How to change default new folder name on Windows 10
New folders on Windows 10 are named ‘New Folder’ by default. Users have the option to rename a new folder when it is created, or to name it later whenever they want but a folder cannot be nameless. This is why there’s a default folder name.
When several new folders are created, and user does not change their name, a number is added to the end of each folder to differentiate it from the other. The default name remains the same i.e., New Folder.
New Folder is a reasonable default name for a folder but if you need to use a different default folder name, you can change it by editing the Windows registry.
Change default New Folder name
To change the default New Folder name on Windows 10, we will have to edit the Windows registry and to do that, you need admin rights.
- Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box.
- In the run box, enter:
regeditand tap the Enter key. - Navigate to this location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer - Select the
NameTemplatekey or if it isn’t present, check for a key calledNamingTemplates. - If the key is not present, create it. Right-click the Explorer key and select New>Key from the context menu.
- Name the key:
NamingTemplates. - Right-click the NameTemplate key, and select New>String Value.
- Name the value
RenameNameTemplate.
- Double-click it, and enter a new name. Avoid using these characters in the name:
\ / ? : * " > < | " ' *. - Click OK, and close the registry editor.
- Go to your desktop or to any folder of your choice and right-click on an empty area.
- Select New>Folder.
- The new folder will have the new default name.
- Restart Explorer.
Folder name to current date
The one shortcoming the above method has is that you cannot set it up so that new folders are named after the current date. That said, there is a simple workaround if you want to create a new folder that is given the current date as a name. Again, we have to modify the registry so you will need admin rights for this.
1. Change date format
In order for this registry hack to work, you need modify the date format so that the individual items on the date are separated by a hyphen and not a slash. The slash in the date format prevents this trick from working.
- Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut).
- Go to Time & Language.
- Select the Region tab.
- Select ‘Change date format’ at the bottom.
- Open the Short date dropdown.
- Select the format that separates the day, month, and year by a hyphen.
2. New Folder entry
We’re now ready to add a new entry to the registry for creating folders that are automatically named after the current date.
- Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box.
- In the run box, enter
regedit, and tap the Enter key. - Go to this key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell - Right-click the ‘Shell’ key and select New>Key from the context menu.
- Name the key
Folder. - Right-click the Folder key and select New>Key.
- Name the key
command. - Double-click the Default value under the command key and enter this:
cmd.exe /c md "%1/%%DATE%%" - Click Ok and exit the registry editor.
- Restart Explorer.
3. Creating a folder
The new context menu option has now been added. Follow these steps to use it.
- Open File Explorer.
- Navigate to the folder you want to create a new folder under.
- Right-click the folder.
- From the context menu, select the new Folder option.
- Open the folder.
- A new folder with the current date as the name will be created under it.
Conclusion
The default folder name template is unable to accept the same date parameters that work for a folder’s context menu. This is an unfortunate shortcoming. For many, the ‘New Folder’ name may work but if folders were named after the current date or if users had the option to switch to this format, the new folder name would be more meaningful even if a user never changes it.
6. Name the key: (NameTemplate), Change To (NamingTemplates)
Please Fix This