XRename

XRename is a Windows tool for batch-renaming TV episodes and movies with a consistent naming scheme.

Current Version

• 1.3.5

What It Does

• Renames TV episode files when names contain an SxxExx pattern.
• Renames movie files using metadata from .nfo files, OMDb lookup (optional), filename parsing, or manual input.
• Renames matching .nfo files alongside movie files.
• Stores rename history and supports undo for the latest session.
• Can install/remove a Windows context menu for quick right-click usage.
• Can check for updates when running as a compiled .exe.

Supported File Types

• .mkv
• .mp4
• .avi
• .avm

Command Line Usage

XRename.exe --s "C:\Path\To\Series"
XRename.exe --m "C:\Path\To\Movies"
XRename.exe --undo
XRename.exe --remove

Arguments:

• --s {PATH}: Rename series/episode files in a file or folder.
• --m {PATH}: Rename movie files in a file or folder.
• --undo: Undo the latest recorded rename session from history.json.
• --remove: Remove XRename context menu entries from the current user registry.

If the path is invalid or missing, XRename prints argument help.

Series Mode

• Detects patterns like s01e02 (case-insensitive).
• Builds a cleaner show title from the part before the episode token.
• Preserves the file extension.
• Asks for confirmation when more than 50 files are queued.

Example:

MY_SHOW.s01e02.1080p.mkv -> My Show s01e02.mkv

Movie Mode

For each movie file, XRename uses this fallback order:

1. Read adjacent .nfo and extract IMDb ID (tt...) -> query OMDb.
2. Parse title/year from .nfo content.
3. Parse title/year from filename.
4. Ask for manual input in Title, Year format.

Output format:

Title (Year).ext

If a matching .nfo exists (same-base-name.nfo), it is renamed to the same Title (Year).nfo pattern.

Windows Context Menu

When running as a compiled .exe, XRename can auto-install context menu entries under current user registry:

• Rename Series/Episodes
• Rename Movie

Registry roots:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\*\shell\XRename
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Directory\shell\XRename

OMDb API Key

OMDb is optional, but recommended for best movie title/year accuracy from IMDb IDs.

• XRename stores the key in Windows Credential Manager via keyring (service: xrename, key: omdb).
• If no valid key is available, you can skip and continue with non-API fallbacks.
• Get a key: https://www.omdbapi.com/apikey.aspx

Update Behavior

When running as .exe, XRename checks:

• Version source: version.txt from the GitHub repository
• Download target: latest release XRename.exe

If a newer version is found, XRename prompts before downloading and replacing the executable.

Files Used by XRename

• XRename.py: Main source script.
• XRename.spec: PyInstaller spec.
• history.json: Rename history for undo (created automatically).
• version.txt: Latest version marker for updater.

Build (PyInstaller)

pyinstaller XRename.spec

Notes

• Create a backup before large rename batches.
• Existing target files are not overwritten.
• Windows-only features: context menu integration, credential storage behavior, and executable self-update flow.