Cannot Rename or Move a File or Folder in Vista Fix

Cannot Rename or Move a File or Folder in Vista Fix​

   Information

If you recieve the error The File or Folder does not exist when you cannot move or rename a file or folder, then this will show you how to fix this problem in Vista.

   Note

This problem usually occurs when this registry key or it's subkeys below gets corrupted, changed, or deleted. This is usually done by a registry cleaning program that was allowed to delete (fix) something it found wrong that should not have been.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions

   Tip

If the steps below do not help, then take ownership of the file or folder, then try to move or rename it again. For how, see: How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista

EXAMPLE: The File or folder does not exist. Error Message

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STEP ONE

Disable Offline Files

   Note

This will only apply to the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. If you do not have one of these editions, then skip this section and go to STEP TWO below.

1. Open the Control Panel (Classic View).​

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2. Click on the Offline Files icon.​

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3. Click on the Disable Offline Files button. (See screenshot below step 5)​

NOTE: If it says Enable Offline Files instead, then click on it and click Apply and then click Disable Offline Files.​

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4. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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5. Click on OK.​

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6. Click on Yes to restart the computer. (See sceenshot below)​

WARNING: To prevent any loss of data, be sure to save and close all open programs before clicking Yes.​

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STEP TWO

Restore Registry Settings

   Note

• This will restore the default entries and settings for the registry key at the top of the tutorial. Be sure to download the 32 bit or 64 bit version for your version of Vista. To see what bit version you have of Vista, open the Control Panel (Classic View) and click the System icon, or right click Computer in the Start Menu and click Properties. You will see the bit version under the System type section.
• If this involves a New folder, then you should also do this tutorial. See: How to Fix New Folder in Vista

1. For the 32 bit version of Vista -​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the reg file below.​

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Fix_Rename_32_Bit_ Vista.reg​

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B) Go to step 3.​

2. For the 64 bit version of Vista -​

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A) Click on the download button below to download the reg file below.​

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Fix_Rename_64_Bit_Vista.reg​

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3. Save the .reg file to the Desktop.​

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4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.​

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5. Click on the Run button in the Security Warning pop-up.​

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6. Click on Continue (UAC-Vista) or Yes (UAC-Windows 7), Yes, and then OK when prompted.​

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7. Restart the computer to apply the restoration.​

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8. When done, you can delete the .reg file (on Desktop).​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Fix New Folder in Vista
• How to Pin a Folder to the Start Menu in Vista
• How to Repair and Verify the Integrity of Vista System Files with System File Checker
• How to Restore Previous Versions of a File and Folder in Vista
• How to Open and Change Folder Options in Vista
• How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista
• How to Do a System Restore in Vista
• How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista
• How to Set and Unset the Read-only File and Folder Attribute in Vista
• How to Fix Game Shortcut Links in Vista Games Explorer

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Killnnllik, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[iggi08]

Whew, finally found a fix!
Thanks Brink!

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Iggi08, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[owdoo]

You are a genius and have restored my faith in the computer and people.

Thank you.

Mark

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Mark, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[boievo]

Worked like a charm. Your the man. Thanks alot.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Boievo, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[ngocha79]

Thank you for your support.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome ngocha, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[drjab699]

Cannot Rename or Move a File or Folder in Vista Fix

INFO: If you recieve the error The File or Folder does not exist when you cannot move or rename a file or folder, then this will show you how to fix this problem in Vista.

CAUSE: This problem occurs when this registry key or it's subkeys below gets corrupted, changed, or deleted.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions

1. For the 32 bit version of Vista -
A) Fix_Rename_32_Bit_ Vista.reg < Click To Download

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
4. Right click the .reg (On Desktop) file and click Merge.

After this step my download opens up on the desktop; it does not have the .reg file type but just this code

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder]
@="Folder"
"EditFlags"=hex:d2,03,00,00
"FullDetails"="prop:System.PropGroup.Description;System.ItemNameDisplay;System.ItemType;System.Size"
"ThumbnailCutoff"=dword:00000000
"TileInfo"="prop:System.Title;System.PropGroup.Description;System.ItemType"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\
65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,33,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore]
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"
"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000022
"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000021
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
65,00,20,00,2f,00,73,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,72,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,2c,00,2f,\
00,65,00,2c,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,00,25,00,49,00,\
2c,00,25,00,4c,00,00,00
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open]
"MultiSelectModel"="Document"
"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000010
"ExplorerFlags"=dword:00000012
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
65,00,20,00,2f,00,73,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,72,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,2c,00,2f,\
00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,00,25,00,49,00,2c,00,25,00,4c,00,\
00,00
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\BriefcaseMenu]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Offline Files]
@="{474C98EE-CF3D-41f5-80E3-4AAB0AB04301}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\DragDropHandlers\{BD472F60-27FA-11cf-B8B4-444553540000}]
@=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\BriefcasePage]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\Offline Files]
@="{7EFA68C6-086B-43e1-A2D2-55A113531240}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellNew]
"Directory"=""
"IconPath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,33,00,\
00,00
"ItemName"="@shell32.dll,-30396"
"MenuText"="@shell32.dll,-30317"
"NonLFNFileSpec"="@shell32.dll,-30319"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellNew\Config]
"AllDrives"=""
"IsFolder"=""
"NoExtension"=""

5. Click on the Run button for Security Warning pop-up.
6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.
7. Restart the computer to apply the restoration.
8. When done, you can delete the .reg file (On Desktop).


