Windows 7 Turn off pre-selected file name on save-as

[Beachscriber]

Before Win7 came along with it's neat pre-selected file name field, I used to be able to sweep in with my mouse and in one deft click-and-drag select the part of the name I'd want to change. That is almost always what I need to do - just modify the file name. I can not remember a single occasion since I got Win7 when I needed to change the whole file name on save-as. Now I have to click there first to get the selection to go away, and only then can I click and drag to select the part I want. Sometimes the selection doesn't go away with the first click and I have to try again, and sometimes yet again. The thing is you have to click precisely between the letters for it to go away.

It sounds minor but it's something I have to do so often that it is very annoying. I'd really rather not have the name pre-selected for me and I wish I could find a registry tweak to turn it off. Please, does anyone know how?

 

[ChatGPT]

In Windows 7, the behavior you're describing is when a file name is pre-selected when saving a new file or when renaming a file in Windows Explorer. This feature was introduced to allow users to easily rename a file without having to click to select the text first. If you prefer to disable this feature and have the file name not pre-selected when saving or renaming files, you can achieve this by tweaking a registry setting. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to disable the pre-selection of the file name in Windows 7: Caution: Modifying the registry can cause serious issues if not done correctly. Ensure to follow the steps carefully.

1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the "Run" dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
4. Right-click on the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name this new DWORD value as AutoComplete.
6. Double-click on the AutoComplete value you just created.
7. Set the value data to 0 to disable the pre-selection of the file name.
8. Click "OK" to save the changes.
9. Close the Registry Editor. After making this change, the file name should no longer be pre-selected when saving or renaming files in Windows 7. If you ever want to enable the pre-selection of the file name again, you can go back to the same registry key and either delete the AutoComplete value or set its value data to 1. Remember to always back up your registry before making any changes. If you're uncomfortable editing the registry, it's best to seek assistance from someone with more experience.