Win Explorer AutoComplete completely haywire, can't rename files

[catalogue]

Windows Explorer AutoComplete (when saving files or "Save As...") has been completely berserk for a few weeks now and shows a bizarre abnormal behavior that I have never seen in 30 years of Windows. Although my title says I can't rename files, that's not precisely true - that was just a crude summary to save space. The behavior is hard to explain so forgive the long post.

Description:


- go to File > Save As
- the standard "Save" box pops up -> in "Save as type" field, change the type (e.g. often I need to change from png to jpg)
- in "File name" field, start typing your desired file name
- the File Name autofills (autocompletes) with the name of the first file in the folder that begins with the letter you typed (as it should) but if that first file is of a different type from the one you selected, the file type gets automatically switched to that type. As you try to type your filename, it won't let you continue typing your name and instead the cursor is "stuck" at the beginning and each letter you type replaces the first letter of the file name, which keeps autocompleting with existing filenames while the file type automatically switches to match it. The only way I can find to shut off this "cursor freeze" is to click around wildly, randomly, anywhere and everywhere in various fields in the Save dialog and eventually it will let me type out my new file name.

The whole thing is very hard to explain so in case it's not clear, here is an example:


Say I have a folder with these four files:

apple png
egg.zip
ring.doc
table.pdf

I want to save apple.png as a jpeg and rename it so the new file is: tree.jpg.

I open apple.png in my photo program (IrfanView) and do File > Save As, and select "jpg" in Save As Type.

Now I try to start typing "tree" as the file name. As soon as I type "t", the file name autocompletes to table and the file type instantly switches to .pdf

I keep going and type the "r" in "tree". Now the "t" disappears, the file name autocompletes to "ring" and the file type changes to .doc; with an "e" the name changes to egg.zip. It's like my cursor is frozen at the start of the filename.

If I backspace to delete the name and try again, the process repeats. Whatever letters I type just overwrite the one letter at the first position.

In desperation I click around in any and every box or field randomly and eventually the cursor freeze goes away and I can type out "tree", change the type to jpg, and it sticks. All of this only happens in the Save dialog and there are no other problems with typing or cursors anyhwere else. I don't even know if this is a Windows thing or could it be a problem with Irfan View, although I haven't changed or updated anything in IV.

 

[Snick]

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling IrfanView (latest version)?

IrfanView 64-bit version

Have you run sfc /scannow from Administrative Command Prompt?

Start rb: searchbox, type CMD > right-click CMD.exe > Run as Administrator
at CMD > type sfc /scannow there is a space between c & /

sfc /scannow check for missing/corrupt system files and attempts correction.

Snick

 

[iko22]

Hello catalogue

found this on an IfranView forum with possible solution on Post #8 Save As dialog jumps to different file types as user types .

The poster on that site suggests it is a problem with IfranView on Windows 10, but maybe they not tested on Windows 7? They suggest that, while the AutoComplete is a global setting, the 'glitch' is unique to IfranView. Perhaps then, the solution is to check IfranView for updates, as Snick has suggested.

 

[Snick]

iko22

Quite often, if you go to Control Panel > uninstall program, and click on the program, you have a choice to repair. Additionally, always prudent to keep your computer applications updated! Many times, a simple update corrects any problems you may be experiencing!

Snick