How to use PhotoFileDater
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WARNING:
Please use this PhotoFileDater utility on **copies** of your valuable photo files. While PhotoFileDater will never change the contents of any photo file, any filename change is irreversible. So use please copies to experiment with PhotoFileDater, until you are happy that it is suitable for your intended use.

HELP FILE:
A more detailed context-sensitive help file (PhotoFileDater.chm) will be installed with the PhotoFileDater utility.

FUNCTION:
The PhotoFileDater utility enables any jpg files from (most?) digital cameras to be renamed using each photo's shooting date and time information embedded within the start of each jpg file.

A renamed file will have a name starting like this: yyyy-mm-dd hh-mm-ss .....
Example: 2011-09-14 17-48-05 ......jpg

For universal use and simplicity, the 24 hour clock is used for the time stamp segment of the filename.

Why bother with using this PhotoFileDater utility?

Renaming photo files using PhotoFileDater enables the files to be easily sorted in chronological order, making viewing more logical. Hundreds of files can be renamed in chronological order in moments.

A second reason is that photos from different cameras used on the same trip or activity can be combined in one folder and then renamed and thus easily sorted into chronological order without any manual file renaming.

If two jpg photo files have the same shooting date and time right down to the same second, then the utility will create a short suffix to overcome this outcome, which may be a coincidence, or more likely, from using a digital camera with a rapid shooting mode which may result in 4-6 photos having the same time stamp.

OPTIONS:
When using PhotoFileDater, it is possible to retain the existing photo filename which will appear after the photo shooting date and time stamp information at the start of the filename. 

Alternatively, each filename can comprise the file's shooting date and time plus a user-specified text description. The only constraint is that the additional text must comply with Windows file-naming rules.