Rename Multiple Files Efficiently Using Excel or Google Docs

Step 1: Type cmd and switch (using “cd” command) to the directory that contains the files you want to rename in bulk.

Step 2: Type “dir /b” to see a skeleton list of all files in the current directory. Copy that file list to the clipboard by selecting Mark from the contextual menu.

Step 3: The fun starts now. Fire your copy of Microsoft Excel or Google Docs Spreadsheets and paste those file names into the first spreadsheet column.

Step 4: In the blank adjacent column, add a corresponding Excel function – for instance, use SUBSTITUTE to change specific text in the filenames, use CONCATENATE() with DATE() if you want to add date to the filename, etc.

*For more complex criteria, you may want to put the file extensions in a separate column by splitting the file name using period (.) as the delimiter.

Step 5: Your source filenames are now in column A while the Destination files are in column B – we will now convert this into a DOS rename command.

In Column C, type the following Excel formula and your command is ready to be executed.

=CONCATENATE(“ren “,A1, ” “, B1)

Copy paste the same formula across all cells in column C for which you have corresponding values in Column A or B.

We are almost done. Copy all the values from column C to the clipboard and paste them inside the DOS window or better still, put them inside a new text file and give it a name like rename.bat.

Execute and all files that match the criteria are renamed instantly.