Win2K Path Length Limitation

[Guest]

I have a windows 2000 SP4 file server that I am experiencing issues with that
seems like a limitation of 255 characters within the directory path length.
This server has a 370GB NTFS volume which is partitioned as F. My user base
are taking advantage of the long filenames of Win2K and creating a directory
structure that includes some lengthy names. Even from the server console, i
experience the following
1. In Windows explorer, click on a subdirectory that is past the 255
character mark (by this I mean the full path to this subdirectory is more
than 255 characters e.g. F:\12\3\4678\....255). You cannot see the contents
of this folder, nor can you delete it. In the example above, if the 12
directory was shared, and you map a drive to a subdirectory of 12, you can
know see, copy, delete and rename the files you could not when simply
browsing from the original drive letter of the partition F). Again if you
create more subdirectories even when mapped further down the directoy
structure, but hit the 255 character path limit you experience the same
symptoms.
I found an article that states. Individual file names in NTFS are limited to
255 characters; full paths are limited to 32,767 characters.
I am not experiencing the path limit at all.
Has anyone experienced these symptoms and what can I do to resolve it.
I have over 300 users utilising this server and need a solution fast.

 

[Guest]

It sounds like you are having the same problem I am about to ask about. Users
typically have a drive letter mapping to the shares they use so when they
create the files the path begins as X:\ the problem is that admins like
myself sometimes need to move or copy these files and when we do that X:\
drive mapping is now being referenced as \\servername\x$\users\usersname
making the pathname 32 character longer. Certain backup applications will
fail to back these files up as well. I usually rename the top level folders
to shorten the total number of characters until I can get the files to copy.