# Cannot rename folders



## stevedo (Apr 9, 2020)

Lightroom Classic version: 9.2 [ 202001311240-2d026470 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en
Operating system: Windows 10 - Business Edition
Version: 10.0.18363

Hi all, during this period of lockdown I am taking the opportunity to tidy up some of my folder hierarchy, all from within Lightroom. Today I came across an issue that I have been unable to resolve. I have two folders that I am unable to rename. Right clicking on the folder and changing the name and clicking save results in the following error:






I click the OK button and am returned to the folder hierarchy. The folder name is unchanged. I have come across two folders that exhibit this behaviour. So far, all other folder renames have been successful.

I've restarted Lightroom and Windows to no avail.

Any ideas?


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## clee01l (Apr 9, 2020)

Is "Douglas". your user folder?      You can only rename folders that your User owns.   These will be subfolders of your userID folder. System folders   System folders  like "Pictures", "Downloads" etc are controlled by the Operating system and can not (easily) be renamed or moved.  
What is the full path to the folder "Douglas"?


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## stevedo (Apr 9, 2020)

Hi Cletus, here's the full path for the folder. I can rename the folder "Fairchild Family" but not the "Douglas one. I cannot rename "Family" but I can rename "Events and Days Out". This is why I couldn't figure it out.

Edit: I can change names of subfolders under "Douglas".


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## clee01l (Apr 10, 2020)

In Windows Explorer, find the Family folder and see if there is another sub folder already there with the name that you are trying too change to.   This would be a folder not shown in Lightroom because there are no images in it that are cataloged.  If that is not the problem then look at Read/Write permissions for the Douglas folder  Also if you have that folder open in another app. you can't rename it in LR/


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## stevedo (Apr 11, 2020)

OK, a follow up from me. Following the mail from Cletus I started to explore the folders in Windows Explorer. All affected folders had the same security set so that wasn't the issue. I then wondered if I could rename one of the affected folders in Windows Explorer. Yes I could. I then renamed the folder b ck to its original name i.e. the one shown in Lightroom. I then proceeded to try and rename the same folder in Lightroom. SUCCESS. A folder that I had been unable to rename even after multiple Lightroom and Windows restarts was now renamed. I tried the same technique with the other folder I was having issues with the same success.

I have no idea why or how this issue arose or how renaming the folders in Windows Explorer solved the issue?


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## Califdan (Apr 11, 2020)

Sometimes an app in Windows will put a lock on a file in a folder and that will prevent anything from tinkering with the folder path to that file while the lock is in place.    Also, some backup programs will place locks on files while they are in the process of being backed up and if you have a folder full of such files the lock at the folder level may last quite awhile.

In addition , sometimes, those locks don't get released.  For example if the program crashes or is terminated with the Task Manager.  When this happens the only way I know of to get the lock released is to reboot the computer.    Did you happen to perform a reboot or restart  between the time it didn't work and then did work?


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## jerboe (Oct 23, 2021)

I also encountered this problem. I tried the previously mentioned suggestions, but nothing seemed to work. I eventually just renamed the folder in Windows, then pointed Lightroom to the "lost" folder (now with the new name).


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## PhilBurton (Oct 23, 2021)

Califdan said:


> Sometimes an app in Windows will put a lock on a file in a folder and that will prevent anything from tinkering with the folder path to that file while the lock is in place.    Also, some backup programs will place locks on files while they are in the process of being backed up and if you have a folder full of such files the lock at the folder level may last quite awhile.
> 
> In addition , sometimes, those locks don't get released.  For example if the program crashes or is terminated with the Task Manager.  When this happens the only way I know of to get the lock released is to reboot the computer.    Did you happen to perform a reboot or restart  between the time it didn't work and then did work?


And some Windows programs don't release locks even after they exit.  Rebooting is the only solution I've found.


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