Bulk Rename Files with PowerShell: Complete Script Guide

PowerShell is the most powerful built-in tool for batch renaming on Windows. Here are copy-paste scripts for every scenario.

Getting Started

Open PowerShell in your folder: 1. Open folder in File Explorer 2. Shift + Right-click 3. Select "Open PowerShell window here"

Basic Rename Scripts

Add prefix to all files

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { "prefix-" + $_.Name }

Add suffix before extension

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { 
  $_.BaseName + "-suffix" + $_.Extension 
}

Replace text in filename

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { 
  $_.Name -replace "old","new" 
}

Numbering Scripts

Sequential numbering

$i = 1
Get-ChildItem *.jpg | ForEach-Object {
  Rename-Item $_ ("photo-{0:D3}.jpg" -f $i++)
}

Numbering with original name

$i = 1
Get-ChildItem *.jpg | ForEach-Object {
  Rename-Item $_ ("{0:D3}-{1}" -f $i++, $_.Name)
}

Date-Based Scripts

Add today's date

$date = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd"
Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { "$date-" + $_.Name }

Use file's modified date

Get-ChildItem *.jpg | ForEach-Object {
  $date = $_.LastWriteTime.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd")
  Rename-Item $_ ("$date-" + $_.Name)
}

Extension Scripts

Change extension

Get-ChildItem *.txt | Rename-Item -NewName { 
  $_.Name -replace '.txt','.md' 
}

Lowercase extensions

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { 
  $_.BaseName + $_.Extension.ToLower() 
}

Case Change Scripts

Lowercase everything

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name.ToLower() }

Replace spaces with hyphens

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

Advanced Scripts

Preview changes (WhatIf)

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { "new-" + $_.Name } -WhatIf

Recursive (include subfolders)

Get-ChildItem -Recurse *.jpg | Rename-Item -NewName { 
  "photo-" + $_.Name 
}

Filter specific files

Get-ChildItem | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*vacation*" } | 
  Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace "vacation","hawaii" }

Safety Tips

1. Always use -WhatIf first to preview
2. Back up files before bulk operations
3. Test on copies with sample files
4. Use specific patterns to avoid renaming wrong files

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