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Author Topic: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working  (Read 14127 times)

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carbon_17

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All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
« on: May 02, 2020, 07:20:41 PM »
Forum members: I have been repeatedly trying to copy a large number of files from one directory to another on the same Windows 10 p.c. Over and over, just as the copying is about finished, I get the Windows message --file(s) cannot be copied, name(s) too long-- or at least that is the gist of the message. I have been to many websites that claim they can supply a solution. And, I have tried many of these. All no goes. Would any forum member be able to suggest something that is going to work? Thank you for your feedback. 
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patio

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Re: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2020, 08:02:36 PM »
Try them in increments...
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

shkdn



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    Re: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
    « Reply #2 on: May 02, 2020, 10:05:35 PM »
    Looks like the filepath has reached the Windows limit. 260 characters. You can try few ways around this:

    i. https://mspoweruser.com/ntfs-260-character-windows-10/

    ii. Creating "Shares" for the purpose of the copy which shortens the path virtually.

    i.e. The path is

    E:\Apple\MobileSync\Backup\0247a33ba73acbea48f7714650064ce1dfe45e43\0c\A\B\12312312d123123123123131s12e1e1e1e1231s1s1s12312312sd1d12d12\C

    Using the steps attached at 0.png the path will become shared (and shortened in the process) to \\YOURCOMPUTERNAME\C

    Copying would work now.

    carbon_17

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    Re: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
    « Reply #3 on: May 08, 2020, 02:29:49 PM »
    Sorry, I do not understand creating "shares," however, I did try altering the registry. I am not sure if it took or not. Thank you.
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    patio

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    Re: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
    « Reply #4 on: May 08, 2020, 03:16:00 PM »
    Why on earth edit the registry ? ?...Just simplify the path name by making a new folder and only using the file names...
    " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

    BC_Programmer


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    Re: All "solutions" to "too long file name(s)" not working
    « Reply #5 on: May 08, 2020, 05:41:21 PM »
    There is no usable solution. The solutions you can find online answer the question of *copying* the file, but they leave out that doing so makes it very difficult to use the copied files. Once copied vias the various workarounds, the files longer than the maximum path length will be quite difficult to access, requiring rather involved workarounds each time. realistically, it just cuts you off from those files that have longer paths.

    The best alternative is to reduce the length of the names of directories to try to reduce the maximum length of the full file path of the most deeply nested files in that structure, as it seems the copy target location has a longer path than the source location which is enough of a difference to make the longer filenames/paths in the copied files be too long.
    I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.