Renaming a Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 9, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There is no intrinsic command within Word that allows you to rename documents or files, as there is in some other programs. It is true that you can simply save a document out under a new name, but that results in two files on your drive instead of one. You can use the following steps to rename a document quickly and easily, all within Word:

Make sure the document you want to rename is not loaded into Word. (Close it if it is loaded.)
Click on the Open tool on the toolbar or choose Open from the File menu. You will see the Open dialog box.
In the list of files contained in the dialog box, right-click on the one you want to rename. This displays a Context menu for the document.
Choose Rename from the Context menu. The document name is highlighted, and you have the opportunity to change the name.
Once the document name is changed, press Enter.
Close the Open dialog box by clicking on Cancel.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1115) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Bogging Down with Calculated Items

Create a complex PivotTable and you may find that your system slows to a crawl. The reason for this may be due to the way ...

Discover More

Using the Camera in VBA

The camera tool allows you to capture dynamic "pictures" of portions of a worksheet. If you want to use the camera tool ...

Discover More

Making Highlighting Disappear when Typing

Select a highlighted word or phrase and start typing, and Word maintains the highlighting on what you enter. If this ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Can't Get Rid of Unwanted Recovery File

Sometimes Word can get confused, and it may think that it needs to recover files that you are sure no longer exist. If ...

Discover More

The Case of the Disappearing MRU File List

If the MRU list has disappeared, follow this tip to reactivate the list in Word.

Discover More

Determining if a Document is Corrupt

Think you might have a corrupt document? There is no easy way to tell if this is the case, but there are some things you ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 8 - 5?

2024-03-09 05:12:25

Ian Hills

Dear Allen
I think I have discovered a way to change the name of a Word document with the document file open (I find it more convenient not to close the file first). I have only tried it on Word for Mac, so I don't know if it works with other versions.

With the document you want to rename open:
1. Right click on the title of the document displayed in the grey area at the very top. This will display the filepath as a drop down.
2, Left click on the first item in the filepath list. This will display a dialog box containing the list of files in that filepath.
3.Right click on the file you want to rename and select 'rename' in the dropdown.
4.Change the name and press enter.
5.Close the dialog box. This returns you to the open document. After you make any change to that document the new filename appears in the grey area at the top of the page.

I hope you find this useful.
Ian

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.