LOL, never mind, after a day of hard work anything can happen :-))
I'm glad I could give you some ideas, though :-)

>Tom - i won't even tell you what i did wrong - you won't bother to help me again. Thanks so much for accurate code - unfortunately in the hands of incompentence it's not going to work. But i've seen the light. all is good now - i am on the right path and will use your sample for my program with gratitude and humility.
>k
>
>>I assume, that you adopted my sample to your needs, as I didn't implement the target path.
>>If so, you should check that you use a Backslash instead of a Slash after C:. This might already do the trick.
>>
>>Here are two versions how you could implement a path:
>>

>>* Version 1
>>* uses a default path 
>>lcPath = [c:\vaniermu\]
>>lcSrcFName = [MyOriginalFile.txt]
>>lcNewFName = INPUTBOX( [Filename] , [Define the name of the file] , [MyNewFile] , 0 , [] , [MyNewFile] )
>>lcNewFName = FORCEEXT( lcNewFName , JUSTEXT( lcSrcFName ) )
>>COPY FILE ( lcPath + lcSrcFName ) TO (  lcPath + lcNewFName )
>>
>>*Version 2
>>* uses the path from the sourcefile
>>lcSrcFName = [c:\vaniermu\MyOriginalFile.txt]
>>lcNewFName = INPUTBOX( [Filename] , [Define the name of the file] , [MyNewFile] , 0 , [] , [MyNewFile] )
>>lcNewFName = FORCEEXT( lcNewFName , JUSTEXT( lcSrcFName ) )
>>COPY FILE ( lcSrcFName ) TO (  ADDBS( JUSTPATH( lcSrcFName ) ) + lcNewFName )
>>

>>
>>>>Hi Karen,
>>>>
>>>>as Naomi already wrote, FORCEEXT() is the function you should use.
>>>>
>>>>

>>>>lcSrcFName = [MyOriginalFile.txt]
>>>>lcNewFName = INPUTBOX( [Filename] , [Define the name of the file] , [MyNewFile] , 0 , [] , [MyNewFile] )
>>>>lcNewFName = FORCEEXT( lcNewFName , JUSTEXT( lcSrcFName ) )
>>>>COPY FILE ( lcSrcFName ) TO ( lcNewFName )
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>

>>>>>@ 0,1 say "Re-Name File:  " get fln
>>>>>READ
>>>>>fln = rtrim(fln)
>>>>>COPY FILE m.txt to c:\vaniermu\&fln
>>>>>

>>>>
>>>>>Is there a way to test the extension of data entered.
>>>>>Here i ask if the operator wants to name the file but if the extension txt is not typed
>>>>>i would like the program to add it automatically. Any siggestons would be appreciated
>>>>>thanks K
>>>>>
>>>>>

>>>>>@ 0,1 say "Re-Name File:  " get fln
>>>>>READ
>>>>>fln = rtrim(fln)
>>>>>COPY FILE m.txt to c:\vaniermu\&fln
>>>>>

>>>
>>>thanks tom - i like the format of this - it starts out nicely but breaks down on the last line - with message
>>>

>>>C:/MyOriginalFile.txt does not exist
>>>

>>>seems like the entry option does not translate to the new title i type in.
>>>maybe i'm doing something wrong in the set up. the file i'm viewing is called m.txt - am i missing a line of code that i should be inserting somewhere. many thanks for your suggestion.
>>>k