Home > Posts > Windows 7 issue: can’t copy filename of files on read-only media

Windows 7 issue: can’t copy filename of files on read-only media

Just came across one more case of trying to over-protect users and in the way losing functionality (maybe originally unforeseen functionality, but which is nevertheless useful to many end-users).

At Windows 7, Microsoft doesn’t allow you anymore to press F2 or click on a filename to enter edit more for it when the file resides on a read-only media (like a DVD-ROM).

Moreover when you right click the file and select Properties, the filename field at the properties dialog is at a disabled editbox and somebody from the Windows UI team must have taken “disabling” an editbox literally, making the action disable even selecting and copying text from it instead of just making it read-only.

So one would think they would be able to right-click the file, select Copy and then Paste the filepath onto an editbox. No, again no one thought of also putting a text flavor with the full file path on the clipboard so that user could paste it to a textbox (Clipboard supports multiple data flavours for copied items and when you paste an app can select which flavours it knows and might care to use). Think I have suggested that to Microsoft long time ago, but still not implemented.

 

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  1. Nick
    2011/11/14 at 20:10

    Yeh, I also ran into a such problem. It is a real problem for me in Win7. What am I supposed to do to copy a plenty of filenames(not files but only their titles) from read-only sources???

    Should I now just manually reprint them or perhaps use some filemanagers?

    Another stupidness from MS……….

  2. Roby GOD
    2013/10/11 at 14:00

    Just had the same necessity and discovered the problem. For those in need, there is a workaround:Win+R, type cmd to open a terminal, type : to go to your DVD, type dir >> c:\.txt This will create a text file in c: in which you’ll find the list of files of the DVD. dir /s should also list the content of the subfolders.

  3. leslysab
    2013/11/08 at 00:18

    Try Long Path Tool, I’ve been using this for over a year now guaranteed fix.

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