How to rename a file in Windows if you don't like the original name

Did you know that you can rename a file in Windows? If you save a file to your computer and dislike the name, you can give it a new name.

To rename a file in XP/Vista/7/8/10, simply right-click a file with the right mouse button and left-click on “Rename”.

On Windows 11, once you right-click a file, you have to click the rename icon at the top of the menu or click "Show More Options” to be given the old-school menu. This includes one called rename.

You can now give the file a new name. Once you are finished, just press enter.

Not to make things too complicated, but I do have to mention file extensions. If you have show file extensions turned on, at the end of a file, you will see a period and then the file's extension. For example, if it's a Word document, you would see test.docx.

If you were to rename the file to something else such as recipes, you would want to make sure to add the extension back onto the file if you accidentally erased it. When you are done, the file should be called recipes.docx.

If it had an extension but you forgot to add it back, you can always right-click, rename it again and put it back on. This is only if the original file name had the extension being shown behind it.

Happy Renaming!

If you learned something today, great! If not, maybe share your own tech tip in the comments below!

I'm Adam, I'm known as Warwagon on the forums. For the past 19 years, I've been operating my own computer repair business. In doing so, I deal with the average computer user on a day-to-day basis.

Every bit of information I provide for people I do so with the lowest common denominator in mind. It's a common misconception that everyone who joins or browses a tech site is a techie. Some people are just looking for guidance. That is why for some, these tech tips may seem a bit too simplistic but they are educational for others.