14 DAY TRIAL // A bug in Windows makes it harder to rename files when selecting multiple items at once in File Explorer.
By the looks of things, the issue appears to exist not only in Windows 10, but also in other versions of the operating system, like Windows 7.
Users in this reddit thread indicate it’s not necessarily a new problem in the operating system, but with Windows 10 May 2019 Update just around the corner, Microsoft needs to fix it as soon as possible, especially as more people become aware of it.
Reproducing the issue is quite easy, as the OP on reddit explains in their post.
First of all, select one file in File Explorer then press CTRL and mouse click to select one or more other files. With the CTRL key still pressed, unselect the first file. At this point, pressing the F2 key to batch rename files no longer works, albeit right-clicking the selection and selecting Rename appears to be working just fine.
As per the reddit user’s instructions, the steps to reproduce the bug are the following:
1. Select first file
2. Shift + click last file
3. Untick one file
4. Press F2 to rename
5. Nothing happens, renaming fails
Needless to say, this isn’t something that Microsoft can’t fix with a cumulative update, so hopefully the company resolve as part of its next patching cycles. The May 2019 Patch Tuesday rollout takes place on the 14th, but there’s probably not enough time to develop a fix on such a short notice.