I’ve been using Windows my entire life, so when I learn something new about it — it’s a big deal. So I was amazed to find thisWindows 11trick.
This File Explorer keyboard shortcut has quickly gone to the top of my list for thebest Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts. If you’re someone who works with lots of files of any kind, this keyboard shortcut to quickly rename them in bulk is a lifesaver.
A click and a rename
To get started with this simple trick, you’ll first want to open the folder that has all of the files that you’d like to rename in bulk in series. verify you’ve changed your view option, too. On Windows 11, click theViewbutton at the top of File Explorer, and click the drop-down menu to chooseDetailsso you see the name, date, type, and size of the file. On Windows 10, just click theViewtab, and chooseDetails.
From there, you can hit theControlandAkey on your keyboard. verify all the files are highlighted in blue. Once all the files are highlighted, press theF2button on your keyboard. You’ll be prompted to rename that first file at the top of the File Explorer list.
Name the first file as you want, as in a series. Take the example we have above —File_001.From there, all you need to do is press theEnteron your keyboard and all the files will be renamed using that same name, but with a digit added to it for differentiation.
With that, you’ve just bulk renamed your files in sequence!
You can do this manually on MacOS, too
While we love Windows, we also can’t forget Apple’s Mac OS. This trick works differently on Apple’s operating system, but it functions in the exact same way. Again, change your view of the files so that you’re able to view your files as a list. Open the folder in Finder where you want to bulk rename in series. Then change Finder to the list view. Click theViewbutton in the top menu bar and choose theas listoption.
Once that’s done, you can hitCommandandAto highlight all the files. From there, right-click and chooserename. You’ll see a few options show up in aRename finder itemsmenu. ClickFormatand next to where it saysName FormatchooseName and Index.Then, under theWhereoption, chooseafter nameand make sure the starting number is set to 1.
You can then enter a new file name in theCustom Formatfield. From there, clickRenameand there you go!
Diver deeper with Microsoft and Apple
We’ve just shown you one trick that we’ve found useful, but Microsoft and Apple can help you out, too. Both companies have web pages that list out common shortcuts.Apple’s listis quite extensive, covering system, apps, navigation, and more. Microsoft’salso goes in-depthand covers all modern versions of Windows.
Both companies want to ensure that no matter what operating system you’re on, you can save time during your busy day with simple tricks that you might not have thought of otherwise. While we’re on the topic, here’show to create a folder on Windows 11 and macOS.
