Windows 8 long file names

[x_kzy_xd]

I have some files with very long file names or directories. I mostly created these files on my Mac, but I sometimes store them on my PCs as well.

The problem is that although my Macs can read and write to them, Windows 8 can't. Thus my PC is unable to read or even move these files. Is there any way I can fix this?

Unfortunately, making them shorter is not an option.

 

[mikeymikec]

Unfortunately, making them shorter is not an option.

Why not?

Also, are you storing these files in a very long path?

EG:

C:\Users\Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore\Documents\Hopeless convoluted\File Structure\That is probably possible\not to have as one folder inside the other\I think that giving Word documents names is too difficult and so I just let it default to the first sentence inside the file is easier.doc

If you insist on using extremely long file names/paths, why not relocate say your Documents folder to the root of C drive and work from there?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Unless you have a deep directory structure; then not making them shorter is your choice; not the systems' fault.

Or map some virtual drives into the directory structure.

 

[mikeymikec]

Furthermore, I think either of the workarounds that have been suggested will probably come back round to bite you in the ass.

 

[Dahak]

I have ran into this with an architectural firm. Because of the file name and path limits, you cannot have more than 250 characters as this is the limit to ntfs.

there is no way around it other than shorting the path

 

[x_kzy_xd]

I have ran into this with an architectural firm. Because of the file name and path limits, you cannot have more than 250 characters as this is the limit to ntfs.

there is no way around it other than shorting the path

I'm not sure if it's an issue inherent to NTFS or if it's something Explorer is doing. When I write to SMB shares on my PC from my Mac, I am able to move, delete, open, and edit long file names and paths

 

[QuietDad]

one of the tricks you can do in Windows to get around this is in the CMD window. Say you have a really ling path line C:\directory1\directory2\directory3\directory4\directory5\reallylong.filename.

You can set environment variable in CMD with

SET D1= \directory1
SET D2= \directory2
SET D3= \directory3
SET D4= \directory4
SET D5= \directory5
SET FN= reallylong.filename

then use COPYFILE C:\%D1%%D2%%D3%%D4%%D5%\%FN% new file location and namename

or even COPYFILE C:\%D1%%D2%%D3%%D4%%D5%\*.* new file location and name

to get the whole directory

 

[sm625]

I've had a similar thing happen and I think its not just the file name length but also the length of the entire path. I had a bunch of junk files I was trying to delete and it would not let me delete them. But then I started renaming the parent folders to 1, 2, 3 etc, the shortest possible names. Then it let me delete the junk files.

 

[karbyn]

Previous versions of Win, you could drop to dos mode to find a shorter pathname

C:\Users\Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore\Documents\Hopeless convoluted\File Structure\That is probably possible\not to have as one folder inside the other\

would look something like this:

C:\Users\Profes%1\Docume%1\Hopele%1\FileSt%1\Thatis%1\nottoh%1\

 

[nickbits]

Make symbolic links that point to deep within the directory structure then reference the path using the short alias.

e.g. Make C:\A point to C:\Some\Thing is really long\here, then you can use C:\A\rest of path

 

[code65536]

Actually, the maximum path that Windows supports is pretty high. Something like 32K (or was it 64K? it's been a while).

The path limit that you are running into is the legacy 260-character MAX_PATH limit. That limit exists mostly for compatibility reasons, since many programs were never designed to handle long paths (many just allocate a static buffer on the stack, which is almost never as long as 32K).

If you preface a path with "\\?\" (e.g., "\\?\C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc"), it will tell Windows to ignore that limit. Obviously, it won't help if whatever program that you're using is poorly written and doesn't handle long paths properly.

 

[oynaz]

If you preface a path with "\\?\" (e.g., "\\?\C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc"), it will tell Windows to ignore that limit. Obviously, it won't help if whatever program that you're using is poorly written and doesn't handle long paths properly.

Like Windows Explorer. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, has added support for long paths to Windows, but not to Windows Explorer.

But your answer is bang on

 

[fire400]

we get this a lot... when we do mass data back ups for clients. i'm like.. wtf..
it's hella annoying, seriously. some of the sh!t won't copy over, and we have to pinpoint files just to move them across entire directories, sometimes hundreds of thousands of documents... it's a mothRvken pain in the neck.

4 1/2 stars, is amazing, isn't it?
http://download.cnet.com/Bulk-Rename-Utility/3000-2248_4-10174242.html

zip folders and linux, too, can solve this problem.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...o-long-cannot-copy-contd?forum=w7itprogeneral

 

[brianok]

Try LONG PATH TOOL!!! It will be the best solution

 

[brianok]

I would recommend you to use LONG PATH TOOL!!!:thumbsup:

 

[RampantAndroid]

Actually, the maximum path that Windows supports is pretty high. Something like 32K (or was it 64K? it's been a while).

The path limit that you are running into is the legacy 260-character MAX_PATH limit. That limit exists mostly for compatibility reasons, since many programs were never designed to handle long paths (many just allocate a static buffer on the stack, which is almost never as long as 32K).

If you preface a path with "\\?\" (e.g., "\\?\C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc"), it will tell Windows to ignore that limit. Obviously, it won't help if whatever program that you're using is poorly written and doesn't handle long paths properly.

MAX_PATH is 260 characters. NTFS goes up to 32,000 characters, but often Windows does not. Get under 260 or create symlinks. All there is to it, aside from finding programs that support NTFS' limit, and not MAX_PATH.

 

[coffeejunkee]

I would recommend you to use LONG PATH TOOL!!!:thumbsup:

That might work but it costs money. Haven't tried it but there might be some limits during trial time. If you just want to delete the files you can also use unlocker for free.

It's annoying this limit still exists in the 21th century.