How to Change Case of Existing File Name

  • Thread starter Thread starter KMyers1
  • Start date Start date
K

KMyers1

Folks this has been bothering me for years, but it finally hit the
boiling point today, and I can't seem to find a good answer anywhere.
This morning I had a file that I accidentally named "loadCounty.bat",
when I really meant to name it "LoadCounty.bat". Same name, just
different case on the first character.

I tried renaming the file, Windows changed it back. I tried deleting
the file and re-creating it under the correct name, Windows STILL
changed the name back to what it was previously!!! How do I force #@*
$ Windows to use the filename case that I specify after a different
case has already been used???

I realize that case difference doesn't really impact the use of this
specific file. However, it can affect the use of files that need to
be transported to/from Unix, so I want to finally get this problem
resolved once and for all.

Thanks,
Kevin M.
 
KMyers1 said:
Folks this has been bothering me for years, but it finally hit the
boiling point today, and I can't seem to find a good answer anywhere.
This morning I had a file that I accidentally named "loadCounty.bat",
when I really meant to name it "LoadCounty.bat". Same name, just
different case on the first character.

I tried renaming the file, Windows changed it back. I tried deleting
the file and re-creating it under the correct name, Windows STILL
changed the name back to what it was previously!!! How do I force #@*
$ Windows to use the filename case that I specify after a different
case has already been used???

I realize that case difference doesn't really impact the use of this
specific file. However, it can affect the use of files that need to
be transported to/from Unix, so I want to finally get this problem
resolved once and for all.

Thanks,
Kevin M.
Click to expand...

Strange - I press F2 while in Explorer and change "loadCounty.bat" to
"LoadCounty.bat" and it sticks, as expected. Same when using the "ren"
command from the Command Prompt.
 
I also tried a simple ren from the command prompt but that didn't work
either. What *did* finally work was to use the move command to both
move the file to another folder and change its case in a single
operation, then move it back to the original folder. That finally got
the changed case to stick. Surely there must be an easier way...???
 
Strange - I press F2 while in Explorer and change "loadCounty.bat" to
"LoadCounty.bat" and it sticks, as expected. Same when using the "ren"
command from the Command Prompt.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Whoa, that is interesting. I just tried it here on two different
machines. Both of them reverted the file to the prior case after
attempting to rename from either Explorer (F2) or command line. I
wonder what difference exists between our configurations that could be
causing this?
 
You have to use quotation marks (speech marks as some call it in USA) in
file names for them to stick. However, if this still doesn't work may I
suggest that name the file in sequence. For example original file was
called "file.exe" and you want to rename it as "File.EXE". First change the
name to: "File01.EXE"; then change again to "File.EXE" i.e. remove the 01
from the file name. If you follow this sequence then quotation marks is not
required.

Hope this helps.
 
KMyers1 said:
Whoa, that is interesting. I just tried it here on two different
machines. Both of them reverted the file to the prior case after
attempting to rename from either Explorer (F2) or command line. I
wonder what difference exists between our configurations that could be
causing this?
Click to expand...

This is really strange. I tested my rename method on three different
machines: Two of them WinXP Professional, one Windows 2003 SBS. They all
accepted my upper/lower case names. There is something lurking there but I
don't know what it is. I suggest you try the same in Safe Mode in order to
disable any additional software you might have loaded. You might have some
third-party resident tool that interferes with your commands.
 
On XP pro SP3 I've never had any problems changing file name or changing
selected letters from upper to lower case or vice versa. I just right click
the file in Windows Explorer, click rename and make the changes, then click
outside the file and the changes stick. Undo (blue curved arrow on Explorer
toolbar) also works if I want to undo the change.
The only thing, if the file is read only, when I edit the file name a
message box pops up asking me if I am sure that I want to make the change,
but if I click OK the change sticks.
I'm sorry that I cannot suggest a cause for your problems. I could not find
any specific policy that can be set to prevent changing a file name.
On one post I found searching the web a possible cause was said to be if the
path and file name were too long.
 
