How to rename multiple files of a folder in Excel?

May be most of us are suffered with this problem that we need to rename multiple files in a folder, to rename the filenames one by one will make us crazy if there are hundreds or thousands files in that folder. Are there any good functions for us to deal with this task?

List all file names from a specific folder in worksheet with kutools for Excel

Rename multiple files of a folder in Excel with VBA code

If there are multiple files that you want to rename, first, you can list the old file names in a column of worksheet, and then enter the new filenames that you want to replace with. To quickly list all files in worksheet, you can use the Kutools for Excel’s Filename List utility.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:( Free Download Kutools for Excel Now )

1. Click Kutools Plus > Import & Export > Filename List, see screenshot:

2. In the Filename List dialog box, click button to choose the file folder that you want to list the files, and then click All files from the Files type, see screenshot:

3. Then click OK button, all the filenames have been list in a column of a new worksheet, as well as some file attributes, and now, you can delete other unwanted columns and only leave the File Name column, see screenshot:

Click to know more about this Filename List feature…

Free Download Kutools for Excel Now

After listing all original filenames in one column A, and you should type new filenames in column B as following screenshot shown:

And here I will talk about a VBA code which may help you to replace the old filenames with the new filenames at once. Please do with following steps:

1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following macro in the Module window.

VBA code: Rename multiple files in a folder

Sub RenameFiles()
'Updateby20141124
Dim xDir As String
Dim xFile As String
Dim xRow As Long
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    .AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
    xDir = .SelectedItems(1)
    xFile = Dir(xDir & Application.PathSeparator & "*")
    Do Until xFile = ""
        xRow = 0
        On Error Resume Next
        xRow = Application.Match(xFile, Range("A:A"), 0)
        If xRow > 0 Then
            Name xDir & Application.PathSeparator & xFile As _
            xDir & Application.PathSeparator & Cells(xRow, "B").Value
        End If
        xFile = Dir
    Loop
End If
End With
End Sub

3. After pasting the code, please press F5 key to run this code, and in the Browse window, select the folder which you want to change the filenames in, see screenshot:

4. And then click OK, all the old filenames have been replaced by the new filenames immediately. See screenshots:

Notes:

1. When you list your old and new filenames, the file extension must be included.

2. In the above code, the reference A:A indicates the old filenames list you want to rename, and reference B contains the new filenames that you want to use, you can change them as your need

Kutools for Excel: with more than 300 handy Excel add-ins, free to try with no limitation in 30 days. Download and free trial Now!

Related articles:

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How to rename multiple worksheets in Excel?

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34 Comments
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Jeje · 2 months ago
wow, useful and very helpful. BIG THANKS :)
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amrul · 4 months ago
Sub RenameMultipleFiles()
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
selectDirectory = .SelectedItems(1)
dFileList = Dir(selectDirectory & Application.PathSeparator & "*")

Do Until dFileList = ""
curRow = 0
On Error Resume Next
curRow = Application.Match(dFileList, Range("A:A"), 0)
If curRow > 0 Then
Name selectDirectory & Application.PathSeparator & dFileList As _
selectDirectory & Application.PathSeparator & Cells(curRow, "B").Value
End If

dFileList = Dir
Loop
End If
End With
End Sub

this formula does not rename1st document
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Jaryn · 1 years ago
Love this so much! Is there a way to use Kutools to edit metadata tags for music similar to this with filenames? Would love being able to mass edit song tags through Excel rather than on iTunes or other third party song tag editors. Thank you!
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Adnansoft · 1 years ago
okay Thank you
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XYZ · 1 years ago
Hello. I did this for a couple of files and it worked successfully. The next few files i tried, did not work. There were a few formulas added to the new names, could that be the issue?
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Avi · 1 years ago
Very helpful. Thank you!
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Damian · 1 years ago
great, worked great for me
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Sandy · 2 years ago
Thank you so much for your information. It was really nice!
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Ali · 2 years ago
Hi there
It does not work with unicode file names. How can it be done fine?
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Jayakumar · 3 years ago
Hi,

I'm trying to use the code for renaming the non extension files to files with extension. it doesn't work. It works fine with files which have extension already.

Thanks
Jay
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cda · 3 years ago
Thank you so much...
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Gee Kay · 3 years ago
Hello, some of the files have same name. Scripts skip those files. Is there a way to modify the script so it adds a number 1, 2, 3 and so on for every duplicate name?
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  skyyang · 3 years ago
  
  Hello, Kay,
  To rename the files based on duplicate new names with name-1,name-2, the following VBA code may help you, please try it.
  
  Note: After pasting this code, you should reference the Microsoft Scripting Runtime option in the References-VBAProject dialog box as below screenshot shown.
  
