How to Rename Multiple Files at Once in Windows

Organizing digital files can be a tedious task, especially when you have hundreds or thousands of photos, documents, or other items with inconsistent naming conventions. Manually renaming each file is inefficient and time-consuming. Fortunately, Windows offers several powerful methods to rename multiple files at once, from built-in File Explorer features to command-line tools and third-party utilities. This guide will walk you through each method, helping you streamline your file management.

Why Batch Rename Files?

Batch renaming is essential for:

• Organization: Create consistent naming for related files (e.g., “Vacation-001.jpg”, “Vacation-002.jpg”).
• Searchability: Make files easier to find by adding relevant keywords.
• Consistency: Standardize filenames across different projects or collections.
• Cleanup: Remove unwanted prefixes, suffixes, or characters from filenames.
• Workflow Efficiency: Save significant time compared to manual renaming.

Before You Start: Best Practices

• Backup Important Files: Before performing any bulk renaming, especially with command-line tools or third-party software, it’s highly recommended to create a backup of the files or the folder. This ensures you can revert to the original state if something goes wrong.
• Test on a Small Batch: If you’re unsure about a renaming rule, test it on a small, disposable set of files first.
• Understand Wildcards: In command-line tools, * represents any sequence of characters, and ? represents any single character.

Method 1: Using Windows File Explorer (Simple & Quick)

This is the easiest method for basic sequential renaming or applying a common name with a number.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open File Explorer: Navigate to the folder containing the files you want to rename.
2. Select the Files:
   • To select all files in the folder, press Ctrl + A.
   • To select specific files, hold down the Ctrl key and click on each file you want to include.
   • To select a contiguous group, click the first file, then hold Shift and click the last file.
3. Initiate Rename: Right-click on one of the selected files and choose “Rename” from the context menu, or simply press the F2 key on your keyboard.
4. Type the New Name: The name of the file you right-clicked (or the last one selected) will become editable. Type the base name you want for your files (e.g., “Project Photo”).
5. Apply Renaming: Press Enter.
   • Windows will automatically apply the new base name to all selected files and append a sequential number in parentheses (e.g., “Project Photo (1).jpg”, “Project Photo (2).jpg”, and so on).
6. Undo (if needed): If you make a mistake, immediately press Ctrl + Z to undo the renaming.

Limitations: This method only allows adding a sequential number at the end of the filename and doesn’t offer advanced options like replacing text or changing extensions.

Method 2: Using PowerRename (Microsoft PowerToys) (Advanced GUI)

PowerRename is a powerful utility included in Microsoft PowerToys. It offers search-and-replace functionality, regular expression support, and numbering options with a graphical interface. It’s ideal for more complex renaming tasks without diving into command lines.

What You’ll Need:

• Microsoft PowerToys installed on your Windows PC. You can download it from the Microsoft Store or GitHub.

Step-by-Step:

1. Install and Enable PowerRename:
   • Download and install Microsoft PowerToys.
   • Open PowerToys Settings (usually from the system tray).
   • Go to the PowerRename tab and ensure “Enable PowerRename” is toggled On.
   • You can configure options like “Use regular expressions” and “Enumerate items” here.
2. Select Files in File Explorer: Navigate to your folder and select the files you wish to rename, just as you would for Method 1.
3. Open PowerRename: Right-click on the selected files and choose “PowerRename” from the context menu.
4. Configure Renaming Rules: The PowerRename window will open, showing a preview of your files.
   • Search for: Enter the text you want to find in the filenames.
   • Replace with: Enter the text you want to replace it with.
   • Use regular expressions: Check this box if you want to use regex patterns for powerful search and replace (e.g., ^IMG_ to remove “IMG_” from the start).
   • Case sensitive: Check this if you want the search to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase.
   • Match all occurrences: Replaces all instances of the search text, not just the first.
   • Apply to: Choose whether to apply changes to “Filename only,” “Extension only,” or both.
   • Enumerate items: Check this to add sequential numbering (e.g., “filename (1)”, “filename (2)”). You can customize the numbering format.
   • Text formatting: Change case (lowercase, uppercase, title case).
   • Include files/folders/subfolders: Control what gets renamed.
5. Preview and Apply:
   • As you type, the “Renamed” column will show a live preview of the new filenames. Review this carefully.
   • Once satisfied, click the “Rename” button.
6. Undo (if needed): PowerRename often offers an undo option within the tool or allows standard Ctrl+Z in File Explorer immediately after the operation.

Method 3: Using Command Prompt (CMD) (Basic Text Operations)

The Command Prompt offers basic but effective batch renaming using the ren (or rename) command, especially with wildcards.

What You’ll Need:

• Your Windows PC with Command Prompt.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open Command Prompt:
   • Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
   • Alternatively, type cmd in the Start menu search bar and select “Command Prompt.”
2. Navigate to the Folder: Use the cd (change directory) command to go to the folder containing your files.
   • Example: If your files are in C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Photos, type:
   • cd C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Photos
   • If the path contains spaces, enclose it in quotation marks: cd “C:\My Documents\Old Photos”
3. Perform Renaming:
   • To replace part of a filename (wildcard *):
     • Example: Change all files starting with “IMG_” to “Vacation_”.
   • ren IMG_*.jpg Vacation_*.jpg

This command will rename IMG_123.jpg to Vacation_123.jpg.

