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PowerRename is Microsoft PowerToys’ free bulk-renaming utility for Windows 10. It adds a “Rename with PowerRename” command to File Explorer so you can change many names at once with ordinary search-and-replace or regular expressions. A live preview shows the proposed names before anything changes, and File Explorer’s Undo Rename command (Ctrl+Z) can reverse the last operation.
It works on Windows 10 version 2004 or later on x64 and Arm64 PCs, as well as on Windows 11. For simple batches it is quicker than renaming items individually; for complex photo, archive, or sequence naming it can combine regex capture groups, dates, metadata, counters, random strings, and UUIDs without a separate script.
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PowerRename is a PowerToys utility integrated into the File Explorer context menu. Microsoft describes it as a Windows bulk-renaming tool that lets you rename multiple files at once. Instead of opening each item and typing a new name, you select a group, define what to find and what to replace it with, inspect the result, and apply the batch.
The utility is useful when names follow a pattern: camera files that need a project prefix, downloads with unwanted text, numbered assets that need consistent padding, or dates written in the wrong order. It also handles operations that are awkward in Explorer’s ordinary rename box, such as changing only extensions, applying a regular expression, inserting creation times, or reading photo EXIF/XMP fields.
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- Literal replacement: change a word or character sequence in many names.
- Regular expressions: match patterns, capture parts of a name, and reuse those parts in a new order.
- Scope controls: include files, folders, and subfolders, and limit changes to the filename or extension.
- Safety controls: filter the preview, review every proposed result, and undo the last rename from Explorer.
Does PowerRename work on Windows 10?
Yes. Microsoft lists Windows 10 version 2004 or later as the minimum, with support for x64 and Arm64 PCs. PowerRename is distributed as part of the free PowerToys package; the same package also supports Windows 11. Microsoft’s PowerToys product information was current as of November 19, 2025, but the project is actively maintained, so labels can change between releases.
| Requirement or fact | What Microsoft states |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 2004 or later, and Windows 11 |
| Processor architectures | x64 and Arm64 PCs |
| Cost | PowerToys is free |
| Distribution | Microsoft Store, WinGet, or an installer from the latest GitHub release |
If “Rename with PowerRename” is missing, first confirm that PowerToys is installed and that PowerRename is enabled in PowerToys settings. The context-menu entry is supplied by the utility, not by Windows 10 itself.
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Install the current PowerToys package, then enable PowerRename. Microsoft provides three supported routes:
- Microsoft Store: open the Store, search for Microsoft PowerToys, and install the current package.
- WinGet: use the Windows package manager to find and install Microsoft PowerToys.
- GitHub installer: download the installer attached to the latest PowerToys release and complete the setup wizard.
After installation, open PowerToys Settings and select PowerRename. Turn on the utility if it is disabled. The settings page also lets you decide whether the command appears in the default or extended context menu and whether its icon is displayed.
How do I bulk-rename files with PowerRename?
The basic workflow is the same for a small group of files and a much larger selection. Do not click Rename until the preview contains exactly the names you intend to create.
- Open Windows File Explorer and select the files or folders to process. Use Ctrl-click or Shift-click for a non-contiguous or contiguous selection.
- Right-click the selection and choose Rename with PowerRename. The command is available when PowerRename is enabled.
- Enter the text or pattern to find in Search for.
- Enter the replacement text in Replace with. Leave this field empty when your goal is to remove the matched text.
- Choose the scope and matching options described below. If you are using a regular expression, enable Use regular expressions.
- Read the preview list. It shows the original name and the proposed name, and you can filter the list to selected items or to items that will actually change.
- Apply the operation. If the result is wrong, return to File Explorer and use Undo Rename or press Ctrl+Z before performing another file operation.
The preview is not merely a progress display: it is the point at which you can catch an over-broad match, an unintended extension change, a duplicate name, or a counter starting at the wrong value.
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What do PowerRename’s matching and scope controls do?