  Sub RenameFiles()
  Dim xDir As String
  Dim xFile As String
  Dim xVal As String
  Dim xRow As Long
  Dim xCount As Long
  Dim xTemp As Long
  Dim xDictionary As New Dictionary
  Application.ScreenUpdating = False
  On Error Resume Next
  With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
  .AllowMultiSelect = False
  If .Show = -1 Then
  xDir = .SelectedItems(1)
  xFile = Dir(xDir & Application.PathSeparator & "*")
  Do Until xFile = ""
  xRow = 0
  xRow = Application.Match(xFile, Range("A:A"), 0)
  If xRow > 0 Then
  xCount = 0
  xVal = Cells(xRow, "B").Value
  If Not xDictionary.Exists(xVal) Then
  xDictionary.Add xVal, xCount
  Else
  xDictionary.Item(xVal) = xDictionary.Item(xVal) + 1
  xTemp = InStrRev(xVal, ".")
  Cells(xRow, "B").Value = Mid(xVal, 1, xTemp - 1) & "-" & CStr(xDictionary.Item(xVal)) & Mid(xVal, xTemp)
  End If
  Name xDir & Application.PathSeparator & xFile As _
  xDir & Application.PathSeparator & Cells(xRow, "B").Value
  End If
  xFile = Dir
  Loop
  End If
  End With
  Application.ScreenUpdating = True
  End Sub
  
  Reply
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Hemant · 3 years ago
I am following the same process but couldn't succeeded in renaming the file i am also changing ("A:A") and ("B"). Is there any other valuve which i need to change in the code
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Dee · 4 years ago
I cant understand with range ( A:A) or (B) how to define that, thank you
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  skyyang · 4 years ago
  
  Hi, Dee,
  
  As the note remind, the reference A:A indicates the old filenames list you want to rename, and reference B contains the new filenames that you want to use
  , as following screenshot shown:
  
  Hope this can help you, thank you!
  
  Reply
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Rasmus · 4 years ago
I would like to rename multiple files from folders and subfolders. So im thinking a VBA code there looks at the path there is in the Column 'Containing Folder' (I Check the checkbox 'Include files in subdirectories') I am no where near good enough for coding VBA, but i look and try to understand. Thanks
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Dave Koch · 4 years ago
This is game changing. Thank you SO MUCH!!!
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JonathanF · 4 years ago
To rename the multiple files you can also check a software. Search on google- BatchRenameFiles Tool. Check the first search result.

Thanks
Jonathan F.
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sanjit · 4 years ago
hi, Amazing codes, has saved my hell lot of time.. thanks a ton..
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aparna · 4 years ago
i want to make combo of pictures for example i have 33 images and i want to create a combo of pictures with each other, please find attched i have 10000 more images so that i can create in a 1 click of multiple images.
please call or email at caparnasingla@gmail.com
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tulpan · 4 years ago
I suggest to try KrojamSoft BatchRename
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raju · 4 years ago
I tried it for excel, it changes file type.Can you please provide me code for csv files rename.
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Ronald · 4 years ago
Dear all,

Try KrojamSoft BatchRename for batch rename the files its very easy to use.
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aparna · 4 years ago
Thank you so much sir,
God bless you!
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yatin · 5 years ago
Hi,

I have more than 100 excel files which I have downloaded from a system and kept in the folder.
All these files has a sheet named as [u][b]Content[/b][/u]. I want these excel files to be named using the text that is available in the Cell AA2 of the respective [b][u]Content[/u][/b] sheet. Such that the name in this Cell AA2 will be exactly the File name of that respective Excel file.
all the files in the folder should get renamed in the same way.
Please suggest a macro that can work in this way.
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  Franz Weber · 4 years ago
  
  Hi. Is your task already Solved. ? I can help if still unsolved. Pls mail me your task. Tx Franz
  
  Reply
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Dawnn · 5 years ago
I successfully used the above instructions last year to rename files in half-a-dozen folders. It worked so well that I saved the instructions for future use. I've recently tried to use it again, but after pasting the macro above in the Module window when I hit F5 instead of getting a browser window to select the desired folder, I get a new dialog box prompting me for a Macro name. Any suggestions? I usually have about 3-4 times a year where I need to rename files this way, and I was very excited when it worked last year.
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Nathan · 6 years ago
Is it possible rename just a piece of a file name without declaring the full file name and extension in the excel sheet? i.e. change 123-yz.jpg to abc-yz.jpg but I only know that 123 needs changing to abc on every image in the folder?
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|Richard · 6 years ago
Surprised (a little) to see someone use the same syntax for naming vars (xDir, for example). It allows for exceptionally well named vars that don't conflict with system names (e.g., Dir or Date). I also use 'z' for global functions (e.g., zMsg, that returns true or false rather than vbOK or vbCancel) and 'y' for constants (e.g., yCR for vbNewline and yCR2 for two of them).
Good work and good thinking on your part. You must be very smart!
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Sushant Ghatage · 6 years ago
How to rename files which contains chinese characters in name.
Please help on it
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removejoe · 6 years ago
Nevermind, i figured it out. Thanks. " xRow = Application.Match(xFile, Range("C:C"), 11)"
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removejoe · 6 years ago
What do i need to modify in the code above if my old and new names do not start until Row 11. I changed this line "xRow = Application.Match(xFile, Range("C11:C5000"), 0)" but it didn't work.
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Rafael · 6 years ago
Dear all,

How can I change FOLDERS the same way as shown above?

Could you kindly help me with this issue?

The question is: How to rename multiple FOLDERS of a folder in Excel?

Kind regards!
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