1. • To change file extensions:
     • Example: Change all .txt files to .log.
   • ren *.txt *.log
   • To add a prefix/suffix (more complex with ren): This is generally easier with PowerShell or dedicated tools. For ren, you’d typically need a batch script for more complex patterns.
   • To add sequential numbers (not directly supported by ren for true sequential numbering): The ren command with ? wildcards can replace characters, but not easily insert sequential numbers. For true sequential numbering, PowerShell or File Explorer are better.
2. Confirm and Execute: Press Enter after typing the command. The changes will be applied instantly.
3. Undo (Difficult): There is no direct “undo” command in CMD for ren. This is why backups are crucial when using command-line tools.

Method 4: Using PowerShell (Powerful & Flexible)

PowerShell offers much more advanced and flexible batch renaming capabilities than Command Prompt, using cmdlets like Get-ChildItem and Rename-Item combined with scripting logic.

What You’ll Need:

• Your Windows PC with PowerShell (pre-installed on modern Windows versions).

Step-by-Step:

1. Open PowerShell:
   • Press Win + X and select “Windows PowerShell” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin).”
   • Alternatively, type powershell in the Start menu search bar.
2. Navigate to the Folder: Use the cd command to navigate to your folder (same as in CMD).
   • Example: cd “C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Family Photos”
3. Perform Renaming (Examples):
   • Add a prefix to all files:

PowerShell

Get-ChildItem -File | Rename-Item -NewName {“Project_” + $_.Name}

This renames photo.jpg to Project_photo.jpg.

1. • Add a suffix before the extension:

PowerShell

Get-ChildItem -File | Rename-Item -NewName {$_.BaseName + “_Edited” + $_.Extension}

This renames image.png to image_Edited.png.

1. • Replace text in filenames:

PowerShell

Get-ChildItem -File | Rename-Item -NewName {$_.Name -replace “OldText”, “NewText”}

This replaces “OldText” with “NewText” in all filenames. The -replace operator supports regular expressions for advanced patterns.

1. • Add sequential numbering:

PowerShell

$i = 1; Get-ChildItem -File | ForEach-Object {Rename-Item $_ -NewName (“Photo-{0:D3}{1}” -f $i++, $_.Extension)}

This renames files to Photo-001.jpg, Photo-002.jpg, etc. ({0:D3} pads the number with leading zeros to three digits).

1. • Change file extension:

PowerShell

Get-ChildItem -Filter “*.txt” | Rename-Item -NewName {$_.BaseName + “.log”}

This changes .txt files to .log.

1. Confirm and Execute: Press Enter after typing the command. PowerShell commands are executed immediately.
2. Undo (Difficult): Like CMD, PowerShell doesn’t have a built-in undo for Rename-Item. Careful planning and backups are essential.

Insight: PowerShell is incredibly powerful due to its scripting capabilities and ability to pipe commands (|). It allows for very specific and complex renaming rules.

Method 5: Using Third-Party Bulk Renamer Utilities (Feature-Rich)

For the most advanced and visual batch renaming options, third-party utilities offer extensive features, often with live previews and undo functions.

Popular Free Tools:

• Bulk Rename Utility: Extremely powerful and feature-rich, but its interface can be overwhelming for beginners. It offers almost every renaming option imaginable.
• Advanced Renamer: A user-friendly option with many features for renaming files and folders.
• ReNamer: Another flexible and powerful tool for various renaming tasks.

Step-by-Step (General for Most Tools):

1. Download and Install: Download your chosen utility from its official website. Follow the installation instructions.
2. Add Files: Open the utility. You’ll typically have an option to “Add Files,” “Add Folder,” or drag and drop files into the program’s window.
3. Configure Renaming Rules: This is where these tools shine. You’ll find sections or modules for:
   • Text replacement (simple or regex)
   • Adding prefixes/suffixes
   • Adding sequential numbers (highly customizable)
   • Changing case (uppercase, lowercase, title case)
   • Removing characters by position or pattern
   • Using EXIF data (for photos) or ID3 tags (for music) for renaming.
   • Timestamp manipulation.
4. Preview Changes: Most good utilities provide a live preview showing the original name and the new name before applying changes. This is a crucial safety feature.
5. Apply Changes: Once you’re satisfied with the preview, click the “Rename,” “Start Batch,” or “Apply” button.
6. Undo (if available): Many dedicated tools offer an “Undo” feature, which is a great safety net.

Batch renaming files in Windows can significantly improve your digital organization. Whether you prefer the simplicity of File Explorer, the advanced capabilities of PowerRename, the precision of PowerShell, or the comprehensive features of a third-party utility, there’s a method suitable for every need. Always remember the importance of backups before making bulk changes to your file names.