Re: Renaming files: annoying automatic re-selection of entire filename in Windows 8

Anonymous
2020-10-19T14:19:02+00:00

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.

Original thread: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8\_1-files/renaming-files-annoying-automatic-re-selection-of/3e451ce8-282a-4638-88ee-fd9f7cca2536

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-11-25T15:38:45+00:00

    The culprit for me was OneDrive. This would probably apply to any file syncing/sharing system. My resolution was simple. I paused syncing and the issue stopped immediately.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-11-25T16:54:54+00:00

    Yeah, that makes sense. OneDrive is essentially a cloud-first system but we interact with it locally.

    Sometimes I have file folders that don't show up when I create them, or renamed folders where I have to refresh to see the change.

    Something is often off with the sync, but it's not for lack of fast internet.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-11-26T09:40:40+00:00

    cmd

    cd {whatever path}

    ren myfile.txt myfile2.txt

    Issue solved.

    Just sayin ;-)

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-11-27T08:44:38+00:00

    Thank you for the tip - but it's a bit of stretch to claim that this solves the issue. Maybe you don't need a good interface to work comfortably, but most people do.

    Just sayin ;-)

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-11-27T09:53:07+00:00

    Sorry, it wasn't a serious comment. (And many people won't be allowed the command line at work anyway.) It's just the only way I know that's certain not to suffer from the problem!

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