The files names would be too long for the destination folder - error

eAtErEaK · Aug 24, 2023

I am getting this error every time I try to transfer files to a new location. All PDF.

Used instructions from here to Remove the 260 Character Path Limit with the Local Group Policy Editor.

Still no success. Any thoughts about what might be going on?

Thanks!

jimbo45 · Aug 24, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
I am getting this error every time I try to transfer files to a new location. All PDF.

Used instructions from here to Remove the 260 Character Path Limit with the Local Group Policy Editor.

Still no success. Any thoughts about what might be going on?

Thanks!

I've had that problem for ages now -- I have loads of files from a Linux NAS with around 40TB of storage space on it.

Windows iternally will remove the restriction - but a load of popular apps that are using a GUI and not the command line are still calling the old API so the restriction remains.

Some apps will work OK -- for example filezilla - but even if you move the files to a new location if you display with say file explorer the name will be shown in dos 8.3 format and you won't be able to get the original name back again !!!! or at least not without difficulty.

Download FileZilla Client for Windows (64bit x86)

Download FileZilla Client 3.66.5 for Windows (64bit x86)

filezilla-project.org

(you can also copy to local - in the remote server just enter the local directory)

Here's copying local->local with filezilla. - I'm on Linux but identical GUI on Windows)

You could use powershell to move / copy directories though. If the target folder is a LINUX type NAS - use the FREE filezilla program - works on both Windows and Linux.

cheers
jimbo

LesFerch · Aug 24, 2023

Explorer can only navigate long paths, regardless of the OS setting. Some day (some decade) Microsoft may add full long path support to Explorer. In the meantime, use a 3rd party file manager that fully supports long paths, such as Directory Opus.

Steve C · Aug 25, 2023

See this fix to enable long file paths
Enable Long File Name Support in Windows 10

That might still not work sor some apps. I've used the utility TLPD to find files having a long path then rename the files or modify the path to keep within the limit.
Download TLPD - MajorGeeks

LesFerch · Aug 25, 2023

Steve C said:
See this fix to enable long file paths
Enable Long File Name Support in Windows 10

Regardless of the LongPathsEnabled setting, Explorer can only navigate long paths.

It would be interesting to find an application that requires that setting, but I just tested a bunch of file managers and the setting appeared to make no difference. Either they supported long paths or they didn't. Based on my testing...

The following file managers fully support long paths:

Directory Opus
XYPlorer
One Commander
Total Commander
Free Commander
Double Commander
Unreal Commander
FileVoyager
Fileside
Files&Folders
Dolphin File Manager
Far Manager
7-Zip

The following file managers do not fully support long paths:

Files (files.community)
Explorer++
Xplorer2
Altap Salamander
Tablacus Explorer
Q-Dir
fman
Speed Commander
Midnight Commander
Owlfiles
FileZilla

eAtErEaK · Aug 31, 2023

LesFerch said:
Regardless of the LongPathsEnabled setting, Explorer can only navigate long paths.

It would be interesting to find an application that requires that setting, but I just tested a bunch of file managers and the setting appeared to make no difference. Either they supported long paths or they didn't. Based on my testing...

The following file managers fully support long paths:

Directory Opus
XYPlorer
One Commander
Total Commander
Free Commander
Double Commander
Unreal Commander
FileVoyager
Fileside
Files&Folders
Dolphin File Manager
Far Manager
7-Zip

The following file managers do not fully support long paths:

Files (files.community)
Explorer++
Xplorer2
Altap Salamander
Tablacus Explorer
Q-Dir
fman
Speed Commander
Midnight Commander
Owlfiles
FileZilla

Thank you for sharing these resources and for your other replies.

I should also add that this problem occurred in the context of moving as most of my files and folders to a Cryptomator vault within OneDrive. Most files transferred with no problem, but those already mentioned did not and will not. I have tried using Winmerge to move the files, but that didn't work - well, it appeared to work, and then the files weren't there. I also tried moving them using explorer.

I am about to give Double Commander a shot, though I am not quite sure where to begin :)

eAtErEaK · Aug 31, 2023

jimbo45 said:
I've had that problem for ages now -- I have loads of files from a Linux NAS with around 40TB of storage space on it.

Windows iternally will remove the restriction - but a load of popular apps that are using a GUI and not the command line are still calling the old API so the restriction remains.

