How to batch rename files in Windows 11 (2024)

Renaming files on Windows 11 doesn't require rocket science. While renaming a bunch of photos and files one at a time is tedious, batch renaming is relatively easy. You can use third-party apps or simply rely on the default method to change the names of multiple files quickly.

In this post, we will discuss a couple of ways to batch-rename files on your Windows laptop. While Microsoft's solutions are sufficient for most, you can also explore third-party apps. Let's get started.

How to rename files using the Windows 11 File Explorer

While it's not immediately obvious, File Explorer in Windows 11 makes it relatively easy to rename a batch of files in one go. This doesn't give you many options, but if all you want is to rename a bunch of files to be in a standardized format, then this may be all you need. Here's how you can do it:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder with the files you want to rename.
2. Select all the files you want to rename. If you don't want to select every file, you can hold the Shift key and individually select the files.
3. Click the Rename button on the toolbar or right-click one of the selected files. You can also choose the Rename option in the context menu.

   

4. Only one of the files will show an editable text box, but that name will apply to every file you selected. Write the file name you want and then press Enter on your keyboard.

   

5. Your files will now all have your chosen name, followed by a number.

   

It's a fairly straightforward process, and as we've mentioned, you don't get a ton of options, but it probably does the job just fine for a lot of people. If make a typo with file renaming or want to go back to the original names, simply click Ctrl + Z to undo the changes.

How to rename files using PowerToys

If you want more control over renaming your files on Windows 11, use Microsoft's PowerToys software. The modern iteration of PowerToys packs a ton of useful features, and one such add-on is called PowerRename.

As the name suggests, you can use to batch rename your files on Windows 11 using a series of conditions to get the exact format you want. It's a bit more convoluted but quite powerful and worth spending extra time to get the desired results.

1. Download PowerToys from the Microsoft Store on Windows. Launch it.
2. Choose PowerRename from the side menu and then click Open Settings. If you don't see the welcome window, open PowerToys from your Start menu and then choose PowerRename from the sidebar on the left.
3. Ensure the PowerRename feature is set to On (it should be by default).

   

You are all set to rename files with PowerRename. You can match any word or character in the original file name and replace it with something else, so you can change only a part of the name to make a file easier to identify. You can also use regular expressions (RegEx) to create certain conditions for matching file names and changing them to something else. Here's how to do it:

1. Use the File Explorer to navigate to the folder where your files are.
2. Select all the files you want to rename, then right-click them and choose Rename with PowerRename in the context menu.

   

3. You'll now see the PowerRename interface with all your selected files. For example, our images are vacation pictures from a recent trip, and they're all titled with full dates and random names. Let's replace the 2023 year with an actual place name.

   Here, you can use all kinds of conditions to rename the files you want. You can match any bit of text in the original name, use regular expressions to match entire words and numbers, and so on. You can click the information icon next to the text box to see what kinds of expressions are supported.

4. In the bottom box, you can choose what the matched text will be replaced by. Let's add 2023 in the search bar and replace it with Goa place. Check your original and renamed files.

   

5. There are many options here, including adding a date and time to the file name if one isn't already present. You can also enumerate items if you're naming them all the same thing. Click Apply, and the file names will change according to your criteria. You can see the new names in the File Explorer.

   

Among both methods, PowerToys definitely offers some more powerful customization to get the exact file names you want.

Organize your files with a relevant naming scheme

While there are third-party apps for batch renaming files, we'd argue the method built into Windows works well enough for almost everyone. If you want to learn about other Windows 11 features, you can always try enabling God Mode to get quick access to various Windows settings. Otherwise, you can rename files to your heart's content.