Use regular expressions
When this option is off, PowerRename treats the search value as literal text. When it is on, the search value follows the ECMAScript regular-expression grammar, allowing anchors, character classes, grouping, and repetition.
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Match all occurrences
With this option enabled, every match in each name is replaced. When it is disabled, only the first match in a name is replaced. This distinction matters for names containing the same word more than once.
Case sensitive
Case-sensitive matching distinguishes uppercase and lowercase letters. Turn it on when “IMG” and “img” must be treated differently; leave it off when either case should match.
Apply to
Choose Filename only to leave the extension untouched, or Extension only to change the suffix while preserving the base name. This is safer than putting a period and extension into a broad search pattern when you do not intend to alter the rest of the name.
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Include files, folders, and subfolders
Separate controls determine whether files are included, whether folders are included, and whether PowerRename descends into subfolders. Confirm these choices before applying a rename to a directory tree: selecting a parent folder does not by itself tell the utility whether every nested level should be processed.
Text formatting
PowerRename can convert replacement results to lowercase, uppercase, title case, or a form that capitalizes every word. Formatting is applied as part of the rename, so inspect accented characters, acronyms, and existing capitalization in the preview.
Enumerate items
Enumeration adds a counter to the generated names. You can set the starting number, increment, and zero padding. Microsoft documents a syntax such as ${padding=4;increment=2;start=10}; that produces four-digit values beginning at 0010 and advancing by two. The preview shows the exact sequence before you commit it.
How do I use regular expressions and capture groups?
PowerRename’s regex mode is useful when names contain a consistent structure rather than one fixed word. Parentheses capture text, and replacement variables such as $1 and $2 insert those captured parts into the new name.
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| Goal | Search for | Replace with | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match names beginning with “foo” | ^foo |
bar |
Replaces “foo” only when it is at the beginning of the name |
| Match names ending with “bar” | bar$ |
baz |
Replaces “bar” only at the end of the name |
| Prefix PNG names | (.*).png |
foo_$1.png |
Captures the existing base name and adds “foo_” before it |
| Reorder a date such as 29-03-2020 | Capture the day, month, and year as three groups | Reuse the groups in year-month-day order | Produces 2020-03-29 |
The date-reordering example depends on correctly grouping the three numeric components; use the preview to verify that separators and extensions remain where you expect. PowerRename also offers an optional Use Boost library setting for extended regular-expression functionality that the standard library does not support. Complex expressions should be applied first to a small selection, then expanded after the preview is correct.
Can PowerRename add dates, photo metadata, counters, or IDs?
Yes. Replacement fields can insert file-creation date and time components, photo metadata, sequence values, random strings, and UUID version 4 values. These features let you build descriptive names without opening a separate scripting environment.
Creation date and time fields
PowerRename documents fields including $YYYY, $MM, $DD, $hh, $mm, and $ss. Use them in the replacement value to place the file’s creation date or time into the generated name. Keep the fields adjacent to fixed separators so the result remains sortable, for example a year-month-day pattern.
Photo EXIF and XMP fields
For photographs, documented fields include camera make and model, lens, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, image dimensions, author, copyright, GPS fields, and date taken. Metadata availability depends on what the camera or editing software actually stored in the file; an empty field can therefore produce a less informative name than expected. Check representative files in the preview before processing an entire import.
Counters, random values, and UUIDs
In addition to the configurable enumeration counter, PowerRename supports padded or incremented values, random alphanumeric, alphabetic, or digit strings, and UUID v4 values through ${ruuidv4}. Counters are appropriate for ordered assets, while random strings and UUIDs are useful when names must be distinct without relying on an existing sequence.
How do preview and undo protect a batch rename?
PowerRename provides two separate safeguards. The preview compares each original name with its proposed result before the operation is applied. Its file-list filter can show only selected items or only items that will actually be renamed, making it easier to spot unintended matches in a large selection.
After applying the operation, File Explorer’s Undo Rename command, also available with Ctrl+Z, can undo the last rename operation. Treat that as a recovery step for the immediately preceding rename, not as a substitute for checking the preview. If you perform another Explorer action afterward, the last-operation context may change, so stop and undo as soon as you notice a mistake.
