Installation Guide

Pick your platform and follow the steps

1

Download and Unzip

After purchasing, download Fast-Batch-Renamer-Mac.zip from your Gumroad receipt, or install directly from the App Store.

Double-click the zip to extract it. You'll see Fast Batch Renamer.app.

2

First Launch (important step)

Right-click the app and choose Open (do not double-click).

A dialog appears asking if you're sure. Click Open again.

The app launches normally. This only needs to happen once.

3

Done

From now on, double-click opens the app as usual.

Optional: drag Fast Batch Renamer.app into your Applications folder for easy access from Spotlight.

Why right-click the first time?

Apple requires a $300/year certificate to bypass this prompt. As an indie app, the Gumroad version skips this cost. The app is completely safe. The App Store version has no such prompt at all.

1

Download and Unzip

After purchasing on Gumroad, download Fast-Batch-Renamer-Windows.zip from your receipt email.

Right-click the zip and choose Extract All. Open the extracted folder.

2

Run the App

Double-click FastBatchRenamer.exe to launch.

If Windows Defender SmartScreen appears, click More info then Run anyway. This is normal for new apps without an expensive publisher certificate.

3

Optional: Pin to Taskbar

Right-click FastBatchRenamer.exe and choose Pin to taskbar or create a desktop shortcut for quick access.

No installer needed. The app is fully portable.

Why does SmartScreen warn me?

Windows flags apps that don't have an EV code-signing certificate (costs $300-500/year). The app contains no malware. If you're unsure, scan the .exe with VirusTotal before running.

Quick Start Guide

Rename your first batch of files in under a minute

Step 1 — Load Files

Drag and drop a folder onto the app window

or click Browse and select a folder.

All files appear in the list instantly.

Step 2 — Choose Operation

  • Add Prefix - text added to filename start
  • Add Suffix - text added to filename end
  • Number Files - 001, 002, 003...
  • Find and Replace - swap any text
  • Paste Names - from Excel or ChatGPT

Step 3 — Preview and Apply

Click Preview to see every new filename before anything changes.

Click Apply Rename when ready.

Made a mistake? Hit Undo to restore everything instantly.

Excel / ChatGPT Tip

Copy a column of names from Excel, Google Sheets, or a ChatGPT response.

Click Paste Names in the app and files are renamed in order.

No other tool on Mac or Windows does this as simply.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to fix them

This happens because macOS blocks unsigned apps on first launch.

  1. Right-click the app
  2. Choose Open
  3. Click Open again in the dialog

After doing this once, double-click works normally forever.

This is a macOS Gatekeeper quarantine flag. Open Terminal and run:

xattr -cr "/Applications/Fast Batch Renamer.app"

Or drag the .app file into the Terminal after typing xattr -cr (with a space at the end), then press Return.

  • Make sure the folder is not empty
  • Try clicking Browse instead of drag and drop
  • Click the Refresh button if files appear stale
  • Hidden files (starting with .) are excluded by design

Most common causes:

  • A file is open in another app (close it first)
  • The rename would create duplicate filenames
  • You don't have write permission on the folder

For permissions: right-click the folder in Finder, choose Get Info, and check the Sharing and Permissions section at the bottom.

Undo only works immediately after a rename in the same session.

  • Undo is not available after closing and reopening the app
  • Only the most recent rename operation can be undone

Expected performance benchmarks:

  • 100 files: instant
  • 1,000 files: 5-10 seconds
  • 5,000+ files: 30-60 seconds

For best results, work with batches under 1,000 files at a time and close other memory-heavy apps.

This is normal for new apps without an expensive publisher certificate.

  1. Click More info on the SmartScreen popup
  2. Click Run anyway

This only appears the first time. If you want to verify the file is safe, scan it at virustotal.com before running.

Some antivirus tools flag PyInstaller-packaged apps as suspicious even when they contain no malware. This is a known false positive with Python-based executables.

  • Scan it on VirusTotal to see the full picture
  • Add the app folder as an exclusion in your antivirus settings
  • Contact us at support@fastrename.com if you want more info

Make sure you extracted the full zip before running. Running the .exe directly from inside the zip without extracting it will cause a crash.

  1. Right-click the downloaded zip
  2. Choose Extract All
  3. Open the extracted folder
  4. Double-click FastBatchRenamer.exe
  • Make sure the folder is not empty
  • Use the Browse button if drag and drop isn't working
  • Click Refresh to reload the file list
  • System and hidden files are excluded by design

Most common causes on Windows:

  • File is open in another program (close it first)
  • The rename would create duplicate filenames
  • Folder is read-only or on a protected location (like Program Files)
  • Filename contains characters Windows does not allow: \ / : * ? " < > |

System Requirements

Both versions are lightweight and work on almost any machine

🍎 macOS
OS Version macOS 10.12 Sierra or later
Processor Intel or Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)
Disk Space ~60 MB
RAM 4 GB minimum
Sources Gumroad or App Store
Windows
OS Version Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
Processor Any modern x64 CPU
Disk Space ~80 MB
RAM 4 GB minimum
Sources Gumroad (portable .exe)

Contact Support

Direct line to the developer, not a bot

📧

Email Support

Built and maintained by Salman Naseem. Every support request is answered personally, usually within 24 hours.

support@fastrename.com

For fastest help, include your OS version (e.g. macOS 14 or Windows 11) and your Gumroad order number.

More Resources

Learn more, watch demos, and stay up to date

🍎 Mac Video Walkthrough

Full demo of every feature in the Mac version.

Watch on YouTube

⊞ Windows Video Walkthrough

See the Windows version in action, including Excel and ChatGPT paste.

Watch on YouTube

📖 Blog and Guides

In-depth tutorials on bulk renaming, Excel workflows, and more.

Browse Blog

🔄 Updates

Check your Gumroad receipt link for the latest version download. Updates are free for life.