Rename Files Fast In Windows 7

Here’s a quick tip for Windows 7 users – one of those shortcuts that make Windows 7 so cuddly and adorable.

If you want to rename several files in a folder, try this:

• Highlight the first file and hit F2 to rename it.
• Type in the new name (and notice how Windows 7 nicely highlights the file name but not the file extension so you don’t make any silly mistakes).
• Hit the Tab key instead of the Enter key. The highlight will immediately jump to the next file, waiting for you to rename it, saving you from having to hit the Down arrow and the F2 key. Cool, eh?

But wait, there’s more!

• Highlight a whole bunch of files in some folder – say, all the photos of the cute grandchild. (Highlight the first one, hold the shift key down, click on the last one, so they’re all highlighted.)
• Hit F2 and type a new name for the first picture (“Cute grandchild”).
• Hit Enter or Tab. Whee! All the files will be renamed to the new name, followed by numbers – (1), (2), (3).

I like that! Keep the other keyboard shortcuts in mind, too – these are small things but they add up to some saved time every day. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the Tab key trick!)