Files options¶
Open File → Options… → Files to restrict folder scans, control separators inside tag-derived names, and preserve file modification times.
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A tag value is data; a separator typed into a filename format string is a request to create a folder. This page keeps those two uses separate.
Read files¶
Restrict incoming files to defaults to empty, meaning all supported formats. Enter extensions to limit files discovered while scanning a folder:
mp3, .mp3, and *.mp3 are accepted forms. Separate entries with semicolons, commas, or whitespace. Matching is case-insensitive, and repeated extensions are ignored. This is an extension list, not a general filename pattern: album*.mp3 is invalid. An allowed extension must still be a format OpenTag can read.
The restriction applies to folders. Files explicitly added individually are still read. To inspect a single M4A alongside an MP3-only folder scan, add that file directly. Changing the restriction does not itself remove already loaded rows; rescan the folder to use the new choice.
Rename files from tags¶
Replace folder separator in tag values with defaults to _. OpenTag replaces both backslashes and forward slashes inside tag values used for file renaming. This applies to Tag → Filename and filename-changing Format Value, Guess Values, and Tag → Tag operations.
ALBUM value |
Replacement | Tag-derived name component |
|---|---|---|
Harbour/Live |
_ |
Harbour_Live |
Harbour/Live |
- |
Harbour - Live |
Harbour/Live |
Empty | HarbourLive |
The replacement may contain up to 16 characters. It cannot itself contain \ / : * ? " < > | or control characters. Leaving it empty removes separators; it does not leave them unchanged.
Separators deliberately typed into the format string still form folders. With %artist%\%album%\%title%, the two typed backslashes request artist and album folders; a slash inside an actual album value is replaced. Preview the complete path before applying a rename, especially after changing this setting.
Write files¶
Preserve timestamps of modified files defaults to off. Enable to restore the original modification time after writing or removing tags. It preserves that filesystem timestamp; it does not preserve the complete file bytes or prevent metadata changes.
A backup or sync tool that relies only on modification times may overlook an edit when this is enabled. The Library also uses modification time and size to recognize external changes. If an external editor preserves both, use Reload tags to force a fresh read.