

- #Easy numbering for windows how to#
- #Easy numbering for windows free#
- #Easy numbering for windows windows#
#Easy numbering for windows how to#
After a few minutes playing with the settings, you’ll easily figure out how to prepend a Bates number, append it or swap it for the original name. Note that these settings will create a Bates numbered set of duplicate files in the same folder as the source files, NOT in the subfolder.įrankly, it’s harder to describe the task than to complete it.

The table below lists the filenames and MD5 hash values of the files, allowing us to confirm that a renaming tool won’t otherwise alter the evidence. Here are thumbnails of the exemplar photos: For this tutorial, I’ll use just six photos of American coins, but it could as easily be thousands of files of any sort. ESI will be Bates numbered by substituting, prepending or appending the Bates number for/to the file name.Īssuming there have been ten other items produced earlier, we must begin Bates numbering at DEF00000011. Any numbers with less than 8 digits will be front padded with zeros to reach the required 8 digits. There must be no spaces in the Bates number. All Bates numbers will consist of a three-digit Alpha Prefix, followed immediately by an 8-digit numeric: AAA#.
#Easy numbering for windows windows#
Let’s look at how to configure both Windows tools to Bates number a production.īates Numbers.
#Easy numbering for windows free#
Both impressed me with their flexibility and ease of use.įor Mac users, there’s a nice free tool called File Renamer for MacOS 64 bit, which I’ll also touch on below. Seeking a simpler tool and one free to use commercially, I found two: File Renamer Basic and Ant Renamer. It’s free for personal use and $93 for commercial purposes a powerful tool, but overwhelming to some. I’ve long praised a powerful, flexible too called Bulk Renaming Utility. Multiple free and low-cost bulk renaming tools are available. You can even add protective language like “PRODUCED SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER.” You can prepend Bates number ( Bates#_filename.ext), append Bates number (filename_Bates#.ext) or replace the filename with the Bates number, storing the original name in a load file.

But anyone doing electronic production in-house can add Bates numbers to filenames simply, quickly and cheaply. Certainly, if you use an e-discovery vendor, it’s as easy as saying, “Bates number the native files.” They know what to do. It’s one thing to say something is easy and another to prove its simplicity. Where did they think the names of all those TIFF images came from? The truth is, litigants have been naming files to match Bates numbers for as long as we’ve done e-discovery! It’s easy! I find that odd because parties have always named files for Bates numbers whilst doing clunky TIFF productions. Sometimes, the other side balks at a proposed e-discovery protocol, arguing it’s unduly burdensome to rename native files to their Bates numbers.
