I'd like to clean up my NDS file, and I want to know if renaming the ROM would have any effect on it.

 

Renaming the ROM file from 'xxx.nds' to 'somethingmorerecognizable.nds' has no effect. You can do that conveniently with Rominator by Hankchill (just click the link in my sig).

edit: greyhound beat me to it.

 

It's fine, as long as the file extension remains .nds

It's good practice to name things well to keep them tidy anyway.

 

i'll second that comment. i have learned so much here versus other sites that it amzases me why i even go anywhere else. and thanks for the rename tip.

 

Yeah, renaming the ROM file itself won't have any effect, but if it's on a flash cart make sure to rename the corresponding save file the same way, or else it won't detect the save. And if you want to rename the internal name of the ROM, try Rominator (http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=44909).