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How can I control PowerRename’s File Explorer integration?
PowerRename settings include whether the command is shown in the default context menu or only in the extended menu, whether its icon is visible, and whether previous flags are restored. You can also control autocomplete and recent strings, set the maximum number of suggestions, and enable or disable the Boost regex library.
These options are useful for tailoring the utility to your working style. A user who renames files frequently may prefer autocomplete and restored flags; someone sharing a PC may want fewer stored suggestions. Changing the menu placement does not change the renaming engine itself, only how it is reached from Explorer.
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Remove a repeated download tag
Select the affected files, enter the unwanted phrase in Search for, leave Replace with empty, and keep Filename only selected. Turn on Match all occurrences if the phrase can appear more than once in a name.
Add a project prefix to images
Use a regex that captures the existing base name, then place the project text before $1 in the replacement. Limit the operation to the filename so each image keeps its current extension.
Normalize a date sequence
Capture day, month, and year in separate groups, then reuse them in year-month-day order. Review several dates in the preview, including single-digit values and names with additional descriptive text, before applying the batch.
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Use a fixed base name with the enumeration control, then set the start, increment, and padding required by the downstream application. The documented form ${padding=4;increment=2;start=10} is suitable when numbering must begin at 0010 and advance by two.
Build a camera-import name
Combine fixed project text with date-taken or camera metadata fields. Because metadata differs from file to file, filter the preview and inspect files from each camera or editing workflow before renaming the complete folder.
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What can go wrong, and how do I fix it?
- The context-menu command is absent: open PowerToys Settings, verify that PowerRename is enabled, and check whether it was placed in the extended rather than default context menu.
- No names change in the preview: check spelling, case sensitivity, the selected scope, and whether the search value is being interpreted as a regex.
- Only the first repeated match changes: enable Match all occurrences.
- The extension changes unexpectedly: choose Filename only, or use Extension only when the suffix alone is the target.
- Regex results are too broad: add anchors or narrower capture groups, test a small selection, and inspect every proposed name before applying.
- Metadata-based names are incomplete: confirm that the source files contain the EXIF/XMP field you selected; PowerRename cannot insert metadata that is not present.
- The numbering is wrong: review start, increment, and zero padding, then confirm the sort/order shown in the preview.
- You applied an incorrect batch: use File Explorer’s Undo Rename command or Ctrl+Z immediately, before another rename or file operation replaces the undo state.
Is PowerRename suitable for repeatable workflows?
PowerRename is strongest for interactive, one-off batches and jobs where seeing each proposed name is valuable. It combines Explorer integration, scope controls, metadata fields, and an immediate preview in one window. A scripted workflow may be preferable when the same transformation must run unattended on a schedule or be recorded as a reusable command, but PowerRename avoids script setup for hands-on Windows 10 work.
For most users, the deciding factors are not speed claims—Microsoft publishes no independent performance or adoption statistic in the cited documentation—but control and recoverability. If you can describe the naming rule, verify it in the preview, and keep the operation within the selected scope, PowerRename is a practical free option already integrated with File Explorer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PowerRename change the contents of my files?
No. Its documented function is changing file and folder names. The utility can read metadata for use in a generated name, but it does not describe an editing operation that rewrites the photo, document, or other file contents.
Can I rename folders and files in the same operation?
Yes, the interface has separate Include files and Include folders controls. You can also decide whether subfolders are included, so review those switches when working from a parent directory.
What regular-expression flavor does PowerRename use?
PowerRename uses the ECMAScript regular-expression grammar. An optional Boost-library setting adds extended regex functionality beyond what the standard library supports.
Will a UUID generated by PowerRename be the same if I undo and repeat the rename?
No guarantee of repeatability is documented for generated values. UUID v4 and random-string fields are intended to generate values during the operation, so treat a repeated run as capable of producing different identifiers.
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