I recently started having this issue, and aparrently I’m not alone as others are also complaining of this issue. Some have reported it to be update KB980408, but that uninstalling it won’t fix the issue? I cannot confirm or deny this, as there’s a registry patch/fix instead.
For reference, this is the error in question (when trying to rename a folder).
And here are some hotfix registry patches to apply to fix the issue. I’m sure Microsoft will get enough complaints about this to fix the issue, but in the meantime this should do the trick. As always, use this at your own risk, and don’t touch it if you’re unaware of what the registry is.
FolderFix – Includes both x64 and x86 versions, and should work on Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
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Good day Corey
It works 100% in W7 Pro 64-bit, super!
One question, do you have a ‘uninstall’ or revert reg file?
I made a full backup of the registry before running yr folderfix for just in case. Obviously I will not know the impact till after a few days but by then it will be too late to apply the backup.
Again, many thanks for yr efforts. This issue has been killing me slowly for weeks.
PS How come MS not aware???
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Corey DeGrandchamp Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:33 PM
I don’t have a backup, but you should be able to open the .reg in wordpad and see the referenced keys!
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Thanks Corey for the quick response. I suppose I could fiddle (at my own risk) with the 258 keys, i.e. if they are all newly added keys?
If some are modified keys then it is out of the question. As far as I can detect I could make a new reg file and add a “-” in front of all the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entries and that should do the trick?
Dumb question but you can just say yes or no and I’m still a happy user of yr solution.
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Corey Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 11:17 AM
@Roy, Oh wow, I forgot the .reg files were that large. The only things it should really be affecting are the “Folder Description” entries of the registry.
I’ve noticed one ill effect from this though, if you used a registry hack to disable the “Libraries” feature of Windows 7, this turns it back on, but that’s it. Other than that I’ve had this registry key applied for a long time. I had to recently re-apply it after a Windows Update, but it still works like a charm.
As far as an “undo” .reg key, I do not have one, I apologize. In the the future any .reg fixes I release will be sure to include an undo .reg file to accompany it!
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Anonymous Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:40 PM
@Corey,
Now that you mention Libraries, I used another reg hack four months ago to switch those folders off and only noticed now that they are back again. No big deal, I’ll run that reg hack again.
In any case do you confirm that I can make an undo reg of yr hack (the applicable 258 keys) by placing a “-” in front of each HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entry?
Later today that large ‘patch Tuesday’ will be coming through and I wonder what impact that have.
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Corey DeGrandchamp Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 2:23 PM
@, I’m not sure if you can just remove the keys or not, this fix was from along time ago. Really the only thing you’d be reverting to is a broken copy of Windows though, so it never occurred to me to produce a reversal reg. I wouldn’t know where to begin to check this out since my system is already modified with the registry keys in question. Sorry Roy.
Anonymous Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 5:47 PM
@Corey DeGrandchamp,
Thanks Corey, no problem, it is doing its task perfectly and I’m happy.
Corey DeGrandchamp Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 6:02 PM
@, In fact, thinking about it a bit makes me think that perhaps us using a registry hack to disable “Libraries” may be the actual reason for this issue in the first place?
It may well be but before I applied the ‘Disable Libraries’ script, 11 Feb, I Googled and found quite a few but they were all the same, modifying the identical 9 keys.
I had no side effects till about a month ago when the folder issue started, and as you’ve also said, and that may have been due to a Windows update?
Today you’ll find tons of complaints on the Web regarding this issue and me thinks that many folk applied this remove Libraries hack since Sept 2009 when it became available.
I do have a ‘Restore Default Settings.reg’ (12 keys) to counter the original ‘Disable Libraries’ (9 keys) but doubt if usable at this late stage.
Most probably what is now in big demand, and impossible challenge, is a fix to fix the fix
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Worked for me! Thanks, after searching hundreds of pages, you have it!
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Works fine!
Thank you!
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I found this fix in two separate forums – same file. I backed up my registry and held my breath and – lo and behold! – yup, it worked.
So I’m thanking both contributors. Now my backup application will work . It quit when I couldn’t make folders.
So thanks and have a virtual Molson’s on me!
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It worked. I imported it (even forgot to make a backup of the registry) and after a restart there’s no problem with renaming files or folders.
Thanks a lot!
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THANK YOU!!
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Works. Thank you!
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Doesn’t work for me in Windows 7 64bit. Ran the hotfix above and rebooted, still asks to verify location when I try to delete or rename the file … very frustrating. I have a 0kb size file on my desktop I cant get rid of!
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Thank you for the fix. This problem has been driving me mad.
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It works, thanks alot.
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Thanks, it worked unlike everyone else’s methods.
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Thank you so much! It works!!
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Yup, that fixed it for me too – my thanks!
It’s been driving me nuts since it started a week or so back (and just when I was beginning to think Win 7 was more reliable than any version since Windows 3.11 too!)
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Worked for me too. My computer only seemed to get the folder problem when I installed a Windows update just before upgrading to SP1. Thanks!
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This also worked fine for me. I’d applied the no libraries hack mentioned earlier, and it must have caused the problem.
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Problem gone. Thanks a million.
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You are my hero!
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Unfortunately it didn’t work for me,.
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yup worked for me: Win7 Ultimutt 32. ps I also had killed off the AMSI (another stoopid microsoft idea) Library, done it over a year ago; I was worried this fix would resurrect it as some others have noted but for me thankfully it did not.
.. long live xp ..
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Got the .zip file downloaded, see the reg entries. Where do I extract them to in order to solve the problem?
Thanks!
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Corey DeGrandchamp Reply:
November 10th, 2011 at 9:05 AM
@CCC, You just simply double click them and confirm you want to add the data to the registry.
