Desktop Commands

[MJNC]

Hey PrintPlanet folk...
I have this problem on my Mac;
Every once in a while I will need to change the name of some files on the desktop. Sometimes I can just highlight and retype just fine. But sometimes, it won’t retype! I can use the drop down menus to cut and paste, etc., but the commands for those same actions cease to work as well. It is very frustrating - and it only effects the desktop. Commands in applications work just fine. The only way I can get the desktop stuff working again is to reboot.
I know there must be some command that I am inadvertently hitting and causing this to happen; but I don’t know what it is! I have been through the keyboard preferences and all several times... Does someone know what I am doing wrong? Please let me know if you know.
Thanks in advance...!
Peace to the PrintPlanet!
_mjnc

 

[gordo]

Have you tried clicking the file on the desktop (makes the icon and text selected)- then after a half second pause click on just the file file name itself (selects just the name of the file not its extension) then start typing to write over the name, or paste in a new name or click again to insert text.

best, gordon p

Current topic: The Wayback View – SP Plateless Offset Technology in 2000 (video post)

 

[MJNC]

Hi Gordo;
When I click on the file (which selects the icon and name) then click in the name, it turns to text that should be editable, but will not edit. But the highlighted text includes the extension. This is an extension that I’ve added; .qxd for quark doc. I get that window that comes up and says “do you really want to add .qxd to the file name?” and I click yes. Is that what’s making the manual edits turn off?
_mjnc

 

[gordo]

Hi Gordo;
When I click on the file (which selects the icon and name) then click in the name, it turns to text that should be editable, but will not edit. But the highlighted text includes the extension.

That's the first click. - myfile.pdf
The second click will select just the name - not the extension - and allow you to change just the name. e.g. myfile.pdf to MJNCfile.pdf

This is an extension that I’ve added; .qxd for quark doc. I get that window that comes up and says “do you really want to add .qxd to the file name?” and I click yes. Is that what’s making the manual edits turn off?

No. If you select just the extension and edit - myfile.pdf then you will get the warning if you change the current extension to a different one i.e. change myfile.pdf to myfile.jpg will trigger the warning. It does not effect your ability to edit the name of the file.

If the file is Locked then you will not be able to edit its name. To check if it's locked, select the file and do a "Command I" A dialog box will pop up showing info about the file including whether it's locked or not.

best, gordo

 

[Grnofslt]

Hey MJNC,

Not being able to see it actually happen, it's hard to say exactly what the problem is, But it sounds is there is a bit of corruption with your desktop application. To make certain, store that particular file and other files you have had troubles renaming in a folder and store the file somewhere besides your desk top. If you can rename the file with no problem then it is a desk top issue. I would suggest then that you go to the disk utility application (need admin rights) and they repair permissions. This takes a bit of time. Once the permissions have been repaired, check and see if you are able to rename the file.

There is a free application available for Mac OS X called Onyx. This application will fix permissions, run the Mac maintenance scripts (daily, Weekly, And monthly) on your command, and clean out cache files which also can become corrupted. There are certain cache files that I would be very cautious about cleaning (kernel and system) but internet, fonts etc no problem. Many times running this little free application fixes what was causing my Mac to burp.

It could be that somehow you lost permissions to write to that file… In which case, with the file in question selected, type in Cmd + I which opens the file information window, and see if you have permissions to write to the file. Sometimes these permissions can be changed by accident.

At the moment those are the only things I can come up with to try and fix the problems you are having with changing file names on your desk top. Is it only this particular Quark file that causes this problem? Or is it all Quark files? Is this happening with other file formats also? You must find this out because it will help you and those of us here to help you trouble shoot the problem better.

Bill

 

[MJNC]

Hi again, Gordo.
The first click highlights the name and icon. 2nd click highlights just the file name including extension, and opens up the box to show the full file name. The 3rd click puts the cursor blinking within the text of the file name. Even though the cursor is blinking, it will not type anything; will not delete anything; will not even let me use the command to paste text into the file name. I don’t get another click in-between the 2nd and 3rd that only highlights the name without the extension...

