to confirm they include the target formats like pdf, docx, xlsx, txt; check the Path column to confirm the files are from the correct folder. If incorrectly imported files are found, they can be removed via the operation column, or use "Clear" to re-import.
After completing the verification, click "Next" at the bottom. The software will then enter the processing rule setup stage.
Step Three: Choose to Delete "All English Letters"
On the "Set Processing Options" page, there are multiple options under Operation Type. To delete English characters from filenames, "All English letters" should be selected. As seen from the screenshot, this option is already checked, which is the core setting of this tutorial.
After selecting this option, the software will identify and delete English letters in the main part of the filename. For a file like 1JamesAnderson.xlsx, the processing result will retain the number 1 and the extension .xlsx; for 17RobertMitchell.docx, the result will retain 17 and .docx. This completes the English content cleanup without damaging the file format.
After setting, continue to click "Next", following the page flow to enter "Set Save Location", then proceed to "Start Processing". Before batch operation, it is recommended to reconfirm if the rule is selected correctly, especially avoiding the mistaken selection of "All content", which could lead to over-deletion of the filename body.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Why are the extensions still in English after processing?
File extensions like pdf, docx, xlsx, txt are used to identify file types. The processing results in the screenshots show extensions are retained, which is normal and necessary. If extensions were deleted, the system might be unable to correctly identify the file type. Therefore, when batch-cleaning filenames, the goal is usually to delete English from the main part of the filename, not the extension.
2. What happens when a filename contains a mix of English and numbers?
After selecting "All English letters", the English letters will be deleted, and the numbers will be kept. For example, 24RobertMitchell.docx becomes 24.docx. This rule suits file structures with a number followed by an English name. If the filename also contains symbols like underscores or hyphens, the processing result will depend on the original name and the selected rule.
3. Are other office files like doc, xls, pptx supported?
The screenshots in this article show xlsx, pdf, txt, docx. For other file types, the operational concept is the same: processing the filename, not the content. In practice, you can first import a small number of sample files for testing, confirming the results meet expectations before batch processing more files.
4. How to avoid naming conflicts after batch renaming?
If multiple files yield the same name after deleting English characters, a naming conflict may occur. For example, 1A.pdf and 1B.pdf could both become 1.pdf after English deletion. It is advisable to check if the numbers are unique before processing, or use other naming rules beforehand to add distinguishing information.
Summary: Making Naming More Unified Across Multi-Format Office Files
Batch-cleaning English characters from PDF, Word, Excel, TXT filenames is a typical repetitive task in office file organization. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , this work can be broken down into clear steps: enter the Filename function, select Delete text from filenames, import the files, choose All English letters, and then follow the wizard to complete saving and processing.
Compared to manual renaming one by one, the batch processing method of office software is more stable, time-saving, and more suitable for archiving large volumes of files. If your folder contains many files with English names, codes, or tags, it is recommended to prepare a test folder first, follow the steps in this article to process a few files for a trial, and once confirmed correct, apply it in batch to your formal materials.