Solutions in fixing path too long error in your Windows computer?

I been noticing some video/zip files that I have once download if they are far to big to move as my topic says makes it hard to moves large file names around beyond zip or rename is there another way around this problem? Can I regedit to allow longer file name to move? I am using Windows 7x64 Ult Sp1 with all the latest updates with IE11 and FF30. Has anyone found a way around this limitation beyond what I zip/rename?? I read other threads and one said to download a hotfix but that doesn't apply to my O/S as told me when I tried to install it. So more help would needed here if anyone with in-depth programming skills has tackled this problem limitation?

 

More than 255 characters? Why would someone name a file with more than that? Sounds just absurd to me unless that person is sending a message in the filename and needs so many words to convey it.

 

Is not the name, is the path, and the path have more folders that can have long names. Longer names are a good thing for folders because they are more descriptive for example. Long names means just longer names not ridiculously long names. So when you have several folders as such you can easily get over the 255 chars limit, so problems appears.

 

I looked into this once before only to find that the limit is 255 characters including the path plus file name.
You can try unzipping it into the root of the drive that way nothing is really changing the length. Because unzipping into another existing folder would add to the length.
When copying windows will truncate to make it fit, sometimes just re-adding the extension will work.

Edit: Simplify the folder structure afterwards.

 

It was saved with a long file name but why is it that I can not move it if it can save such a file name? That doesn't make any sense it can save but you can't move it?

 

I think I understand what you're saying. I haven't tried every possible scenario, but I vaguely recall trying to move to another folder and it was a one way trip - it moved them alright but truncated the last few characters including the extensions on the ones that were too long.

Anyway, so if you're trying to move a file 249 Chars. 245+.??? to C:\ it should be ok. All formatting accounted for too: colons and backslashes and periods. So C:\Windows is 10 Chars. you could then create a file 244 Chars. long including the period and extension. If you try to move the file from there to a folder such as C:\Windows\Stuff - it will cut off 6 Chars including the extension, or deny you outright.

I also actually think it is 254 Chars. max, but not sure. Probably safe though with "1" leftover just in case

 

Instead of handling those files on your desktop or other profile folders, make a dedicated folder on C:\ or other drive root.

 

That would be good of which I do but once it saves to that folder it refuses to let me move it. I already have the setup just mentioned - I already have dedicated drives it's when you first download it will save it to that location but refuses to let you move the file should you need to move files around to not take up so much space. That is the problem.

 

Could you manage to rename it instead? averylongfilename.zip to x.zip for example, likewise for the folders.

 

IIRC, the problem is that Windows Explorer can't deal with very long path names. However, you ought to be able to move/rename it from the command prompt, with the "move" command. You can also use wildcards - asterisks like * - in place of typing out the entire file name when moving.

There probably are Explorer replacements out there that do support very long file names, but I'm not aware of any off the top of my head.

 

Thise are my last best options to do to move long file names....if all else fails.

 

That's weird ... I thought they changed the limit from 2^8-1 to 2^16 -1 for Vista and higher to support unicode better

Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces (Windows)


Well, I never noticed the limit since I use the cygwin bash shell for a long time. I know that works over the limit.

I wonder if powershell lets you go over.

 

That's the crutch I do recall if I move it within the hard drive that it resides at I think it does move it - it is when you move it to another separate HDD that it can't do the move but I think copy will make a copy of the file but will modify the date it was moved so it won't be like the original had on it. But I'll have to go and test it again to see.

 

I don't think Window explorer keep some of the file attributes if you are moving to another disk/location.

I vaguely remember using the robocopy command to preserve them.

 

I know it doesn't keep the create date for one.