How to batch remove the first 3 characters of folder names? Tutorial on uniformly renaming date directories

The folder naming adopts the format of "letter code + date", but when archiving you only want to keep the date. How can you quickly remove the 3 characters at the beginning of each name? This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to demonstrate the complete method: enter the folder name processing module, add the multiple directories that need to be modified, select "leftmost characters" in the text deletion rule, set the quantity to 3, then continue to set the save location and execute the task. The article also explains the effects before and after processing, rule judgment methods, and backup precautions, making it suitable for batch standardizing date directories and project archive names.

Many enterprises, during the project execution stage, create folders using methods such as "department abbreviation + date," "personnel code + batch number," or "project team code + archive date." For example, ABC20240101 represents materials from a certain source dated January 1, 2024, while DEF20240202 represents another batch of materials dated February 2, 2024. This naming method makes it easy to identify the source during the material generation stage, but once the files enter a unified archive repository, the leading letter codes may no longer have any value to retain, and only the date portion needs to be kept.

If there are many such directories that need to be adjusted, manually deleting the first 3 characters of each folder name is not efficient. Operators not only have to repeatedly click and type, but may also mistakenly change "20240101" to "0240101," or miss individual directories. This article will explain how to use the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch remove the first 3 characters from folder names according to a fixed rule, organizing "letter code + date" into pure date names.

Applicable scenarios: changing from letter + date to pure date directories

This method is suitable for handling folder names where "the position to be deleted is fixed and the number of characters is consistent." Before determining whether it can be used, observe the name structure first, rather than looking at only a single directory.

• Multiple folders all start with a 3-character English code, followed by an 8-digit date, such as ABC20240101, JKL20240404.
• The left side of the folder contains a fixed-length old project code that is no longer needed after migration to the new system.
• Scanning, exporting, or downloading tasks automatically generate fixed-length prefixes, causing directory names to be less concise.
• Archiving standards require keeping only the year, month, and day, order number, contract number, or batch number.
• There is a need to process a dozen, dozens, or even more directories at once, hoping to avoid renaming them one by one.

It can be used not only for date directories, but also for other names with the same rule. For example, "TMP客户001" needs to have TMP removed, and "OLD合同2024" needs to have OLD removed. The key condition is that the length of the left-side prefix of the directories to be processed is the same. If the number of characters in each prefix is inconsistent, they should be categorized first; the same quantity cannot be directly applied to all directories.

Effect preview: how names change after deleting the first 3 characters

Directory structure before processing

The folders before processing include names such as ABC20240101, BCD20241010, DEF20240202, GHI20240303, JKL20240404, MNO20240505, and so on. The leftmost part of each name is 3 English letters, followed by 8 digits.

From the image, it is intuitively clear that the red marks and arrows point to the letter area intended for deletion. This task is not about finding a completely identical set of text, because the contents ABC, BCD, DEF, and so on are not the same; what they have in common is that all are located at the leftmost part of the name and are all 3 characters in length. Therefore, deleting by position and quantity is more appropriate than searching for different letters one by one.

Pure date folders after processing

After processing is complete, the 3-character letter codes in the names are uniformly removed, and the folders appear in pure numeric form such as 20240101, 20240202, 20240303, 20240404, 20240505, and so on.

This format is more suitable for date archiving. The 8-digit date uses the order of "year, month, day," and when sorted by name, it usually reflects the chronological order as well. It should be noted that the original BCD20241010 becomes 20241010 after removing BCD, so it will appear in the corresponding position according to the numeric name sorting rules and may not necessarily maintain its original list order before processing.

Operating steps: remove the first 3 characters from multiple folder names at once

Step 1: Open the folder name processing module

After starting HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , find "Folder Name" in the left navigation. This category is used to process the names of folders themselves, and is different from document content processing modules such as Word tools, Excel tools, and PDF tools.

In the folder name function list, click "Delete text in folder names."

The reason for choosing this function is that the goal this time is to remove a segment of characters from the existing names. If the requirement is to add a unified marker to the names, a function such as adding a prefix or suffix should be selected; if it is to change a certain old text to new text, then find and replace should be considered. This example clearly belongs to a deletion operation, so it is necessary to enter the corresponding text deletion page to avoid selecting the wrong tool.

Step 2: Batch add the directories to be processed

After entering the "Delete text in folder names" page, you are first at the "Select records to be processed" stage. Click "Add Folder" in the upper right corner to add the directories to be renamed to the table.

In the example, 10 records are added in total, and the bottom of the page also shows that the record count is 10. The "Name" in the table is used to confirm the current folder name, "Path" is used to determine the directory source, and "Creation Time" and "Modification Time" can serve as auxiliary verification information. At this point it is recommended to review row by row, focusing on confirming:

1. Whether each name is composed of 3 letters to be deleted and the numbers to be kept.
2. Whether any parent directories, unrelated directories, or directories with different naming rules have been accidentally added.
3. Whether deleting 3 characters will produce duplicate names.
4. Whether the displayed path truly belongs to the location intended for this organization task.

