Solution for Accidentally Renamed Files?

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Level 3

629 points

Solution for Accidentally Renamed Files?

This is something I've wanted to see for over a decade. I see community posts going back 15 years ago about this issue.

When working fast or just focused in one area, it's easy to accidentally rename a file in the Finder and not realize what you've done until days, weeks or months into the future. So, hitting CMD-Z won't do the trick. The obvious solution is fairly obvious - have MacOS track file name changes.

As of January 2023, is there STILL nothing that very simply tracks names changes to Finder items? I'm thinking just a log of filename changes where the file contents have not been changed.

(Note that people have pointed to Time Machine over the years, but that would, of course, require knowing the original name of the file and realizing your mistake before the original name disappears out of your maintained archives due to storage limitations.)

Any thoughts?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jan 6, 2023 4:48 PM

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Answer 1

Adam F Author

Level 3

629 points

Jan 7, 2023 12:07 PM in response to Barney-15E

The problem is that backups peel off as HD space gets used up, so the original name will disappear at some point. A log that just tracks name changes would be easily searchable, small and efficient.

This seems like a good function to add into Time Machine, actually. I sent the request in along with this example:

"My letter to snoopy.txt" was accidentally renamed "a43as.txt" while quickly typing 2 years ago. Even a simple text log would cross-reference it.

Here's someone searching for the same solution back in 2007:

Filename change history available - Apple Community

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Answer 2

Jan 7, 2023 5:48 PM in response to Adam F

There may be third party apps out there which will do what you want, but I am not aware of any specific apps. I have read about how to have an OS alert a user to any changes on a folder/file (not sure if it applied to names or just data/meta-data changes, or just time stamp changes), but I don't recall specifics (it was probably regarding Linux anyway).

If there is some software solution to alert you to changes, then you can use TM to restore the file.

If there is not currently any software out there like this, then you can hire a programmer to create the software for you (probably will be expensive unless there is a trivial way of implementing/detecting it), or you can attempt to write the software or script yourself. Check out whether AppleScript (or whatever Apple's preferred scripting method is these days) to see if it can be leveraged to at least alert you to changes. Such monitoring may even impact system performance depending on how it is implemented especially if you are monitoring the whole home user folder and if you have a large number of files to monitor.

Accidental file/folder renames do happen to everyone once in a while, but it is not that common for me. A simple solution which you can implement would be to embed the file name into the document so if the name is accidentally changed, then you will still have the name available to you to change it back. Of course even this can fail once in a while depending how this information is embedded/attached to the document.

You can always provide Apple with product feedback here (Apple will not respond):

Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 3

MartinR

Level 7

25,026 points

Jan 7, 2023 1:29 PM in response to Adam F

Macs do not maintain an audit trail like this. Neither does Windows or any other O/S that I have ever worked with.

With all due respect, I suggest more care when using your Mac.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,828 points

Jan 6, 2023 7:24 PM in response to Adam F

(Note that people have pointed to Time Machine over the years, but that would, of course, require knowing the original name of the file and realizing your mistake before the original name disappears out of your maintained archives due to storage limitations.)

No, just select the misnamed file and go back in time until the name changes to what it was.

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Answer 5

Adam F Author

Level 3

629 points

Jan 7, 2023 3:02 PM in response to MartinR

The function is already possible. Cloud backups don't typically re-upload a large file when only the name has changed, so something is detecting the name change.

With all due respect, I suggest more care when using your Mac.

😃 I can accept that the problem I've raised is user-error, but that doesn't negate the use for a solution to "protect us from ourselves." There are plenty of solutions that wouldn't exist if the optimal solution is just using your Mac more carefully. Otherwise, we could arguably eliminate undo functions, auto-save, backups, erasers, final drafts, and even checking your math. Simply put, my thought here is the non-existence of a solution doesn't mean it shouldn't exist.

Anyway - Seeing that this has been asked about many times in the discussion forums over at least a decade and a half, I'm thinking there may be an app out there or a log I'm not aware of???

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Answer 6

Adam F Author

Level 3

629 points

Jan 8, 2023 11:28 AM in response to HWTech

Thank you for all the thoughts on this @HWTech. I have reached out to Apple and to Get Backup Pro with suggestions for adding a text log file that tracks filename changes since that seems already within the purview of both applications' capabilities.

I can see that system performance could take a hit from a constant monitoring as well.

Embedding the name in metadata is an interesting thought. Somehow, FCPx tracks when files are changed at the Finder level, but I think this may be more related to symbolic linking than metadata tracking.

This isn't an issue I constantly have (or I would just need to be more careful as @MartinR suggested), but it's cropped up here and there.

Thanks again!

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Solution for Accidentally Renamed Files?

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