The date and time was Monday, September 14, 2009 12:45:57 PM, and on a
whim, KMyers1 pounded out on the keyboard:
Folks this has been bothering me for years, but it finally hit the
boiling point today, and I can't seem to find a good answer anywhere.
This morning I had a file that I accidentally named "loadCounty.bat",
when I really meant to name it "LoadCounty.bat". Same name, just
different case on the first character.

I tried renaming the file, Windows changed it back. I tried deleting
the file and re-creating it under the correct name, Windows STILL
changed the name back to what it was previously!!! How do I force #@*
$ Windows to use the filename case that I specify after a different
case has already been used???

I realize that case difference doesn't really impact the use of this
specific file. However, it can affect the use of files that need to
be transported to/from Unix, so I want to finally get this problem
resolved once and for all.

Thanks,
Kevin M.
Click to expand...

Hi Kevin,

I don't have a resolution, but I can say that I have experienced this
same issue before. I could not duplicate your issue on this workstation
(at the moment) using a test filename however.

When it did happen in the past, I got around it by created the corrected
filename on another drive and then copying it back over, much like you
did using MOVE.


Terry R.
 
Terry R. said:
The date and time was Monday, September 14, 2009 12:45:57 PM, and on a
whim, KMyers1 pounded out on the keyboard:


Hi Kevin,

I don't have a resolution, but I can say that I have experienced this same
issue before. I could not duplicate your issue on this workstation (at
the moment) using a test filename however.

When it did happen in the past, I got around it by created the corrected
filename on another drive and then copying it back over, much like you did
using MOVE.


Terry R.
--
Click to expand...

What you did would support my suspicion that Kevin has a third-party agent
on his machine that interferes with the renaming process. It could be a
virus scanner or perhaps some intrusive Norton tool such as Norton GoBack.
 
I don't have a resolution, but I can say that I have experienced this same
What you did would support my suspicion that Kevin has a third-party agent
on his machine that interferes with the renaming process. It could be a
virus scanner or perhaps some intrusive Norton tool such as Norton GoBack..- Hide quoted text -
Click to expand...

Ok, I believe that I have figured out the culprit. On most of our
machines, one of our drives is a mapped drive that uses Windows XP's
own "offline files" system to provide a local cache of network files
that can be used when our computers are disconnected from our internal
network. On local drives, e.g. c:, I do NOT see the problem with
changing the case of file names. The problem only appears to occur
when files are on the offline files mapped network drive. As I am
working remotely at the moment, I cannot connect to our network to see
if this problem persists when I am connected to the network file
server. Never the less, I would be willing to bet that a bug (or
maybe even a "feature"?) in Microsoft's Offline Files implementation
is the culprit.

Thanks to all of you for your input.

Regards,
Kevin M.
 
KMyers1 said:
What you did would support my suspicion that Kevin has a third-party agent
on his machine that interferes with the renaming process. It could be a
virus scanner or perhaps some intrusive Norton tool such as Norton
GoBack.- Hide quoted text -
Click to expand...

Ok, I believe that I have figured out the culprit. On most of our
machines, one of our drives is a mapped drive that uses Windows XP's
own "offline files" system to provide a local cache of network files
that can be used when our computers are disconnected from our internal
network. On local drives, e.g. c:, I do NOT see the problem with
changing the case of file names. The problem only appears to occur
when files are on the offline files mapped network drive. As I am
working remotely at the moment, I cannot connect to our network to see
if this problem persists when I am connected to the network file
server. Never the less, I would be willing to bet that a bug (or
maybe even a "feature"?) in Microsoft's Offline Files implementation
is the culprit.

Thanks to all of you for your input.

Regards,
Kevin M.

===========

Thanks for the feedback. I would be interested to hear your final
conclusion.
 
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