3 Easy Ways to Rename Multiple Files to Keep Them Better Organized

To rename multiple files on your computer, you can manually rename each file individually, use specific software to rename multiple files at once, or select multiple files and rename the files at once using Windows.

Renaming files can help you sort and organize multiple files, including photos, videos, music, and more, in your folder. Here are some options you can use to help you rename multiple files to keep them better organized:

Manually rename each file individually

This is probably the approach you are using right now. Using Windows, you go to the file menu, right click on the file you wish to rename, select Rename in the option, and type in the new file name. You do the same thing for the rest of the files you want to rename. This may be the easiest way you know to rename your files, but when you want to rename multiple files, this approach can be a real waste of time. This is only good for renaming a handful of files in your folder.

Use specific software to rename multiple files at once.

If you want to rename numerous files in bulk, using the aforementioned method would be very time-consuming and impractical. To help you do this task more easily, you can use computer software that will rename multiple files all at once; file renamer software is usually downloadable over the Internet for free. Examples of this kind of software include Bulk Rename Utility, Rename Maestro, Name Mangler, and Better Finder Rename. These utilities allow you to swiftly rename multiple files, including changing file name extensions; adding or removing certain characters, symbols, and digits in file names; and undoing erroneous file renaming, as well as saving frequently used renaming actions for future use.

Select multiple files and rename the files at once using Windows

There is also another way to rename multiple file names using Windows, but it is less sophisticated than using a file renamer. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on how to do it:

* Go to the folder where the files are located.
* Select the files you wish to rename by pressing and holding the CTRL key while clicking on the selected files.
* Right click on any of the selected files and choose Rename or simply press F2.
* Do not be alarmed if only one of the selected files is highlighted at this time. Just type in the new name and press Enter. You will then see that all the other files are renamed.

The result of renaming multiple files with this approach is having one common filename with an added number inside parentheses after every filename to make each file distinct. For example, if you renamed the files “project,” it would come out as project, project(1), project(2), and so on.

The approach you choose will depend on the number of files you wish to change, as well as the details of the new filenames you want to use.