A step-by-step walkthrough, first-run configuration tips, and the installation errors people run into most.
Open your browser and go directly to the developer's official website rather than a search-ad link or a third-party download portal (see our Download & Compatibility page for how to find it safely).
Most download pages offer both a standard installer (adds Start Menu shortcuts and optional Explorer integration) and a portable ZIP version that needs no installation and can run from a USB drive.
Right-click the downloaded file and choose "Run as administrator." This avoids permission errors when the installer needs to write to protected folders or register optional shell-extension features.
Accept the license, choose an install location, and decide whether to enable the optional "Explorer right-click" integration if it's offered — this lets you launch the tool directly from a folder's context menu.
Start the application from the Start Menu. You should see a dual-pane layout: a folder/file browser on top and a rules panel below where renaming options live.
Point the folder browser at the location you rename files in most often so it opens there each time.
Keep the "new name" preview column visible at all times — it shows you the result of your rules before anything changes on disk.
If you repeat the same combination of rename rules often, look for the option to save it as a named preset so you can reapply it in one click next time.
Make sure options that protect file extensions from being accidentally altered are enabled, especially while you're still learning the tool.
This warning is common for smaller, independently published freeware and doesn't by itself mean the file is unsafe — but it's exactly why you should only ever get the installer from the official source, where you can trust the publisher.
Because the app can modify Explorer's right-click menu and touch many files at once, some antivirus tools flag it heuristically. Verify you downloaded it from the genuine developer site, then allow it if your security software quarantines it.
Confirm the download finished completely (check the file size against the developer's page) and try running it as Administrator.
If you skipped the optional Explorer integration during setup, you can usually re-run the installer and select that option, or enable it from the application's settings.
Check out real before-and-after batch renaming examples next.
See Examples