Renaming Multiple Files in the Shared Drive

Renaming files on Windows can be a simple task when dealing with a single file. However, the process becomes more complex when it comes to renaming multiple files at once. Fortunately, there are several methods available for batch renaming files on Windows, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Renaming Files From Windows File Explorer

One of the most straightforward methods is using the built-in File Explorer. Users can select multiple files, right-click, and choose the rename option. This allows for a quick renaming process, but it may not offer the flexibility needed for more complex renaming tasks.

To do this highlight or select all the files you want to rename in Windows Explorer, then right-click the first one and select Rename. Press Windows+E to open the File Explorer and multi-select all the files or folders that you want to rename. You can do that by holding Ctrl and clicking on the files to select with left click. You can also hold Shift and click on the start and end file to select all the files in between.

Type your desired base file name and press Enter. All the files that were highlighted will be renamed to that exact same file name with a sequential number at the end. This is useful especially if you have pictures or graphics that are similar.

Here are more details on how to Rename a file, folder, or link in a document library

Renaming Files Using Third-party Apps

File Renamer Basic, Bulk Rename Utility and Rename are free applications that allow renaming of files, folders and documents in a batch mode and offer a lot more functionality. These tools actually allow you to change multiple files with only a partial change and not a full change. For instance, let’s say you have a client file and want to add to all the documents, the client name in the name of the document without changing the original file names, these utilities will do it.