Windows Explorer GUI to handle Long Paths?
We are receiving and increasing number of files from attorneys with paths greater than 300 characters. We receive the files on DVD and copy them to the network using windows explorer and have no problems getting the files onto the network. However, when it comes time to copy the folder structure to another location or delete the files, the users receive a path length too long error. So the end users call us IT guys to deal with the problem. Which usually works however last night I finally hit a path length that even Robocopy won't handle and am stuck with a batch of files I can't do anything with.
So my question is two fold... One is there a user friendly GUI out there somewhere that my users can have to deal with this themselves? Two any suggestions for how to use Robocopy or something else to copy from the network to an external hard drive(NTFS). I'm down to about 10 files with a path length of 400+ characters that I desperately need copied.
Windows 7 64 bit -> server 2003 and Server 2008R2
Thanks
Steve
So my question is two fold... One is there a user friendly GUI out there somewhere that my users can have to deal with this themselves? Two any suggestions for how to use Robocopy or something else to copy from the network to an external hard drive(NTFS). I'm down to about 10 files with a path length of 400+ characters that I desperately need copied.
Windows 7 64 bit -> server 2003 and Server 2008R2
Thanks
Steve
IanTh
ntfs has a physical limit of 255 for chars
ASKER
For a single file name 255 is correct. but for the entire path plus file name NTFS will support
32,760 Unicode characters with each path component no more than 255 characters. Unfortunately Windows Explorer it's self will only support a path length of 260.
Curiously, I am able to create folders and file names in Word 2010 that are way over the 260 limit of Windows Explorer. So I can Create them in word but once I do that I can't use windows explorer to move copy or delete the file. How is this not a bug??? I understand for all the reading I've been doing that the programs that are creating the files are using a different API than Windows Explorer does so that's why they can create these crazy paths. The question is... Why can't Microsoft use an alternate API as well? Or at least provide a tool to effectively deal with this issue.
32,760 Unicode characters with each path component no more than 255 characters. Unfortunately Windows Explorer it's self will only support a path length of 260.
Curiously, I am able to create folders and file names in Word 2010 that are way over the 260 limit of Windows Explorer. So I can Create them in word but once I do that I can't use windows explorer to move copy or delete the file. How is this not a bug??? I understand for all the reading I've been doing that the programs that are creating the files are using a different API than Windows Explorer does so that's why they can create these crazy paths. The question is... Why can't Microsoft use an alternate API as well? Or at least provide a tool to effectively deal with this issue.
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