Hey Grnofslt;
I am sorry that I described this incorrectly... When I said that I am trying to rename a file on the desktop, I meant that I was not in any application (thus the desktop) although the file is in a folder when I’m trying to change the name. So I clicked on the file, and of course could not do a command-I because this problem turns off the desktop commands; so I open the get info window, and my permissions are fine. I can read and write. I do not think this is a permission issue; but I’ve been wrong before - heck, every day! Thanks for the input.
_mjnc

 

[pcmodem]

Try renaming a file in a different folder on your computer's hard drive and not a Network Drive. If this still doesn't work, try creating a new User, login to that user account and try renaming. This could be corrupt user preferences.

 

[PDL]

Try clicking once on the folder to select it. Then hit Command (Apple) and the "i" keys together. - or go to the File Menu to "Get Info".
There you should be able to change the name of the folder. You may also address whether the folder is locked, shared etc.. - Good Luck.
( oops ! BTW this works on files and folders )

 

[Grnofslt]

MJNC

First off I didn't mean to seemingly imply that you couldn't read. I still believe that you may have some corruption within the desk top application that is part of the Mac OS. Reason i believe that is I created a quark file and saved it to my desk top. I added the .qxd file extension when I originally saved the new document. I received the warning that this might not allow some programs to open the file but I made it save with the .qxd file extension. I then went to the quark file in question on my desk top and clicked once to select the file and a second click to have the cursor blinking within the name box. I was able to change the files name.

This is why, I feel that you may have some corruption within the desktop application within the Mac OS. That is why I suggested first using the disk utility that comes with the OS to repair permissions. The glitch could be a UNIX thing and repairing permissions might fix it.

If the problem were to persist after running the repair Permissions with Apple's disk utility, I would strongly recommend using Onyx making sure that I was using the version for my OS. There is a version for Leopard, Tiger and Panther. I would first run the maintenance scripts (the daily, weekly, and monthly internal maintenance routines that OS X runs automatically between 3 and 5 AM every day if the machine is left running over night.

I would then run the cleaning tool. I myself stay from the System tab because I'm not sure about it. but I do clean User, Internet and Fonts. Most times when I have a minor computer burp, this fixes the problem because there was some corruption within one of the cache files.


A while back, I was having some font problems, certain programs gave me fonts different than what I had selected. I kept getting damaged font warnings from the operating system. This was discovered by having a second account that is used for testing to see if the corruption is system wide or just within a specific account. Turns out, that my corrupt font problem was with one specific account which was then corrected by safe booting into the account with the problems and my font data base was regenerated upon restarting my computer and problem was solved.

While the above problem isn't the one you are experiencing, my point is that you may need a bit of system maintenance to fix the burp.

Hope this has been helpful

Bill

 

[MJNC]

Hi Bill Grnofslt;
PLEASE don’t think that you in any way offended me! If you got that feeling from what I typed in response to you last time, it was certainly not intended that way. I say “Peace to the PrintPlanet” and I mean it. (I am a lover, not a hater!) Peace rocks!
Besides all that; the problem happened twice yesterday, and then not at all today. I even tried making it happen by creating a file, renaming it while in its folder on the desktop and adding the “.qxd”, and it won’t do it now. I’m going to take that as a sign from the Universe that I shouldn’t mess with a good thing, and just get my work done.
Quite frankly, I get the feeling that while I am doing tasks in the desktop application, I am inadvertently hitting some command that turns off my ability to edit text and use keyboard shortcuts while in the app. Even when this happens, I go into any other application that is running (or that I then start up) and those things work just fine.
Someone suggested earlier that when this happens next, I should select the file, do a “get info” for it, and see if I can change the name in the get info box. That will be my next step, when it happens again.
But right now, I just wanna finish my shift and get on with the weekend! Ya know? Of course, when this happens again next week, I will probably pick up right here where I’m leaving off.
You know - I am so incredibly fortunate to have such a collection of genius at my disposal in case of emergency, here at the PrintPlanet! Thanks so much for all of your help, suggestions and ideas; ALL OF YOU! You add a touch of sanity to otherwise crazy situations, all day long. So again, really, thanks.
I will resume the torture on Monday. I hope everyone has an incredible weekend! Peace to us all on the PrintPlanet.
_mjnc