At last check, I had more than 500,000 files between my Documents and Photos folders. Since I’m not going to go through that many files and give them a new name individually, I decided to batch rename the Windows files to make the process much faster and save my sanity.
Content
- 1. Batch Rename Using PowerToys
- 2. Simple Renaming Using File Explorer
- 3. Rename Extensions Using the Command Prompt
- 4. Using Windows PowerShell
- 5. Advanced Bulk Rename With Bulk Rename Utility
1. Batch Rename Using PowerToys
PowerToys is Microsoft’s dedicated software for Windows power users. I like to call it my Windows toolbox. Among its many features is PowerRename, a more advanced and in-depth way to batch rename files on Windows. I downloaded it from the Microsoft Store, but it’s also available on GitHub.
What I love is that PowerRename automatically integrates into the right-click context menu without the need to do anything more. Now I get to select all my files I want to batch rename, right-click one, and select PowerRename. Of course, Windows 11 hides this under Show more options.
Quick tip: if you’re selecting every file in a folder, press Ctrl + A to select everything. If you’re just selecting some of the files, hold Ctrl while selecting each file.
Choose any parameters, such as a specific word or number, then select what to replace that text with. It’s a highly targeted way to batch rename files.
For instance, I’m changing the word Another in files to First. PowerRename only selects those and shows a preview of what the final result is before I change anything. If you’re happy with it, click Apply.
My favorite feature is changing the text formatting. Easily switch between all lowercase, all caps, title case, and capitalizing each word.
2. Simple Renaming Using File Explorer
If you don’t need anything fancy, use File Explorer to batch rename files in Windows. It’s quick and easy.
Open the folder containing your files, select everything you want to change, and right-click the first file you want to rename (or press F2). Enter the new file name, press Enter, and everything gets the same name with consecutive numbers.
I find this method best for grouping files, such as a series of files. I changed random names to all say Important notes. It’s great for photos, too, such as switching from your phone’s default names to something like Beach Vacation.
While you can’t change the file extensions or how Windows adds numbers, such as starting with a different number, there are some more advanced methods.
If you’re having issues with File Explorer, learn how to fix common issues with it and restart it.
3. Rename Extensions Using the Command Prompt
Need to batch rename extensions and files? Press Win + R, type cmd, and press OK to open Command Prompt.
Change the directory to the folder where your files are located by either typing in the full path or opening the folder in File Explorer. Right-click the path location above the file list, and choose Copy address. You can even use Command Prompt to search for files.
Type cd in Command Prompt, and copy the address from File Explorer. If you’re having trouble with copy and paste, you may need to change the settings to enable the copy and paste function in command prompt.
Enter the following command using the file extensions you want:
ren *.fileext1 *.fileext2
In my case, I’m changing the .jpg extension to .png. Please note that this doesn’t actually change the file type, just the extension.
If you want to batch rename the file names, it’s a similar process. However, if the file names share numerous characters, you may get an error concerning duplicate files. To make sure this doesn’t happen, use wildcards, which are question marks, to keep a unique portion of the original name.
After changing the command prompt directory to the folder with your files, enter the following:
ren *.fileext ???name.fileext
Enter as many ? as you need for the characters. If you want a space in your file name, place the file name in quotes, such as “???File Name.jpg.” If you want your new file name at the beginning, use the wildcards after the file name, such as “FileName????.” In my case, I’m using:
ren *.jpg ?????????January.jpg
I’ll be honest, this method gets tricky. If all the files don’t have the same file name length originally, only part of the files will change.
4. Using Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell is kind of like Command Prompt on steroids, though the two are somewhat similar. To batch rename files in Windows using PowerShell, you only need a few simple commands.
Right-click the folder containing your files, and select Open in Terminal. Terminal is a Windows combo tool for PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Azure Cloud Shell. By default, it should open to PowerShell.
Once PowerShell is open, use the command below. While using the command, don’t forget to change “TestName” to your desired file name and use the correct file extension.
dir | %{$x=0} {Rename-Item $_ -NewName "TestName$x.jpg"; $x++ }
The above command takes all the files in the directory and passes them to the Rename-Item command, which renames all the files to TestName*. The * denotes numbers, and those numbers are allocated recursively using $x. This allows each file to have a unique name.
If you want to change the file extensions of all the files in a directory, use the command below.
Get-ChildItem *.jpg | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace '.jpg','.png' }
Anything with .jpg changes to .png with the press of a button.
I’d suggest checking out Microsoft’s documentation for more parameters to use with this command.
5. Advanced Bulk Rename With Bulk Rename Utility
Yes, the built-in tools work surprisingly well to batch rename files in Windows. But if you want even more powerful features, try Bulk Rename Utility. This free third-party tool goes above and beyond. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I know you’ll love it when you try it.
Add/remove characters, append text, add dates, change extensions, use Windows properties, use EXIF metadata, and much more. I can even use a CSV list to batch rename. Just input the parameters (you don’t have to use every field), preview, and rename. For changes I make regularly, I save the parameters to use again later.
I’ve also tried FileRenamer and Advanced Renamer, but this one tends to be the most complex.
Now that you’re a renaming pro, master file management. Check out these File Explorer alternatives for more control. And, if you’re a Mac user, learn how you can batch rename files too.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.
Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.
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