ARGGGGH!!! Long File Names in Vista!!!

[mag3]

Sorry if this has been posted here before, but I didn't see an applicable thread
in my recent Google Search. I'm running Vista Ultimate 32bit, and on one particular
drive, I had backed up some files with extremely long names from a different system.
The kind of stuff you find as temp files in the "Content.IE5" sub directory of
"Temporary Internet Files."

Now, I'm trying to delete a parent directory where all these files are located. But Vista,
in it's ultimate wisdom is giving me an error, indicating that it cannot delete these files
becuse the overall path is too long - It suggested I move the files to a place with a "shorter
path," but when I try, it won't let me do it for the same damned reason! The Source path
is too long!!!! Nothing works. Attempting to delete individual files, the parent directory,
the "grand parent" directory all fail because Vista attempts to calculate/sum space and
thus accesses each individual file, and fails because the "path is too long." When I try
to rename individual files, it grays out the "rename" option.

Is there any way I can either get rid of these files or bypass the "file length" warning so
I can delete them? Formatting the drive is *not* an option. This is a SAN drive with lots
of stuff on it and I'd never be able to off load it all.


Any insight one can offer is greatly appreciated.

 

[mag3]

Sorry if this has been posted here before, but I didn't see an applicable thread
in my recent Google Search. I'm running Vista Ultimate 32bit, and on one particular
drive, I had backed up some files with extremely long names from a different system.
The kind of stuff you find as temp files in the "Content.IE5" sub directory of
"Temporary Internet Files."

Now, I'm trying to delete a parent directory where all these files are located. But Vista,
in it's ultimate wisdom is giving me an error, indicating that it cannot delete these files
becuse the overall path is too long - It suggested I move the files to a place with a "shorter
path," but when I try, it won't let me do it for the same damned reason! The Source path
is too long!!!! Nothing works. Attempting to delete individual files, the parent directory,
the "grand parent" directory all fail because Vista attempts to calculate/sum space and
thus accesses each individual file, and fails because the "path is too long." When I try
to rename individual files, it grays out the "rename" option.

Is there any way I can either get rid of these files or bypass the "file length" warning so
I can delete them? Formatting the drive is *not* an option. This is a SAN drive with lots
of stuff on it and I'd never be able to off load it all.


Any insight one can offer is greatly appreciated.

Problem Solved!!!! I simply renamed all the parent directories to be the shortest names I could
muster (1-2chars) and that was sufficient! It worked!!!!!!


____________________________________________
Regards,

Arnold

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Sorry if this has been posted here before, but I didn't see an
applicable thread in my recent Google Search. I'm running Vista Ultimate
32bit, and on one particular drive, I had backed up some files with
extremely long names from a different system. The kind of stuff you find
as temp files in the "Content.IE5" sub directory of "Temporary Internet
Files."

Now, I'm trying to delete a parent directory where all these files are
located. But Vista, in it's ultimate wisdom is giving me an error,
indicating that it cannot delete these files becuse the overall path is
too long - It suggested I move the files to a place with a "shorter
path," but when I try, it won't let me do it for the same damned reason!
The Source path is too long!!!! Nothing works. Attempting to delete
individual files, the parent directory, the "grand parent" directory all
fail because Vista attempts to calculate/sum space and thus accesses
each individual file, and fails because the "path is too long." When I
try to rename individual files, it grays out the "rename" option.

Is there any way I can either get rid of these files or bypass the "file
length" warning so I can delete them? Formatting the drive is *not* an
option. This is a SAN drive with lots of stuff on it and I'd never be
able to off load it all.


Any insight one can offer is greatly appreciated.

Is it the whole path that is too long, and not just the filenames?

Can't you delete them from the command line?

Try:

rd <path>\<foldername> /s

If the path is too long from command line as well, can you PUSHD to the
parent folder and try from there? Or make the full parent path into a
virtual drive using SUBST:

subst T: <path>

You will then get the folder as a T: drive in Explorer, or you can delete
the files in comand line with DEL and RD for folders.

ss.

 

[mag3]

Is it the whole path that is too long, and not just the filenames?

It appears to have been the "whole path." I was able to shorten elements
of the path to 1-2chars each, and that was enough to allow me to delete all
the contents from the root of the path on down.

But thanks anyway, this is good to know.

 

[Earle Horton]

Problem Solved!!!! I simply renamed all the parent directories to be the
shortest names I could
muster (1-2chars) and that was sufficient! It worked!!!!!!

You're a genius! I wrote that down.

Earle