Help needed with copying files with very long *pathnames* -- plz & thnx!

[nhmxxx]

Hello folks:
I am trying to copy a folder to another disk -- on Windows 7.
The folder has subfolders and files, and this way there are many hierarchical subfolders. So the files down at the bottommost subfolders have really long path-names from the root folder. That is: the path-name, e.g., folder\sub-folder\sub-sub-folder\.....\file is quite long.

Now, the standard drag and drop (or copy and paste) does not work satisfactorily. It complains that the path-names are too long. I would rather not move the affected folders and files higher up in the hierarchy to shorten the path-names because logically they belong to where they are now.

So, the question is if someone really knows how to copy such hierarchically deep folders. I am not sure but someone told me that the *Copy/Paste* cannot handle path-names longer than 164 characters. My file path-names are much longer than 164 characters.

Also, I tried *Robocopy* (available from Microsoft tech. site) which supposedly copies files with long path-names. The problem I ran into here was that the *number* of folders and files in the destination drive is *not* the same (after copying) as that at source. So, I really have no faith that *every* folder and file has been copied by *Robocopy*.

If someone has some tips for me I would greatly appreciate that.
Thanks very much.
nhmxxx

[Geek-9pm]

In Windows 7 and Vista one can synchronize two folders. Have you looked in this as a possible solution?
This may provide some helpful information.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Sync-Center-frequently-asked-questions

[nhmxxx]

Thanks Geek for your speedy reply; much appreciated.
So I have used *iomega* external drive and it had features to do a backup on the fly or at scheduled times.
This worked for folders and files there were not hierarchically deep (i.e., long paths). May times, I had to shorten file or folder names so that it would do the backup of these. Very frustrating ....

So, what I need is a tool that would copy my source folders and files, no matter how long the path names are, to the destination drive.
Now, *Robocopy* (http://www.sqlmag.com/article/sql-server/tool-tip-the-awesomeness-of-robocopy) I believe does that but the result shows that the number of folders and files in the source and destination are *not* the same after doing the Robocopy. Thus, my confidence is rather low that everything has been copies to the destination drive.

Any more ideas?
cheers and thanks for now!!!
nhmxxx

[Geek-9pm]

No solution yet.
First identify the problem.

From IBM. May apple to Windows also.

Folder hierarchy depth and path length limitations
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cmgmt/v8r4m0/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.installingcmqkr.doc/qkrcf036.htm

[nhmxxx]

Thanks!!!!! will look into this .... and will appreciate it if you come across something that you think might be a solution.
Cheers!!!

[Geek-9pm]

More stuff.
http://download.cnet.com/Path-Copy/3000-2072_4-10036463.html

There is a solution to this, but it ,is beyond my abilities.
You need an stand alone application tat does not depend on Windows Explorer.
Either a convoluted  script or maybe a C++ program.
The issue is Windows Explorer.Any  Application that call into the Windows Explorer stuff will fail on extreme long path/file names.

The path, I thin k, can be 255 chars, and the file name can be 67 chars. Not sure where I saw that. Depth beyond 4 is an issue.

Yet apparently the system can actually do very long paths. Duh?