The folders in which you store your documents on your PC look like a bazaar: not only are the files arranged haphazardly, but the names you have assigned to them do not follow any logical criteria. Don’t you think it’s time to do some cleaning and rename the documents saved on your computer for good? Excuse me? You should rename them one by one and you don’t have the time or the inclination to do so? I guarantee you that if you think so, you are very wrong!
Thanks to some default functions of Windows and macOS, in fact, it is possible to change the name of several files at once in a very simple and, above all, fast way. And then there are also very useful software that allows you to rename files in series, according to different criteria.
If you want to learn more and want to find out how to rename multiple files at once using these solutions, keep reading. You can find all the information you need right below. With that said, there’s nothing left for me to do but wish you a good read and wish you the best of luck with everything!
How to rename multiple files at once on Windows
If you own a Windows PC and you want to know how to rename multiple files at once on it, you should know that you can achieve your goal by taking advantage of a default feature of the famous Microsoft operating system, by using some third-party software and even by issuing commands from the PowerShell window. Here’s everything in detail.
Default function
First of all, let’s see how to take advantage of the default Windows function that allows you to rename, in a fairly simple way, several files at once.
To use it, open the folder containing the files you want to rename and press Ctrl+A on your keyboard to highlight all of them. Alternatively, hold down the Ctrl key and then click on the individual files you wish to rename or, if you need to select multiple contiguous files, click on the first one in the list and, while holding down the Shift key, click on the last one.
At this point, press the F2 key on your keyboard, type the new name to be assigned to the selected files and press Enter to confirm the operation: in this way, all selected files will use the name you indicated, followed by a progressive numbering.
Bulk Rename Utility
If you prefer to rely on third-party solutions to rename multiple files at the same time, I suggest you try Bulk Rename Utility: a free program that allows you to rename files simultaneously by choosing a number of very flexible criteria. Among other things, it allows you to rename files based on numerical sequences, add date and time to their names, correct lower and upper case, and much more.
To download it, go to the program’s website of the program and click on the Install Bulk Rename Utility button. Once the download is complete, open the BRU_setup_x.x.x.exe file you obtained and click the Yes button. Then accept the terms of use of the software by putting a check mark next to I accept the agreement, click the Next button four times in a row and then click the Install and Finish buttons to finish the installation process and launch Bulk Rename Utility.
The main screen of the application is divided into three parts: at the top there is a sidebar for selecting folders (on the left) and the list of files to rename (on the right), while at the bottom there are all the functions and variables that you can set to change the name of files. It’s all in English, but I can assure you that it takes a little practice to learn how to use the application well.
To rename more than one file at the same time, just select the folder where the items to be renamed are located from the sidebar at the top left, choose the files to be renamed (using the mouse or the key combinations Ctrl+A/Ctrl+click to select all the items in the folder or just single files, respectively) and set all the fields at the bottom of the window.
For example, through the Repl. field you can replace words and letters in the original filenames with your own words and letters; through the Remove field you can remove a certain letter from the filenames; by filling in the File (2) field you can apply the same name to all files; with the Auto Date and Numbering functions you can add the creation date or a custom numbering in the filenames and so on. To better understand the effects of each function, see how the file names change in the green previews that appear in the New name column.
When you have set all your preferences, you can rename the selected files by simply clicking on the Rename button, which is located at the bottom right corner. I repeat, at first it may seem quite difficult as a program, but I assure you that after using it 2 or 3 times, you’ll find it indispensable for managing your files.
Rename multiple files at once from DOS
Now let’s see how to rename several files at the same time from the PowerShell window, using the rename command, inherited from MS-DOS, an old Microsoft operating system that had a command line interface.
To proceed, open the folder containing the files you want to rename, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, right-click on an “empty” spot in it and select Open PowerShell here from the context menu.
Then use the command that allows you to change the name of all files in the folder in question, as shown in the following example.
Rename-Item –NewName { $_.name –replace “Vecchio nome file”,”Nuovo nome file” }
As you may have already guessed, instead of “Old file name” you have to enter the current name of the files you want to rename, while instead of “New file name” you have to write the name you want to assign to them.
With the above technique, you can even change the extension of the files in a certain location. Instead of “Old filename” you have to enter the current file extension (e.g. “.txt”), while instead of “New filename” you have to enter the new extension you want to use (e.g. “.doc”). Simple, isn’t it?
How to rename multiple files at once on Mac
If you want to know how to rename multiple files at once on Mac, know that you can accomplish this either by taking advantage of a default macOS feature or by turning to third-party applications.
As I told you, macOS also has a default feature, to rename multiple files at once: let me tell you how to make the most of it.
For starters, open the Finder folder containing the files you want to rename, select them, right-click on the selection you just made and click the Rename [N] items item in the context menu.
In the pane that appears at the top of the Finder window, then choose the method of renaming the files by selecting one of the available options from Replace text, if you want to replace a word in the current name with another word; Add text, if you want to add text to the current name; or Format, to rename all files, marking them with a sequential number.
After selecting the method you like best and using the available text fields and menus to make the desired change, go ahead and click the Rename button and you’re done. Did you see how easy it was to take advantage of this default macOS feature to rename multiple files at once?
Name Changer
If you’re looking for a third-party application to rename multiple files simultaneously on your Mac, I recommend trying NameChanger: it’s a free application developed just to perform this kind of operations.
To get it, go to its official website and click the Download NameChanger button located on the right. Once the download is complete, copy NameChanger to your Mac Applications folder, launch the software and click the Open and Agree buttons to accept the license and use the software.
As you can see, the application’s interface is structured in two sections: the one on the left lists the files to be imported, with their current name; the one on the right, instead, shows a preview of the new name of the files, depending on the method you decide to apply to rename them.
Click on the (+) Add button at the top and select the path to the folder containing the files to be renamed. Once you’ve imported the files you want, choose the name modification method by clicking on the Replace first occurrence with item and, in the menu that opens, select the modification method to be used: Remove Character, to remove characters in the new name; Insert Character, to insert characters in the new name and so on.
After selecting a method to rename files and selecting them (if necessary), click on the Rename button in the top right corner to start the editing process, and you’re done.
How to rename the extension of multiple files at once
Did you come to this tutorial with the goal of renaming the extension of several files at once? Well, in order to do that you can easily take advantage of the solutions I’ve already told you about in this guide or take advantage of other useful ones.
If, on the other hand, you want to change file types, meaning you want to convert them from one format to another, you can follow the directions I gave you in my tutorials on how to convert files and how to change file extensions.