Renaming files won't stick (i.e. "file.ext" -> "File.ext")?

WD External and Portable SSD External SSD for Windows
1

So the weirdest thing started happening… When I went to go rename some sloppily named files from all lower-case to capitalized the corrected file name wouldn’t stick, but only limited to my external hard drives and it would stick if I first added another character and then removed it.

For example…
This didn’t work: file.ext → File.ext
This did work: file.ext → Ffile.ext → File.ext

My external drives are various models, but the main ones are:
WD 4TB My Passport x2
WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable External x1
WD 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive

Update: I just borrowed a random usb flash drive and it happens with that too… So I guess it’s not a WD specific issue, but any help is still appreciated.

How can I fix this without reinstalling my whole OS again and certainly without losing data.

It’s not life or death and if I have to live with it I suppose I can, but I’d hate for it to be the precursor to some other larger problem…

I’ve already made sure the proper drivers were installed via Windows Updates and I ran to commands here. I hesitate to do much else because I’m not the most Windows savvy.

Thanks for any advice or information.

2

Yeah, i’ve encountered this little quirk renaming files using Windows

My solution was to use File Renaming Software which has plenty of options for upper/lower/proper case renaming … works in Batch Mode too, so you can rename hundreds or thousands of file names in the blink of an eye.

I’m using File Renamer Basic (Free) … but if you google search, there’s heaps of software out there.

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Not much of a solution if it doesn’t fix the problem, but thanks all the same for the workaround suggestion. It’s says a lot when something so integral and basic being broken is accepted as a “quirk” of Windows. :confused: You’d think there be a fix.

Thanks again and hopefully I’ll find a solution someday.

4

It’s a Better Solution than sitting around complaining about it.

try Linux :slight_smile: