The return of the annoying F2 rename bug

jonnyhotchkiss · 05 Apr 2014

hi, I've just noticed that all my new builds are (suddenly?) exhibiting ALMOST XP-like behavior when renaming:

known file extensions are shown, but the subsequent F2 key events no longer toggle to select file extension.

Tried last known good, but still the issue remains. Only one build (and old one full of tweakers and uninstalled software) is behaving normally..

Looks like I'm gonna have to live with it and make an AHK workaround, but it's annoying. Maybe avast wasn't wrong about those old XP .scr files I copied across! Doesn't explain the behavior on all news builds though

W E I R D

Ztruker · 05 Apr 2014

known file extensions are shown, but the subsequent F2 key events no longer toggle to select file extension.

Could you explain this more? I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying when you press F2 the first time, just the file name is highlighted (selected) and when you press F2 again you expect it to select all, including the extension?

I don't think I've ever seen it do that from XP through 8.1. Did you perhaps have an add-on of some kind?

Edit: I press Ctrl+A to select all, including the extension. Not as convenient as pressing F2 again would be but it works for me.

Alejandro85 · 06 Apr 2014

I still don't fully understand the problem, but after using both XP and 7 for many years, there was a change in the behavior between them.

In XP and previous versions, F2 would select the whole filename, including the extension. From 7 and upwards (probably Vista too, but not tried), F2 selects only the name, without the extension. This is normal, it always worked that way. I'm not aware of a method to change that, not at least without resorting to 3rd party plugins/hacks/utilities/whatever. Maybe you had something else installed previously that forgot to reinstall?

andrew129260 · 06 Apr 2014

A little birdie told me the following awhile ago:

Windows 7 changed that behavior for a simple reason: Microsoft had to many support cases on it.

For users who had it unchecked to hide extensions for known file types, people would rename their files without a file extension and then complain that their files would not open. (In XP) So this is why the behavior has been changed in I believe vista onward where if you have unchecked the show hidden extensions for known file types it defaults to the renaming part of the file and not the whole thing.

That is also the reason that to this day, Microsoft has that option checked by default. So users don't accidentally rename file extensions.

jonnyhotchkiss · 06 Apr 2014

Well spotted amigos. Twas a 3rd-party, Dynamically Linked Library that was providing the desired functionality. Added to (PowerUserBuild) config!

superpok · 12 Mar 2018

Hello,

This is the only internet page i could find talking about this.

I want my F2 key renaming the whole filename not excluding the extension

jonnyhotchkiss seemed to found a way to do this but he didnt explain how.

can anyone help ? thanks

lehnerus2000 · 12 Mar 2018

I have no idea what software @jonnyhotchkiss used.

Have you tried to send him a Private or Visitor message? :)

A simple workaround is:

Press F2
Before you start typing, use "Ctrl + A" to select everything

The return of the annoying F2 rename bug

The return of the annoying F2 rename bug

F2 renames whole filename