Renaming any folder produces "Could not find this item". Clicking "Try Again" always works. Why?

Anonymous
2009-11-11T13:37:01+00:00

This is not the same issue as similar postings that have to do inability to delete folders that contain zero byte files. 

If I try to rename any folder in my system, I get "Could not find this item" with the choices "Try Again" and "Cancel". When I click "Try Again", it always succeeds. So - my system isn't crippled - but it is so totally annoying. I can even right-click on my desktop, and choose "New...  Folder" and type in a name, and I get "Could not find this item". The interesting thing is that the item's name does change even before I click "Try Again". 

If I have a folder named "Folder1" and I rename it to "Folder2", I get the error that "Folder1" Could not be found - which is actually true, as it is already renamed to "Folder2".

Why is Windows 7 looking for the old folder name after renaming? I've also disabled AVG's live scanner to no avail.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2010-04-29T20:39:55+00:00

I finally got it.

I used the same solution for the similar issue in Windows Vista. Once i got to my company laptop, i exported this 2 registry keys.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions

Merged into my pc and voilà !!

The 'shell' command also works again (ex: shell:personal brings up the account folder)

I uploaded the reg file and you can get it here http://cid-fb5a28bc4a1cc9b6.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Folder%5E_fix%5E_win7%5E_x64/FolderDescriptions.rar

This is for Win7 x64. Use it at your own risk.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-05-02T08:41:38+00:00

    I don't want to downplay varredor's fix. It does work.

    However, looking at the supposed fix, which contains 2183 lines btw, I'd be very wary before blindly applying it. Some of this stuff looks horribly wrong.

    Shouldn't you MVP guys step in when someone gives bad advice? Better yet, give proper solution?

    Cutting your head off when it aches does work.

    More on the subject:

    http://www.overclock.net/windows/721973-msupdate-kb980408-warning-all-win7-x64.html

    http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/81527-need-help-unable-rename-move-folders.html

    http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7files/thread/e2cf38c7-9e77-4256-89de-6308df53d5f9

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-05-01T17:01:16+00:00

    Thanks, worked for me on my Windows 7 x64 box, much appreciated.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-05-01T13:48:54+00:00

    Indeed, Varredor, you are a legend. Thank you for this, it spontaneously started happening a couple of days ago (end of April 2010) on my W7 x64 machine. Funnily enough, it was fine until a couple of updates that came down this week.

    Your REG fix seems to have cured it. Is it possible to put "SOLVED" into the name of this thread? It'd make it a lot easier for folks like me to find it, it took forever to find your fix.

    Star.

    D

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-04-30T19:45:21+00:00

    Thank You Varredor!

    That fixed my problem.

    You ROCK!

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