If a record should not participate in the task, it can be removed from the list through the delete icon in that row's operation area; if the entire batch of directories needs to be selected again, use "Clear." After confirming the list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: Set the deletion rule according to the left-side position

After entering "Set processing options," you can see various deletion conditions. In this example, ABC, BCD, and DEF are not the same keyword and cannot be summarized with one fixed term, but they all occupy the leftmost 3 characters of the name. Therefore, choose "The leftmost several texts" and enter 3 in "Quantity."

This rule can be understood in the following way:

• ABC20240101: Delete ABC, keep 20240101.
• DEF20240202: Delete DEF, keep 20240202.
• JKL20240404: Delete JKL, keep 20240404.
• YZA20240909: Delete YZA, keep 20240909.

This rule only cares about the position and quantity of the characters, and does not require the leftmost 3 characters to be the same. Therefore, even if different folders use different letter codes, they can all be processed uniformly as long as the length is 3.

Be especially careful when entering the quantity. If you enter 2, ABC20240101 will become C20240101, failing to completely remove the prefix; if you enter 4, the first digit 2 of the date will also be deleted, resulting in 0240101. After confirming the selection and quantity, click "Next."

Step 4: Continue setting the save location

The top of the page shows the complete wizard, including "Select records to be processed," "Set processing options," "Set save location," and "Start processing." After completing the deletion rule, follow the on-screen prompts to enter the save location settings. At this point, the processing location should be confirmed according to actual data management requirements, to avoid mixing test results with official materials.

After a folder name changes, its full path will also change accordingly. For example, if the end of the original path is ABC20240101, after renaming the end will become 20240101. If there are Excel tables, Word documents, scripts, shortcuts, or other office materials that record the original directory path, these references may not be automatically updated. Therefore, when shared materials or business system directories are involved, the impact of the rename should be confirmed first.

Step 5: Start processing and verify the results

After completing the save location settings, enter "Start processing" and execute the task according to the software wizard. After processing is finished, do not only look at whether completion is indicated; you should also return to the target location to verify the actual folder names.

Three types of checks are recommended: first, verify the quantity and confirm that the number of directories before and after processing is the same; second, spot-check the first, middle, and last few folders to confirm that 3 characters have been deleted from each; third, check the retained portion to ensure that dates, numbers, or contract numbers are not missing any digits. In the screenshot example, all 10 folders should finally appear as 8-digit numeric names.

Common questions and precautions

If the folder name does not start with letters, can it still be deleted by quantity

"The leftmost several texts" emphasizes position and is not limited to English letters. Judging from the operation types provided in the interface, it is different from deletion methods based on character categories such as "all numbers," "all Chinese characters," and "all English letters." This example chooses processing by left-side quantity. If the beginning of the name is a number, Chinese character, or symbol, you should also first confirm the number of characters to be deleted and verify with a small number of samples.

Why not choose "All English letters"

In this example, the content to be deleted happens to be letters, but processing by the leftmost 3 characters can correspond more directly to the established naming structure. If the latter part of the name also contains English letters that need to be kept, choosing to delete all English letters may affect valid content. Rule selection should be based on the actual name structure, and cannot be determined only from a single example.

What to do when name lengths are inconsistent

Inconsistent lengths do not necessarily mean that processing is impossible; the key is whether the left-side prefix length is consistent. For example, ABC001 and DEF20240101 have different total lengths, but the left-side portions to be deleted are both 3 characters, so the same rule can still be used. Conversely, AB001 and DEFG002 have prefixes of 2 and 4 characters respectively, so the task should be split for processing.

How to avoid duplicate name conflicts

After deleting prefixes, different directories may end up with the same name. For example, if both ABC20240101 and DEF20240101 have their first three characters deleted, they will both become 20240101. If they are in the same location, a name conflict may occur. Before execution, check whether the retained portion is unique, and if necessary store them separately or redesign the naming rules.

Is a backup needed before formal processing

A backup is recommended, especially when customer materials, project deliverables, financial vouchers, or long-term archives are involved. Batch operations are highly efficient, but incorrect rules will also be applied in batch. A safe approach is to copy a small number of directories to a test location, process them with the same parameters, and then execute the formal task after confirming the results.

Can I simply enter 3 according to the example

You cannot just copy the value 3 simply because the tutorial enters it. The 3 here comes from the fact that the leftmost part of the example names happens to contain exactly 3 letters to be deleted. If your folders are named "AB20240101," the quantity should be considered as 2; if they are "TEMP20240101," it should be considered as 4. Parameters must be determined based on your own directory names.

Summary

Batch organizing "ABC20240101" into "20240101" is essentially executing the same renaming rule on multiple folders: delete 3 characters starting from the far left. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool integrates this repetitive work into a clear wizard process, allowing users to centrally add directories, uniformly set the deletion position and quantity, and then complete saving and processing.

If you are organizing date folders, historical project directories, or system-exported batch materials, you can first check whether all names have the same left-side structure. After confirming that the prefix lengths are consistent, back up important directories and select a small number of samples for testing; once the results are correct, batch-add the complete records and execute the task. This can reduce the mechanical work of renaming one by one, as well as lower the risk of missed changes and character deletion errors, making subsequent retrieval, sorting, and archiving more standardized.