How to Rename Multiple files at Once.

Microsoft Windows provides a variety of ways to rename more than one files at once from Windows Explorer, the Command Prompt. Whether you’re looking for an easy-to-use graphical interface or a powerful command-line method, you’ll find it here.

The Windows Explorer method to rename multiple files is very fast, but provides less flexibility.You can also use a third party tool also to rename multiple files at once.

1) Rename by Windows Explorer:

Windows Explorer provides a fast, built-in way to rename multiple files at once, although it’s pretty well hidden.

Steps to Follow:

• Locate the files you want to rename and place them in the same folder.
• Use the columns at the top of the list in details view to order the files how you’d like them.
• Windows Explorer will number the files starting from the top at the list.
• Select all the files you want to rename, right-click the first one and select Rename.
• Type your desired base file name and press Enter.

  

• Windows Explorer will take your base name and add a number to each file’s name. This method is good for cleaning up messy names, although it isn’t very flexible. 

2) Rename by Command Prompt: 

Steps to Follow: 

• You can use the rename – or ren – DOS command in a Command Prompt window to rename multiple files at once.
• It accepts the wildcard character – * – to match multiple files.
• The quickest way to open a Command Prompt window at your desired location is to hold Shift, right-click in the folder, and select “Open command window here.”

• The most useful case of rename command is changing multiple file extensions at once, which you can’t do in Windows Explorer.
• The following command will rename all " .jpg " files in the current folder to " .html " files:

Command for changing extension:-   ren *.html *.txt 

• After changing the extension of files, you will get the following.

Tip:  Files after changing extension are unable to understand, so these can be used for data privacy and security also.