How to rename files in bulk or rename multiple files at once on Windows. Step-by-step guide

Renaming files is one thing that we all do regularly on our computers, but that isn’t the only thing that we do. While renaming a few files is a child’s play and extremely straightforward, things can become complicated as you need to rename several files at once. Say, for example, you got an email from the headquarters that you need to add your office location at the beginning of every file you sent, or you need to number files sequentially to streamline your workflow. 

Renaming hundreds of files one by one can be an enormous bottleneck on your way to a  productive workflow to achieve your targets. However, you can rename files in bulk, or rename multiple files at once, and it is easier than you might think. So, today on InkedFreedom, I will talk about how to bulk rename files on your Windows computer.

So, without any further delay, let’s get started with how to rename multiple files at once on your Windows computer using Ant Renamer.

Step 1: Downloading Ant Renamer to bulk rename files

No, installing Ant Renamer will not install real ants within your computer to rename files. Just download the Ant Renamer program using the link to get started with the process to bulk rename files.

Step 1.1: You can either download the installer, or download the portable version which you can easily carry around on a thumb drive, or store on the cloud to use anywhere.

Step 1.2: With the portable version, you can open the zip file, and then double-click to open ‘Renamer.exe’ file to rename files in bulk, and rename multiple files at once.

If you download the installer, you first have to install the program, exactly the way the you install other regular programs, and open the Ant Renamer program using the desktop shortcut to rename files in bulk.

In both ways, the start screen should be the same.

Step 1.3: Select your preferred language, and click ‘OK’.

Step 2: Adding files to Ant Renamer to rename files in bulk

Step 2.1: Now that Ant Renamer is initialized, you first have to add the files that are supposed to be renamed. To add files, click on ‘Add files…’

Step 2.1: Now add the items to bulk rename files from the file explorer dialog. 

Not just files from one location, you can also add files from one or multiple folders, and the subfolders within. Click on ‘Add folders…’, and select the folder(s) from the dialog box that appears. There are multiple options related to adding files from folders to Ant Renamer, and the options are pretty self-explanatory.

Alternatively, you can also drag and drop to Ant Renamer UI to bulk rename files, instead of using the buttons. I personally use the drag and drop feature, which is quick and straightforward, however, the choice is yours.

Step 3: Rename files in bulk using Ant Renamer

Now that the files are added to Ant Renamer, there are several ways you can rename files in bulk using the program.

Let’s have a look at a few of the most common ways you can bulk rename files or rename several files at once, using Ant Renamer.

Option 3.1: String replacement

Using this renaming feature, a string, i.e. a part of the filename will be replaced by another string. Say for example, all the files have the word ‘2021’ in common, and you want to replace all such occurrences with ‘2022’, this process helps you in doing that.

Simply tap on ‘Actions’, and then select ‘String replacement’.

Type in the old string corresponding to ‘Search for:’, and the new string corresponding to ‘Replace by:’ In our case, we want to replace 2021 with 2022. So, we will do that and click on ‘Go’, to rename files in bulk.

You can see the preview of one file being renamed for your reference, as shown below. 

There are some other options that you can choose. By marking 'Case sensitive', you can rename files in bulk only if the searched string matches the case (capital or small letter) of the existing string. You can also search for, and replace the string in the file extension if you wish. 

Option 3.2: String insertion

As I discussed at the beginning of the tutorial, if you want to add your office location or any other string at the beginning or end of every file, and bulk rename files that way, you can use this functionality.

Click on 'Actions', and then click on 'String insertion'. 

Here, type in the string that you want to add, corresponding to ‘String to insert:’. Say, for example, we need to insert ‘India’. We have to enter that.

Now, you have to select, where exactly you want to add the string and its position. If you want to add the string at the very beginning, let the position be ‘0’, and select ‘From begin’.

If you want to add the string after the first character of the filename, replace 0 with 1, and so on. The exact opposite will happen if you select ‘From end’. That will insert the typed string at the end, based on the position, i.e. 0, 1, etc.

Option 3.3: Enumeration

With Ant Renamer, it is also possible to sequentially organize files, and rename files in bulk that way. If you want to add a number to every selected file, click on ‘Actions’, and then select ‘Enumeration’.

Say, for example, you want to add the number at the end of every file, you have to enter the following in the text box corresponding to ‘Mask:’.

%name% %num%%ext%

Here, %name% refers to the file name, %num% refers to the number variable, and %ext% refers to the extension. 

If you want to change the name of the files, just insert the new name instead of %name% and then add %num% and %ext%. Ant Renamer will add the progressive number, exactly at that point of the file name where %num% is present.

Next, you have to set the starting number at ‘Start at:’, which should be 1, if you want the first file to be numbered 1. Based on your requirement, you have to set the ‘Number of digits:’. For example, if you want two preceding zeros at the beginning, or want the number of digits to be at least 3, set it to 3. So, the numbers will be 001, 002, and so on.

Lastly, you can also set ‘Increment by:’. If this variable is set to 1, the number will be increased by 1. If it is set to 2, the numbers will go as 1, 3, 5, and so on.

So, that’s all about how to bulk number several files using Ant Renamer. Make sure that the files are added to Ant Renamer one after another properly, as Ant Renamer will rename the files in the exact sequence they are added to the program.

Option 3.4: Change extension (not recommended)

Even though it is the simplest of all the options, I will not recommend you to change extensions of file names unless you really need to do it, and you know the consequences. If you want to import files to another program, and cross-compatibility requirements, it is sometimes important to bulk rename files, or their extensions. But, make sure, you keep a backup of the files before changing the extensions so that you don’t get confused about the erstwhile extensions if something wrong happens.

Simply select ‘Change extension’ from ‘Actions’, and then type in the new extension in the text box corresponding to ‘Replace extension by:’.

There is also an option to rename files in bulk, or better, bulk rename extensions by appending the new extension without actually changing them, by marking the option just below the extension text box. In both ways, the file type will be changed, but appending the extension will help you to roll-back changes if things go wrong.

Option3.5: Changing case

If you have multiple files, using the change case functionality, it is possible to capitalize all the characters, do its opposite, or capitalize the first character, exactly the way you wish.

Click on ‘Change case’ after clicking on ‘Actions’. Now, select ‘Upper’ to capitalize the characters, ‘Lower’ to turn the characters into small letters, or ‘Upper the first letter of the filename’, which is self-explanatory.

There’s also a text box, where you can enter a set of characters. If the filename begins with one of the entered characters, the first character following the symbol will be capitalized.

While filenames on Windows aren’t case sensitive, if you often send files to a Unix system, where file names are case-sensitive, this option can come in handy.

In all cases, a preview will be displayed to help you get an idea of what the file name will be after it is renamed unless mentioned otherwise. After every action, you will have to tap on the ‘Go’ button or hit the ‘F5’ key to apply the changes and rename several files at once.

Ant Renamer is a complete suite to bulk rename files on your Windows PC. Besides the four ways I have mentioned here, there are other ways to rename files in bulk with Ant Renamer, but they will not be important for most people. Other ways to rename multiple files at once include, renaming opinions including string deletion, string movement, multiple string insertion, character deletion, random naming, and many more.

If you can rename files in bulk it is going to make your work smoother, if you need to do it every day. Ant Renamer is quite lightweight, and the UI is clean and pretty easy to understand and use. That is the reason why I use it often. Do you have any questions regarding how to rename several files at once? Feel free to comment on the same below.