When I plug in an external drive I cannot rename any folder


  1. Posts : 175
    Windows 10 Version 6.2 (Build 9200) Home, 64bit
       #1

    When I plug in an external drive I cannot rename any folder


    When I plug in an external drive, e.g. a WD 8 TB, I cannot rename any folder there. Creating, copying folders work.

    What could I do to rename a folder?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 104
    Windows 10 Home version 21H2
       #2

    Hi Enter
    I've experienced a similar problem on a previous computer, in as much as I could not rename a folder whilst it was on the external drive, but if I copied it to the main Windows drive....I could rename it, so I'd copy the folder to the main drive, rename it, then copy it back to the external drive. Worked for me at the time.
    Maybe some of the very good 'techies' on the forum can come up with a more permanent solution.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 175
    Windows 10 Version 6.2 (Build 9200) Home, 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hello Milton,

    Yes, a good idea, thank you. But it would not be possible here because the content of the folder(s) is too big (160 GB, 1 TB and such), it would not fit on my internal SSD. And it would be an extreme big effort.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 104
    Windows 10 Home version 21H2
       #4

    In my case it was just 80 to 100.mb music folders stored on an external drive, but I agree.....moving 160gb+ is no easy task.
    Will watch this thread to see what the 'experts' say. Hope you find a solution.

    Milton
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 31,398
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #5

    Enter said:
    When I plug in an external drive, e.g. a WD 8 TB, I cannot rename any folder there. Creating, copying folders work.
    Often this is down to ownership and permissions. If the folder was put on the ext. drive by another PC then, even if the account name that put it there was the same, it is owned by the account on the other PC. You may need to take ownership and grant your account full control before you can rename it.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 175
    Windows 10 Version 6.2 (Build 9200) Home, 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I just plugged the same drive in and now it works without changing anything (by intention) at the end. The first try was successful, the second one failed again and the third one was successful. Very strange behaviour. I guess, the next time renaming will fail again.

    Actually I - not having any idea of anything - would think, if the ownership is missing, it even would not be possible to create, move, copy folders or files. And not only not renaming.
      My Computer


 

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