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Just in case this would help someone: I was applying this brilliant fix quite a long time ago, and it works like a charm, and even stupid Libraries I disabled even earlier didn’t reappear.
But today, on November 11, 2011, this shit starts again! Any folder renaming is interrupted with this stupid message. Only 2 things do change in my system TODAY:
1. I installed MS Office Word 2003
2. I installed automated “Update for Windows 7 (KB2641690)”
I don’t know which action to blame, if any, but the fact is: I checked my registry, and every key now have only a single “/” instead of double “//” in respected places, just as if this reg-fix was never applied by me! So, I run the fix once again, and it is now all back to normal. Thank you! Just keep in mind that MAYBE this update or MS Office installation cause this. And for now I’m saving this page in bookmarks and I’m saving this FolderFix.zip on my PC, just in case this will happen again.
Microsoft, eat shit!!!!
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Corey DeGrandchamp Reply:
November 11th, 2011 at 12:51 PM
@Mayhnaus, Its a side-effect of disabling libraries and running certain updates for Windows 7 – so in this case it was the automatic update that killed it.
Just keep the .reg files handy, or revert back to keeping Libraries enabled
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Wow…Works like magic..Thanks bro,
You saved my day
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thanks a lot!!!
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[...] there is a reference to a registry fix Here You may want to check it [...]
Thanks! Worked perfectly on server 2008 r2
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Thanks alot !
You saved my desk
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Saved me, thank you!
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I had this problem for specific folders and was unable to install an application (that failed when trying to move a folder), which essentially rendered my machine useless for work. After a lot of frustration and just before reinstalling, I found this solution – and it worked thank you very much!
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Keywords: Libraries registry fix, regedit, “could not find this item” windows 7 sp1, “item no longer located”, rename folder, delete folder, move folder, KB980408
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I cannot tell you how thrilled I am by your .reg file fix!!! I use Win7Pro 32bit. A year or so ago I screwed up the libaries (and the win media player, which stopped recognizing the library). I could not find a fix anywhere, and was resigned to a clean install (NOT desired, I tweak a LOT) or a repair install; however, an RI was not workable because I have a DELL OEM version, etc. Suffice to say, after many months of half-hearted attempts to correct the problems, I concluded the ONLY solution was a clean install. Then I installed a pile of updates and had the folder problem listed above. I found your site and installed the .reg file and VOILA!!!! In addition to fixing the folder problem, it fixed all of my library problems as well! All of them! Everything works again as it did before I screwed up the libraries, including Media Player. Basically, your .reg solution fixed a much bigger problem than the annoying missing folder issue. I cannot say thank you enough. You really ougt to list this fix somewhere as a fix for all manner of win7 ills that involve libraries, media player issues, etc. Just THANK YOU very much!
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Magnificent fix. I’ve looked everywhere and found so little real information on this fix that I nearly gave up. This fix installed with so little effort and worked like a charm. Kudos Corey.
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Great! Works immediately without restart on my Win 7 64 bit… Bravo!
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didn’t work for me, tried a previous reg fix b4 this, no luck!!!!!!! i’m bummed.
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Thank you kind sir/computer angel, you ended a huge hassle on my PC!!!!!
<3
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[...] this item" when creating folders THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS FIX!!! It works so well! http://www.techjawa.com/2010/05/01/g…ind-this-item/ Take it easy, [...]
Thank you so much! Months of frustration — it’s finally over!
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Thank you very much! It does work on my Windows 32bit. You don’t even need restart, thanks a lot
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THANK YOU MAN YOUR THE BEST BRO IT WORKED FOR ME LOVE YOU BRO TAKE CARE!!!
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Just needed this today … I think I did have “Libraries” disabled. It happend right after a “Windows Update”.
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Ditto pcunite – I ran the Reg again and all back to normal.
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Worked great here on Win7 Pro 32bit…wonder if removing the libraries had anything to do with this? Didn’t happen before running that reg editing file.
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Win7 X64 — fix worked a charm, thanks a ton! =)
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Thanks so much! I have been to all of Microsoft’s so called help sites. But of course, since they made this mess the first time, with their lovely updates years ago. They will not be the one to release a fix. I do not keep all of my icons on the desktop. I have over 200 puzzle games of various types! Making new folders, in my games folder, must not make them very happy? I do not in any other way mess with my computer. In my opinion I pay too much money for MS to control what I do with it anyway. Being a file mover and occasionally renaming new files that have nothing to do with their system makes that none of their business. No I am not a puppet who will use My computer exactly the way they design it to be used. I have been using a computer for years, and I have My own system. And that is why I am so glad people such as you who share your knowledge.
Thanks again, Donnalou
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THANK YOU!!!
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Tornado Reply:
October 7th, 2012 at 7:29 PM
If you apply the registry key and you still have the problem restart your PC and apply the fix again.
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will this fix work for a photo that was downloaded with my iphone 3gs that is no longer in my posession? It says it can’t find this item instead of folder..
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Corey Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 9:00 AM
@mel, No it wont, sorry.
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IT DON’T FUCKING WORK DICKHEADS.
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Corey Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 9:16 AM
@FUCKING SHIT, Perhaps you’re unaware of how to use a registry key. Or you don’t have the problem as described caused from disabling Libraries via the registry.
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Thank you so very much
I’ve had this problem for some time and given it seemed to have a fairly high profile kept expecting MS to resolve it
Are MS really incapable of comprehending how irritating these types of failures are
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Phew! Thank you, Corey! I have been putting up with this annoying little problem for so (I can’t even remember how) long, but today, doing a lot of tasks that needed many new folders, it finally got on my tits enough to actually look for a solution; hence I found this page. It worked straight away. No reboot or faffing about. Fantastic. Bravo!
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remove&549f1a88660bd127d0ce2499d228dc42_NX
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