I cannot rename folders or files inside. - SOLVED -

[Legendary]

Files and Folders under the My Documents section cannot be renamed and I'm sure I could before. I am running windows XP on a laptop which is on a wireless network.

Here is an example of my problem.

I go to My Pictures and create a new folder. This folder is names New Folder by default and I wish to rename it. I right click and the rename option is not there, I press the shortcut combination and it doesnt work. Finally I go to file and the option there is greyed out. I really need your help because it is seriously bugging me.

Thanks.

 

[Sureboss]

You logged on as administrator?

 

[Sniffs]

make sure your not in "read only" mode, too.

 

[Legendary]

You logged on as administrator?

Yes.

make sure your not in "read only" mode, too.

Ok, I was sure I have done it before and with this latest discovery I am even more sure I have done it before. I right click on My Pictures and go to properties, I then uncheck Read Only thinking I was really stupid and forgot about it before. I then choose the option for all the sub folders an files not to be Read Only. I then try and rename a folder and I still cant. I go back to properties on My Pictures and it is back on Read Only.

I have no idea what is going on.

 

[Sureboss]

How old is the install of XP?

 

[Legendary]

I am not actually sure, I bought this laptop a few weeks ago with what I believe is a clean install of XP. I also dug something up on the microsoft help section of their website but I have lost the link now. It had something to do with CMD and actually forcing it to do something. I quickly skimmed through it but I had to go out after.

 

[yeti]

Can you rename folders elsewhere?

Remember of course that "my documents" is tied to a specific user - if you're not that user - then you shouldn't be able to access the folders... (unless you're a local administrator on that box)

C.

 

[Legendary]

Can you rename folders elsewhere?

Remember of course that "my documents" is tied to a specific user - if you're not that user - then you shouldn't be able to access the folders... (unless you're a local administrator on that box)

C.

Surprisingly, yes I can rename my folders elsewhere, such as temp.

I swear, I am the only user for this computer, I bought it off Ebay from a store, the store is in this country. Unless they have hidden an account I do not understand.

 

[yeti]

Hmmm - possibly because you're a new account - you're not actually a local admin...

Try right clicking on "my computer" and going to "manage"...

In there is a "users and groups" section... try to add your self (if you aren't already there) to the "administrators" group...

If you can't - then you'll have to try to get into the account that is a local admin... (usually with windows the first account is always an admin)

Failing this - I guess you could try a reinstall of XP?

C.

 

[Legendary]

It says I am already administrator and the only account on this computer. I dont want to clean install XP, especially after I found that site telling me what I could do to fix it. I cant believe I lost that site. Ill try and find it again later.

 

[yeti]

It says I am already administrator and the only account on this computer. I dont want to clean install XP, especially after I found that site telling me what I could do to fix it. I cant believe I lost that site. Ill try and find it again later.

Stange...

Perhaps it's a matter of ownership...

You can change that - I can't remember how at the mo - and this laptop is so locked down that I can't see it's C:!!

C>

 

[opelgt1969]

Can you create a "new folder" then use backspace then type in a name for the folder? If so you could do this then copy/paste "whatever" into the folder until you figure out your problem with renaming your folders.

 

[Legendary]

No, I just tryed, instead it makes the error noise. The short deep beep.

 

[wfooshee]

Right-click My Documents on the desktop and get Properties. If there's not a My Documents on the desktop then right-click a blank area of the desktop, get Properties, click the Desktop tab, click the Customize Desktop button, and check My Documents. (I like to check all of those, actually.) Now, properties of My documents gives you a path to the folder's on-disk location. Drill down to that folder in Windows Explorer, right-click and get properties, click the Security tab, click the Advanced button, click the Owner tab, Pick your name out of the list and check the box "replace blah blah blah" at the bottom, and click OK. Once that's done, you're back at the Security tab. Make sure your name has Full Control.

It's possible that this machine was on a domain at its previous location, and the profile being logged in is a local copy of a domain profile being used in offline mode, which would preclude you being able to change things in the profile folder, including My Documents. If you right-cl;ick My computer, get Properties, click the Computer Name tab, it'll tell you if it's a member of a workgroup or a domain. (Irrelevant for XP Home, as Home cannot join a domain.) If it's a domain member, you don't have access to the domain, and you might end up with a reload as your olny recourse if the ownership thing doesn't work.

 

[Sharky.]

Not sure if this'll work, but worth a shot: add "Take Ownership" to your Explorer context menu, and then rt-click the folder/file -> Take Ownership. See if you can rename the stuff after that.

See zip for the .reg file (includes "uninstaller" .reg file).

 

[Legendary]

Right-click My Documents on the desktop and get Properties. If there's not a My Documents on the desktop then right-click a blank area of the desktop, get Properties, click the Desktop tab, click the Customize Desktop button, and check My Documents. (I like to check all of those, actually.) Now, properties of My documents gives you a path to the folder's on-disk location.

I didnt know that you could find it on disk like that. I learnt where My Documents was, it was in the Recent Documents section (I have no Idea why) and everything in Recent Documents I believe cant be edited. I pressed move to default location for My Documents and it went out of the Recent section. Now I can edit everything. Thank you so much:tup:.

-SOLVED-