Some apps will work OK -- for example filezilla - but even if you move the files to a new location if you display with say file explorer the name will be shown in dos 8.3 format and you won't be able to get the original name back again !!!! or at least not without difficulty.

Download FileZilla Client for Windows (64bit x86)

Download FileZilla Client 3.66.5 for Windows (64bit x86)

filezilla-project.org

(you can also copy to local - in the remote server just enter the local directory)

Here's copying local->local with filezilla. - I'm on Linux but identical GUI on Windows)

View attachment 68778

You could use powershell to move / copy directories though. If the target folder is a LINUX type NAS - use the FREE filezilla program - works on both Windows and Linux.

cheers
jimbo

Thanks for your reply Jimbo. I lack experience in the things you reference, so I may need to take the time to learn about Fileszilla. I am not too handy with command lines, so not certain how to begin with powershell. I am trying to move files to an encrypted Cryptomator Vault within OneDrive from another unencrypted folder within OneDrive.

eAtErEaK · Aug 31, 2023

LesFerch said:
Regardless of the LongPathsEnabled setting, Explorer can only navigate long paths.

It would be interesting to find an application that requires that setting, but I just tested a bunch of file managers and the setting appeared to make no difference. Either they supported long paths or they didn't. Based on my testing...

The following file managers fully support long paths:

Directory Opus
XYPlorer
One Commander
Total Commander
Free Commander
Double Commander
Unreal Commander
FileVoyager
Fileside
Files&Folders
Dolphin File Manager
Far Manager
7-Zip

The following file managers do not fully support long paths:

Files (files.community)
Explorer++
Xplorer2
Altap Salamander
Tablacus Explorer
Q-Dir
fman
Speed Commander
Midnight Commander
Owlfiles
FileZilla

When I use Double Commander to move some of the files by copying them from one location to another, I get asked if I want to overwrite 'existing files' in the destination folder. Strange thing is, destination folder is supposed to be empty, 0 bytes - I can't see any of the 'existing' files

LesFerch · Aug 31, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
When I use Double Commander to move some of the files by copying them from one location to another, I get asked if I want to overwrite 'existing files' in the destination folder. Strange thing is, destination folder is supposed to be empty, 0 bytes - I can't see any of the 'existing' files

My experience with Double Commander is limited to a quick long path support test I did for all of those file managers. The only two that I have used extensively are Directory Opus and XYPlorer. They're both pay apps, but free to try. I recommend trying one or both of those and see if the issue persists.

eAtErEaK · Sep 1, 2023

LesFerch said:
My experience with Double Commander is limited to a quick long path support test I did for all of those file managers. The only two that I have used extensively are Directory Opus and XYPlorer. They're both pay apps, but free to try. I recommend trying one or both of those and see if the issue persists.

I used Directory Opus as suggested and I am able to move the files from one folder to another and open those transferred files with a PDF viewer from DO, but if I navigate away from that folder and then return, all the files are gone. Weird thing though is that when I copy the files from X to Y, do tells me that Y already contains these files even though they are not visible.

LesFerch · Sep 1, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
I used Directory Opus as suggested and I am able to move the files from one folder to another and open those transferred files with a PDF viewer from DO, but if I navigate away from that folder and then return, all the files are gone. Weird thing though is that when I copy the files from X to Y, do tells me that Y already contains these files even though they are not visible.

I'd like to see if I can replicate the issue. What are your source and target paths? Are they internal drives, USB drives, or network shares?

eAtErEaK · Sep 1, 2023

LesFerch said:
I'd like to see if I can replicate the issue. What are your source and target paths? Are they internal drives, USB drives, or network shares?

All internal. Source is a folder within OneDrive Documents folder, the ottarget her is a Cryptomator Vault saved within OneDrive. (I copied my the contents of my OneDrive Documents folder to a Cryptomator vault saved in OneDrive and everything copied over without difficulty except for the contents of a few folders containing PDF files.

LesFerch · Sep 7, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
All internal. Source is a folder within OneDrive Documents folder, the ottarget her is a Cryptomator Vault saved within OneDrive. (I copied my the contents of my OneDrive Documents folder to a Cryptomator vault saved in OneDrive and everything copied over without difficulty except for the contents of a few folders containing PDF files.

I was hoping it was something simple like an internal drive and a USB drive. OneDrive and Cryptomator are two more variables I wasn't counting on. I'm going to have to take a pass on trying to recreate the issue.