How to Batch Rename Files in Windows 11: 5 Ways (2026)

Quick answer: to rename several files at once in Windows 11, select them in File Explorer, press F2, type a name, and press Enter. Windows names them Name (1), Name (2), and so on. For anything smarter, such as replacing text, adding dates, or giving each file a real name, use one of the four methods below.

Before any batch rename, copy a few files into a test folder and try the method there first.

1. File Explorer: F2 for a numbered sequence

1. Open the folder and select the files. Use Ctrl+A for all, or Ctrl+click to pick.
2. Press F2 (or right-click and choose Rename, the icon of a text cursor in Windows 11).
3. Type the new name, for example Lisbon trip, and press Enter.

You get Lisbon trip (1).jpg, Lisbon trip (2).jpg, and so on. The numbering follows the current sort order, so sort by Date first if order matters. Press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo.

Tip: to rename files one after another, press F2 on the first, type its name, then press Tab to jump to the next file.

2. PowerRename: find-and-replace with preview

PowerRename is a free Microsoft tool inside PowerToys. Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store, then:

1. Select files in File Explorer, right-click, and choose Rename with PowerRename (in Windows 11, it may be under Show more options).
2. Type what to find in Search for and what to put instead in Replace with.
3. Check the preview on the right, then click Apply.

Useful recipes:

PowerRename can also switch case (lowercase, uppercase, title case) and rename only the extension.

3. Command Prompt: change extensions fast

The old ren command is handy for one job, changing extensions in bulk:

cd "C:\Users\You\Pictures\Export"
ren *.jpeg *.jpg

That renames every .jpeg file in the folder to .jpg. It does not ask first and has no undo, so try it on copies.

4. PowerShell: scriptable renames

PowerShell can do any pattern you can describe. Open Terminal (right-click the Start button) and go to your folder with cd. Add -WhatIf at the end of any command to preview it without renaming anything.

Add a prefix to every JPG:

(Get-ChildItem *.jpg) | Rename-Item -NewName { "Lisbon_" + $_.Name }

Replace spaces with hyphens:

(Get-ChildItem) | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace ' ', '-' }

Add the modified date to the front of every PDF:

(Get-ChildItem *.pdf) | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.LastWriteTime.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd') + '_' + $_.Name }

Number files by date, as Trip_001.jpg, Trip_002.jpg:

$i = 1
Get-ChildItem *.jpg | Sort-Object LastWriteTime | ForEach-Object {
  Rename-Item $_ -NewName ('Trip_{0:D3}{1}' -f $i++, $_.Extension)
}

The parentheses around Get-ChildItem matter: they collect the file list before renaming starts, so a renamed file is not picked up twice.

5. AI: give every file its own name

All four methods above transform the name a file already has. They cannot turn scan_0042.pdf into 2026-09-12_acme_invoice_1042.pdf, because the information is inside the file, not in its name.

That is what an AI renamer does. Zush for Windows reads each file (the text of a PDF, what a screenshot shows, the scene in a photo, the content of a Word or Excel file) and suggests a descriptive name:

1. Install Zush from the Microsoft Store.
2. Drag in a folder or a selection of files.
3. Pick a Template, such as Screenshots or Bookkeeper Expenses, or build a pattern from Naming Blocks like {Created Date}_{Vendor}_{Document Type}.
4. Review the suggested names. Edit any of them with a double-click.
5. Click Rename. If you change your mind later, restore the batch from Rename History.

Turn on folder monitoring and new files in Downloads or a scanner folder get renamed as they arrive. The first 50 AI renames are free.

Common problems

“The file name is too long.” Windows paths are limited to 260 characters by default. Shorten the new names or move the folder closer to the drive root.

Files skipped or renamed twice in PowerShell. Wrap Get-ChildItem in parentheses, as in the examples above.

PowerRename is missing from the right-click menu. Open PowerToys settings, make sure PowerRename is turned on, and check Show more options on Windows 11.

Numbers are in the wrong order. File Explorer and PowerRename number files in the current sort order. Sort by date or name before renaming.

A file is “in use.” Close the app that has it open (often a photo viewer or Word) and try again.

FAQ

How do I rename multiple files at once in Windows 11?

Select the files in File Explorer, press F2, type a name, and press Enter. Windows adds (1), (2), (3) to each. For find-and-replace or dates, use PowerRename from Microsoft PowerToys.

How do I undo a batch rename in Windows?

Press Ctrl+Z in File Explorer right after renaming; this works for F2 and PowerRename. Command Prompt and PowerShell renames have no undo. Zush keeps a Rename History you can restore from at any time.

Can I batch rename files without installing anything?

Yes. File Explorer (F2), Command Prompt (ren), and PowerShell (Rename-Item) are all built into Windows 11 and 10.

How do I rename files by their content in Windows?

Built-in tools cannot read file content. Use an AI renamer like Zush, which analyzes each file and suggests a name based on what it contains.