Too long file names when copying

[Guest]

When I copy files with long (I didn't know there was a limit) file names I get

"Cannot copy myfilewithaveryveryveryveryverylonglongfilename:

The resulting file name is too long. Specify a different file name."

Well, I have saved this file on one Win XP Pro SP2 computer and want to
transfer it to another Win XP Pro SP2 computer. Is there a way to solve this
problem or do I have to change the file name before I copy it and then change
it back?

 

[Guest]

OVERLY LONG FILE NAMES - as impediment to COPYING FILES
http://www.mcse.ms/archive65-2005-8-1800912.html

 

[mamamia]

When I copy files with long (I didn't know there was a limit) file names I get

"Cannot copy myfilewithaveryveryveryveryverylonglongfilename:

The resulting file name is too long. Specify a different file name."

Well, I have saved this file on one Win XP Pro SP2 computer and want to
transfer it to another Win XP Pro SP2 computer. Is there a way to solve this
problem or do I have to change the file name before I copy it and then change
it back?

Windows sees the "file name" as the entire path of the file (ex.
c:\temp\file.txt) instead of just the name of the file (ex. file.txt)
and I think has a limit of 255 characters total. So if your drive +
path + file name exceeds 255 characters, then Windows is likely to
complain. You can truncate the file name and/or path to reduce the size
and give it a try to copy again. Good luck.

 

[Octopodes]

backup

Some freeware backup programs by-pass the Windows copy instruction and can create entire backups of systems with very long directory names in native file formats (rather than zips or archives).

Hence, to get long filenames off a drive and preserve the directory structure one way is to back the directory up to another drive. One example is Cobian Backup (Black Moon or Amanita) which can do this - I use this a lot and have had no real problems. You can backup the entire directory tree, or only particular files/subdirectories.

You can have a very similar problem deleting files with long file names off drives. So if you really want to transfer file content, I believe that some programs, like Comodo backup, can do backups that move and delete the source (hopefully after verification - never tried that though).

Hope this is helpful

 

[Octopodes]

new cobian backup 9 has a special deleter function to delete filenames that are too long for explorer

 

[Noelangelo]

[font="]I suggest you use a program called ‘Cancopy’ http://cancopy.net/.

It will help you to copy those files with ease and you don’t have to rename them at all.
It’s a shareware though but the price is cheap just $9 if you want to buy.[/font]

 

[GrahamWill]

I was getting this "Resultant filename too long" error when copying from one USB drive to another (both NTFS). I found that the file existed in the destination location and was marked read only. When I removed the read only flag on the destination file the copy was carried out successfully.... why this would produce the error above I don't know but changing the flag worked for me

Graham

 

[GarryLowey]

Long Path Tool helped me in this situation