When you're dealing with a large number of files, you'll often need to quickly rename them for better organization and management. However, selecting and renaming each file one by one can take a lot of time and effort, which can adversely affect efficiency.
Luckily, with Windows 11, you don't have to worry about that. Microsoft's latest operating system allows you to rename multiple files in seconds without any complicated software. There are two ways to do this, now let's take a look at them.
Use File Explorer to rename multiple files
You can use File Explorer in Windows 11 to directly rename multiple files at the same time. While this method doesn't offer a lot of customization around file names, it's the go-to solution if you only need file names in a standard format.
1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of the file you want to rename.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key and left-click on each file and select the file you want to rename.
Note: You can hold down the Shift key and then left-click on the first and last files for faster selection. All files located in between will be automatically selected.
3. After selecting the file you want to rename, right-click on any file and you will see multiple options. There are several icons above the options, one of which is used to rename the file.
4. Click on the "Rename" icon and you will be able to rename the right-clicked file.
5. Give the file a name, e.g. "A1", and you will see all the other files will be renamed as well, and each file has a number as a suffix.
That's all you need to do to rename files in bulk using File Explorer in Windows 11. There is no need to use any third-party software or waste time downloading and installing additional tools.
Rename multiple files with Powertoys
Another way to batch rename files on Windows 11 is to use PowerToys. The tool comes with a plugin called PowerRename that can set certain conditions to rename multiple files in the desired format.
1. If you don't have Powertoys installed, launch the Microsoft Store from the Start menu and install it from there.
2. Launch the Powertoys app and select PowerRename from the left menu.
3. Make sure that the "Enable PowerRename" feature is turned on. By default, the feature is enabled, but if it isn't, click the toggle button next to it to turn it on.
4. After enabling this function, you can replace all or specific words and characters in the file name, and even use the regular expression "RegEx" to create a condition to match and replace the name.
To do this, use File Explorer to navigate to the folder where the files you want to rename are located and select them.
5. Right-click on any selected file and select "PowerRename" from the menu.
6. The PowerRename interface will appear, listing all the files you have selected. Enter the name you want to search for in the text box at the top of the left.
7. For example, we will search for the name "A1". Next, enter the name you want to use for the image in the box below, such as "Wallpaper".
8. Clicking on the "i" icon next to the text box will show you several options to rename the file, such as adding data and time, day of the week, etc.
9. If you are satisfied with the preview, click the "Apply" button at the bottom to complete the renaming process.
10. You can see that all the files are now renamed and can be confirmed by navigating to the folder where the files are located.
If you want to quickly rename multiple files on Windows 11 without customization, you can use File Explorer to do so. On the other hand, if you want to change the format and add more details, Powertoys' PowerRename feature can help you. Both methods work well and are extremely fast and easy to use. You can use them to rename images in different formats, including JPEG, PNG, SVG, and more.