SOLVED: changing file name in Windows

[cvb]

Is there any way to change a folder name,and still be able to open it?Thanks for your input.

 

[Miz]

Yes, you can change the name and then open the folder but any program which is set up to access it under its old name won't be able to find it.

Computers identify folders by their names, not their contents. Change the name by one letter or number and as far as the computer's concerned, it's a totally different folder.

If it's a "special windows folder," like My Documents, it's not easy to change the name anyway and is, in my opinion, far more trouble than it's worth.

 

[cvb]

Sorrry Miz,I dont understand your answer.Can i give another example?Imake a new folder on desktop,put a bunch of stuff in it,later i want to change the name.Ireceive message stating,you might not be able to open do you want to continue?Invariably,I have never been able to open that folder,and wind up trashing it. Thanks for your quick response.

 

[WhitPhil]

The warning is just that, a warning to ensure that you know what you are doing. As Miz points out, a change may make your folder no longer useable if a progam expects it by it's original name.

But, once you have changed the name and try to open it, what error are you getting?
There should be no problems in doing this at all.

 

[cvb]

Error reads windows cannot open this file.needs to what program created it. what do you want to do?

use the web
select the program from a list.

 

[cvb]

Sorry i meant file,not folder.

 

[Yorkshire Guy]

Are you changing the files extension i.e the 3 characters after the full stop.
If you do that then the file association to a program will be screwed.

 

[Yorkshire Guy]

Sorry if the last post was a bit basic, but you don't give an example of old and changed file names.
Are you keeping the extensions the same?

 

[cvb]

HEWANM.Dont appologize for being basic,thats what i need.Please bear with me while i explain my problem again.Lets say I place a photo(jpeg)in afolder,I then go back later to change the name from jpeg2 or whatever to a new name.The warning is.If you change a file extension,the file may become unsable.Do you want to continue?If I continue.The message is,Windows can not open this file.
to open this file,windows needs to know what program created it,windows can go online to look it up automatically,(which never works)or you can manually select from a list of programs on your computer.what do you want to do.(also doesnt work).this is not an earth shaking problem for me,but I would be happy if there was a way around it.Thanks again for your input.

 

[Miz]

Okay, now I get it. The file extension...the last three letters after the file name and the dot, is what Windows uses to identify what type of file it is so it will know what to use to open it. If you change the file extension, it does not change the actual format of the file but Windows will try to open it with whatever program the new file extension is association with. If, for example, you change a .txt file to .jpg, it'll still be a text file but Windows will try to open it with an image viewer...which it can't do so it'll give you that error message.

For reasons known only to Microsoft programmers, file extensions don't show by default. If the names you're trying to change don't show the name of the file followed by a dot and a 3-letter file extension, open My Computer, go to Tools>Folders Options>View tab and remove the check from "Hide file extensions of known file types," Click OK.

Now when you change the name of a file, you can see to change only the name and not the file extension, too.

 

[cvb]

Thank you Miz.You cleared that up beautifully.Ill try it.

 

[cvb]

Thanks Again Miz.box Was Unchecked.so Following Your Directions,i Put The New Name In Front Of File Extension And It Worked Like A Charm. Thanks To You I Can Sleep Tonight.