How to Rename Multiple Files at Once in Windows XP

This is a nice and easy trick I guess not every one knows. I don’t like the DSCN(XXX).jpg file name the digital camera gives pictures. This is especially annoying when you have the pictures from your latest trip from India mixed with your daughter’s birthday party or some wedding party. After you download all of them from digital camera to the hard drive, your directory looks like this:

I would prefer if the pictures were named Airbus-A380-Picture(1).jpg, Airbus-A380-Picture(2).jpg… and Daughter-Birtday(1).jpg, Daughter-Birtday(2).jpg and so on. Following magic will take care of this:

1. Select the files that belong to the Airbus-A380-Picture.

2. Right click the file you want to be the “base” file, and select rename. Change it’s name to “Airbus-A380-Picture” and magically all the other selected files will change their name to “Airbus-A380-Picture(X).jpg”.

3. Do the same for the pictures from Daughter’s birthday party.

Now your directory will look like this, which will be very neat and you later you can create separate folder for “Daughter’s birthday party” and “Airbus A380 Picture” each and move these renamed files to the respective folders :