I never get to step five. I manually open regedit and find the following subkey which looks nothing like the code snippet you have me download.
I import your code snippet to the {15CA69B3-30EE-49C1-ACE1-6B5EC372AFB5}] subkey which microsoft says the faulty subkey for the error message.

I have also taken ownership and special permissions for the key and subkey.
What am I missing? Thanks for any help you can give Me?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions\{15CA69B3-30EE-49C1-ACE1-6B5EC372AFB5}] "Name"="SamplePlaylists" "Category"=dword:00000003 "RelativePath"="Sample Playlists" "ParentFolder"="{3214FAB5-9757-4298-BB61-92A9DEAA44FF}" "LocalizedName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,\ 6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,\ 00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\ 2c,00,2d,00,32,00,31,00,38,00,32,00,30,00,00,00 "Attributes"=dword:00000001

Is my registry "screwed up". I just downloaded SP1 on a 32 bit Vista Home Premium system. Please help.
Also I cannot uninstall SP1 fix. It says it is and takes about an hour, then gives me the message . SP1 cannot be uninstalled, revert back.

I have been trying for 5 days to fix this. Finally I restored the windows system folder from an Acronis 11 April 2008 image backup. It helped me get my
log system back i.e. event error log, but has not fixed the new folder naming problem or the renaming of old folders.
I have 2.6 terrabytes of information, 200+ specialized software packages; am a genetic code scientist and have spent the last 8 years proving the watson-crick genetic code should have 6 not 5 nucleotide families. Every medicine ever made is incorrect; causing toxic side effects and killing over 100,000 people every year, including my mother 8 years ago.
Please help me; Vista has delayed my research for at least 3 of the 8 years.
I donated a small sum to you guys but will be happy to pay you much more if you can personally consult with me and get my system error free without having to do a clean install which I see as my only option. It takes a week due to the 300+ specialized scientific programs I have to reinstall and customize the nonstandard drivers which need "work arounds".
Thanks for your help. Any chance we could do a "remote" where you can
browse my system and 8 500mb external hard drives?
thanks

Personal INFO removed by Brink

 

[Brink]

Hi Dr.Jab,

Your REG file extension type may not be associated to the correct program file to open it. In Method Two of this tutorial, make sure that the Extension .reg has C:\Windows\regedit.exe (Regedit) as it's Current Default program.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69758-default-programs.html

Now give the reg download a try to see if it works afterwards.


For the SP1 issue, did you have any SP1 RC1, RC2, or Beta versions installed before. If so, they will have to be uninstalled first. See this link to help determine why it will not install.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948343

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[BarryR]

This did not fix the following problem:

My E drive is used for photos and is shared across my network. When I try to create a new folder it will allow the words New Folder but when I try to change the name to what I want I get the message, "The action can't be completed because the folder is open in another program." This occurs even when I reboot the computer. It also occurs when I select a folder and click on rename - it won't change the name and I get the same error message. My work around has been to create the folder on my C drive and then move it to my E drive. When I need to rename a folder I create a new one on my C drive and copy it to E, move all the contents and then delete the old folder. I have tried the renaming fixes elsewhere on this site and changed the security parameters to full control. I am hoping there is a fix on this.

 

[Brink]

Hi Barry,

Because the E: drive is shared acroos the network this is why you are seeing it as being opened. Unless you unshare it, you will need to use the workaround that you are currently doing.

I do not know of any other way than what you are doing.

Sorry,
Shawn

 

[Drama]

Great , thanx :D

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Drama, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

 

[Vigix]

<> Can someone help me out !!!!
I use Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit and have the same problem " I cannot rename a folder " ; I download the Fix_Rename_32bit_Vista.reg and followed the steps but when I press run for Security Warning pop-up the file it's open as a notepad file and there's no continue !!! pls HELP !!! thank you...

 

[Brink]

Hi Vigix,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

It sounds like the .reg file extension is associated to Notepad by mistake. In Method Two of this tutorial below, change the Current Default Program for the .reg file extension to use Registry Editor (C:\Windows\regedit.exe) instead.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69758-default-programs.html

Afterwards, try merging the reg download again.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Vigix]

Brink thanks a lot !!! I fixed my problem, everything works well now !!! thanks again...

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Vigix. I'm happy to hear it is fixed now.

Shawn

 

[Ometot]

Mr Brink!

thank you! thank you! thank YOU!

....been havin this problem for almost 2 weeks, now its all fixed! gracias senor!