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So I think I've found a workaround that doesn't require a third party program. I simply can't reply to the original thread because it's closed, but I think my two cents may help some people since I'm having this problem on Windows 10 nearly seven years later.
It seems that, because I'm trying to rename something on dropbox, that there's a lag between me choosing to rename the file and dropbox recognizing that I'm trying to rename a file. At first, I would wait a few seconds, hit "Home" or the left arrow key, and then work on renaming the file hoping it doesn't happen again, which sometimes it does.
It seems though, that if I hit backspace (when the filename is still initially selected), ctrl+z (to undo deleting the file name), and then home (to get back to the beginning of the file name), I can use the arrow keys to move to the portion I need to rename unmolested, almost like it forces dropbox to recognize that a file is being renamed.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I would have thought that it's unlikely to be OneDrive. To the best of my recollection, this has been going on for many years, since before OneDrive existed, or at least was commonplace. Given the amazing range of solutions here that have each worked for some people, it sounds like it's pretty deep in Windows and fairly random changes can affect it! So I can believe that a OneDrive change might be one of those things?
I agree with this. It's pants! Please can you fix it?
No new features required, just make an old one work like it used to please?
[Every day computers are making people easier to use :)]
Checking in from April 28, 2024... new Windows 11 workstation and this happens 100% of the time on a networked drive (mounted from a Synology NAS), while there are changes happening on that drive. Mind you, none of those changes are visible in the window where I'm working, but any external activity on the drive seems to drive Windows crazy and it constantly reselects the item you are trying to rename. When tried on an identical mounted drive that does not have any activity, everything works as expected.
None of the workarounds here made any difference - the problem is 100% consistently present and immediate, so that you simply cannot rename anything from the GUI while there is other activity on the drive, which is of course insanely frustrating.
Thanks for the deeper dive.
It sounds like this is because Windows has an immediate, cloud-first approach with files. Makes me wonder if a tiny sync delay would fix it.
I think this has been an issue in Windows since before the cloud was a twinkle in anyone's eye though. So it can't specifically be the cloud that's the cause?
