Are you finding it difficult to change the names of files and folders in your Windows 8.1 operating system? Are you new to Linux and want to learn how to rename files in your system? Do you want to know how to change the name of files in Google Drive? You have come to the right place! In this article, we will discuss the different methods that you can use to change the name of files and folders in Windows 8.1, Linux, and Google Drive.
Windows 8.1
If you are a Windows 8.1 user, changing the name of a file or folder is very easy. Here are the steps that you can follow:
- Right-click on the file or folder that you want to rename.
- Select “Rename” from the context menu.
- Type in the new name that you want to give to the file or folder.
- Press the Enter key to save the new name.
That’s it! Your file or folder has been renamed with the new name that you provided. You can also change the name of multiple files or folders at once by following these steps:
- Select all the files or folders that you want to rename.
- Right-click on any one of the selected files or folders and select “Rename” from the context menu.
- Type in the new name that you want to give to the files or folders. Windows will automatically add a number in brackets to the end of each file or folder to make sure that each new name is unique.
- Press the Enter key to save the new names.
Linux
If you have just started using Linux, you might find it difficult to change the name of files in the system. But don’t worry, it’s not that hard. Here are the steps that you can follow:
- Open the terminal window.
- Navigate to the directory where the file that you want to rename is located.
- Type in the following command:
mv old_file_name new_file_name - Replace “old_file_name” with the name of the file that you want to rename and “new_file_name” with the new name that you want to give to the file. Make sure to use the correct file extension in the new name.
- Press the Enter key to execute the command.
That’s it! Your file has been renamed with the new name that you provided. You can also change the names of multiple files at once by using the for loop. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open the terminal window.
- Navigate to the directory where the files that you want to rename are located.
- Type in the following command:
for file in *; do mv "$file" "new_prefix_$file#prefix_"; done - Replace “new_prefix_” with the prefix that you want to add to the name of the files, and “prefix_” with the current prefix of the files that you want to rename.
- Press the Enter key to execute the command.
Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to store and share files and folders. If you use Google Drive, changing the name of a file or folder is very simple. Here are the steps that you can follow:
- Log in to your Google Drive account.
- Navigate to the file or folder that you want to rename.
- Right-click on the file or folder and select “Rename” from the context menu.
- Type in the new name that you want to give to the file or folder.
- Press the Enter key to save the new name.
That’s it! Your file or folder has been renamed with the new name that you provided. You can also change the name of multiple files or folders at once by following these steps:
- Select all the files or folders that you want to rename.
- Right-click on any one of the selected files or folders and select “Rename” from the context menu.
- Type in the new name that you want to give to the files or folders. Google Drive will automatically add a number in brackets to the end of each file or folder to make sure that each new name is unique.
- Press the Enter key to save the new names.
FAQ
Q: Can I rename a file or folder to an already existing name?
A: No, you cannot. Windows, Linux, and Google Drive will not allow you to give a file or folder the same name as another file or folder in the same directory. If you try to do so, you will get an error message.
Q: Can I undo a file or folder rename?
A: Yes, you can undo a file or folder rename in Windows and Google Drive, but not in Linux. In Windows, you can right-click on the file or folder and select “Undo Rename” from the context menu. In Google Drive, you can click on the “Undo” button that appears at the bottom of your screen after you rename a file or folder. Unfortunately, in Linux, once you have executed the mv command to rename a file or folder, you cannot undo it.
Video Tutorial
For those of you who prefer visual aids, here is a video tutorial on how to change the name of a file or folder in Windows 8.1:
