Windows 7 - Selecting Filename Segment When Renaming BUG

[dragonamor]

I rename a lot of files for organized archival of vast amounts of files. I am an audio engineer.

When I am renaming a file in Windows Explorer and use the mouse to select a part of the current file name, Windows frequently will force a selection of the entire current file name rather than the part of the name I am trying to select.

When this occurs, I have to deselect the entire filename and try to select the segment of the filename I am trying to copy once again. Worse yet - it is not a consistent behavior, but when it does occur it typically takes 3 attempts before it will actually let you select the segment you are after without selecting the rest of the name on you once again.

Even worse still, is that a similar behavior emerges when trying to select a part of a file that you want to either delete, or replace with text that is currently in the clipboard. You select the segment you mean to replace, and (6 times out of 10 I'd average) the entire filename selects itself at the very instant you hit delete (or paste). This deletes the entire filename, rather than the portion you intended (or replaces it with your clipboard content, depending on if you hit delete or CTRL-V).

This never happened in Windows XP and I find it is the single most annoying "feature" in Windows 7. It is a tremendous burden for the archiving I do. Intensely inconvenient.

I'm not 100% sure how to categorize this bug, nor how to best seek a solution to it. Has anyone else been aggravated by this and found a solution?

Thanks

 

[MilesAhead]

Save yourself some frustration and use 3rd party tools. For many renames I use Explorer as you do. But for greater versatility I use FreeCommander renaming tool. It's a good tool for the "middle ground" where you can do some pattern substitution, but the tool is still easy to use. It's a tabbed file manager. Just select files and press F2 to bring up the renamer. If only one file is selected it's a simple dialog with main filename and extension in separate input lines. If multiple files are selected it brings up a more complex dialog where you can use pattern macros to do things such as number files in sequence etc..

For complex jobs where I want to rename multiple parts of names then I use Bulk Rename Utility.

Both are free.

 

[brobry]

me too

i'm having the same problem. any resolution? installing 3rd party software on my work machine is out of the question. this is a simple bug - fix it, microsoft!

 

[fseal]

I've never encountered this at all on my 5-6 Windows 7 machines, so it doesn't seem to be endemic.

A lot of problems like this are actually /caused/ by third party programs. Most notably AV tools... I don't really want to suggest turning off your AV tools to see if it goes away but...

Also if you can think of any other software that for any part of it's "job" be searching or acessing your harddrive in the background. Could be third party auto-backup software or ???

 

[logicearth]

Or...you could just be mis-selecting your selection. Just saying.

 

[stw1530]

I'm having the same problem and it is annoying. It is not 3rd party software and it is not user error, as I am not a noob. Does anyone have any constructive ideas to offer? It seems like Microsoft is trying to be a nanny to help people select everything but the extension and it is not useful at all. Seems like there should be a way to simply disable it!

 

[fseal]

I think the OPs problem is a little different.

What windows does is: When you click on a file name that is already selected, it will auto select the entire root file name withought extension as you mention. And ys, 99% of the time people don;t need to edit the extension so most of the time is is helpful. That is normal and built in, no way to turn off that I know of.

If I read the OPs post correctly, he has an additional problem that is when he tries to edit the name from there, and has selected a part of it and then wants to hit the delete key or start typing to replace the highlighted text, that it reselects the entire name again just as he starts to type. That is NOT normal and is probably caused by some sort of mouse, kb, trackpad or other software/drive issue...

 

[tricapjc]

Hi, I am new to the forum. My company has just updated our computers and we've gone from Windows XP to 7. I'm having the exact same problem and am very frustrated. If I try to change a file name from, say, 2012-06-07 to 2012-07-07, I highlight the file, press F2, and the entire name is selected. I press the left cursor key until I get to 06. In XP, I would simply back over the part I want to delete and type in the part I want to substitute. However, in 7, at this point the entire file name re-selects itself and I have to try again. It happens over and over. If I go ahead and back over the "6" so I can type a "7", it may erase the entire file name, or substitute "7" for the whole thing.

The above example shows a simpler name than I usually deal with, just for clarity. It is undesireable to lose the entire name, when just a part of it needs to be changed. As an operations manager, this is a function I need several times a day. Also, the problem is intermittent.

Dragonamor, did you ever find a solution to this?

 

[jeffowentn]

Have same issue where Win 7 auto re-selects full file name (minus ext)

I have the same issue, since my employer upgraded me to Win 7. And, as someone else stated, it usually happens 3x before I can begin to actually edit the filename. If anyone knows an actual fix for this, please let us know...

Thank you.

 

[rraod]

Select a file with mouse and hit F2 key. The entire file name will be selected without the extension.

Now use the left or right cursor key. This will remove the highlight from file name and you are free to move the cursor throughout the filename including the extension part.

Now edit (remove or add alphanumerics) to change the filename to suit you and press either Enter key or click outside the file name area.

 

[jeffowentn]

wow, rraod....I already know how to edit a filename. What we are experiencing is a problem with the normal process. I'm guessing you did not fully ready my post or the posts, above. The issue, is that the computer is automatically reselecting all of the filename (except the extension) 2 or 3 times, even if I am in the middle of typing a new filename or modifying the existing name. This is a problem, if I'm simply trying to append something to the filename and then the computer selects the full filename while I'm typing, effectively deleting the entire filename at that point.

If you have a fix for this, we would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you,
Jeff

 

[rraod]

I always try the solution on my system before giving an advice.

Looks like you people have a different problem. I have tried all what you and others have explained. But I am not getting any of that sort of errors.

Hope some of our members give a solution to this problem.

 

[tricapjc]

Jeffowentn, here's a work-around I'm using: after selecting rename so that the file name becomes changeable, press "End," then quickly press the space bar. This "locks in" the name already given to the file, and allows you to cursor to where you need to within the name to make the change. It was a big relief to figure this out, let me tell you!

 

[gamebm]

I am having exactly the same problem, it is really really annoying, it seems the problem is only happening to few of us, so microsoft is not fixing it at all. I saw the first post was really really long time ago.

 

[gamebm]

tricapjc, your work-around is awesome, it will potentially save me hours of frustrating before MS finally release some fix.

 

[Jondd]

I also have had this problem for some time on two PCs.
The cause appears to be, at least in my case, Sugarsync.
If you switch off Sugarsync (or whichever auto backup cloud program you are using) the problem is no longer there. This works perfectly every single time. Switch it on, I have the problem; switch it off, I do not have the problem.
Also note that if you are editing the file in an area not tracked by Sugarsync then the problem does not occur. For example my desktop is not tracked and I never have the problem there.
I hope this is the correct solution and is not misleading to anyone.

 

[gamebm]

@Jondd, make sense! I am using google drive sync, will keep an eye on whether it is the cause.

 

[gwe0710]

seems to be caused by changes in filesystem

I think I found the solution in another forum:
rename - While renaming, How can I disable Windows 7 highlighting the entire filename when I click'n'drag across part of it? - Super User
see answer by Georg Coats

explanation in short:
the problem occurs due to refresh of explorer caused by permanent occuring changes in the file system, eq due to running downloads or other users changing files.
I tried closing down all downloads on a drive where i have exclusive access and the behavior stopped, starting downloads again also started the unwanted behavior again.

hope that helps

regards Gerhard

 

[TexasPharm]

I figured out what the problem was and it was due to an external program. This is very irritating and I found out the problem only occurred when I was renaming files located in a folder that synced with cloud services such as Dropbox, GDrive, Cubby, etc. The problem is that these cloud services are polling the folder which refreshes Windows to highlight the entire filename again. Cloud services are so common Microsoft really needs to come up with a solution.

 

[andrew129260]

I just want to add that from vista onward, clicking a file name once to edit or right clicking and choosing rename will cause windows to always highlight the name of the file, and not the entire thing including the extension. Just the name.

If you have unchecked hide extensions for known file types in folder options, and you go to rename a file, the default is to rename the name, not the entire thing.

Microsoft did this because in xp to many users were renaming their files name entirely, and then causing them not to be able to open it since they took the file extension out.

Just wanted to add this tidbit of info.