Renaming Files by Clicking in Finder - Not Working October 20. 2023

I have noticed that I can no longer rename a file by clicking the file name. Even when right clicking the file, the pop-up menu does not show the rename option. This happens sporadically, but most often when I create a duplicate file (Command D).

The inelegant workaround I have discovered is to Command D the file, drag it from my folder directly to my desktop, (at this point l get Finder popup asking for a password), rename it, and then drag it back into the folder. I am on Sonoma.

Posted on Oct 30, 2023 5:54 AM

Top-ranking reply

Juedne

Level 1

94 points

Posted on May 25, 2024 7:43 AM

A SOLUTION:

Select affected files > R-click > Compress them > Open Archive > can now rename files

All re-name options should now work fine; tested with click > pause > rename; click + enter > rename; R-click > Rename option reappeared in menu. On mine the colour tag options were also greyed out; this also resolved.

LIKELY CAUSE:

Metadata corruption. (Could be coincidental, but have you by any chance also had multiple disk eject issues? I had many problems with this. On starting to reorganise data on new Mac, turns out all affected files so far were made on previous Mac with hardware issue that had caused inestimable number of corrupted files).

HOW TO TELL:

Check metadata on the affected files: is the ‘created' date correct? Mine was incorrect on all samples I was able to show Apple Support. Interestingly, they could re-name same files, but I could not. However, once Compressed and un-Archived, Created date was correct and I could rename and tag.

👏 THANK YOU MAC SENIOR TECH BECK, FOR XLNT TROUBLE-SHOOTING! 👏

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26 replies

Oct 30, 2023 9:53 AM in response to dialabrain

dialabrain wrote:

I'm a column view guy.

I remember being confused for just a short while when Column View first appeared on the Mac.

But then it quickly became my default view. List View is very useful when needing to quickly sort by some criterion (just click the column header), but for most of the time Column View is the king :-)

satcomer

Level 4

1,593 points

May 24, 2024 4:43 PM in response to dialabrain

I only see behavior on apple pre-loaded soft, I can start the rename on third part apps though ! so it must be soothing with the new software security system that Apple setup with the latest version!

dialabrain

Level 10

135,953 points

Oct 30, 2023 8:02 AM in response to VikingOSX

I'm not clicking on the icon, I'm clicking on the file name.

dialabrain

Level 10

135,953 points

Oct 30, 2023 8:50 AM in response to VikingOSX

Beats me. I haven't used icon view since the 90s but, even then, clicking the name once, slight pause, click again works for me. Also works in previous versions of macOS.

dialabrain

Level 10

135,953 points

Oct 30, 2023 8:50 AM in response to VikingOSX

I meant haven't. lol

Oct 30, 2023 9:02 AM in response to dialabrain

No problem starting the rename by clicking, pause, click again, in Icon View or not.

(and +1 on not having used Icon View... since the days of "Classic" Mac OS)

dialabrain

Level 10

135,953 points

Oct 30, 2023 9:04 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

+1 Thanks for that. I was starting to think only Macs I've owned did it. 😎

dialabrain

Level 10

135,953 points

Oct 30, 2023 9:47 AM in response to VikingOSX

I'm a column view guy.

Jan 18, 2024 2:05 AM in response to dialabrain

Column view is best. :-) And I've always single clicked to edit a filename, then hit return.

Works for me on both my Intel and M2 Macs running 14.2.1.

AlWeir

Level 5

5,019 points

May 24, 2024 2:46 PM in response to Rybaldo_The_Lean

Right click on them and rename them

Juedne

Level 1

94 points

May 25, 2024 2:53 AM in response to AlWeir

'Right click on them and rename them.'...

The whole issue here is that r-click > rename option (plus others) randomly disappears.

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Renaming Files by Clicking in Finder - Not Working October 20. 2023