Error with long file names, after right-clicking them.

[WASTHEBEST]

How can I make Windows XP accept very long file names
(files within extremely nested folders or files with just
long names). Right-clicking files with very long names
produces an error and all open folders must close.
Actually, that problem in Windows 98 was the last straw
that made me upgrade to XP (Professional). It is such a
trivial problem that my stomach churns from astonishment
when I experience it.
Why do I need long file names?
-Because I need the extra organizational structure it
gives me.
-Because I have the professional edition.
-Because I don't care about the old apps that can't
handle it.
-Because it restrains me and my creativity!

How can I fix it? Please.
Note that I'm talking about file names approximately 300
characters or more, not 1 million or more.

 

[Hilary Karp]

AFAIK, XP supports long file names up to 255 characters. If yours are
longer then maybe that's why there is a problem.

 

[Guest]

Exactly what I'm trying to say: I want file names longer
than 255 characters.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

How can I make Windows XP accept very long file names
....

Note that I'm talking about file names approximately 300
characters or more,

You can't. The limit is 255 characters.

 

[Hilary Karp]

Life is tough.

Exactly what I'm trying to say: I want file names longer
than 255 characters.




characters. If yours are

 

[Guest]

People, how absurd is this problem. I would have figured MS would have fixed it by Windows 3.1. But even 10 years later the length of file names are still being constricted by the capacity of a byte. Am I the only one who is outraged! A pixel on the screen can take up four bytes. One byte numbers left us a long time ago. I am tempted to list all the astronomical advancements we have made in the field of hardware since the DOS era, but I can predict it won't help my case to persuade someone to give me a solution.

Do you know if the SP2 will fix the problem?

What do you recommend I do in the meantime, before the next version of Windows comes out? Should I use mnemonics as folder names, and my own mnemonics dictionary? The idea doesn't sound good if you desire many compartments to organize your data.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

People, how absurd is this problem. I would have figured MS would
have fixed it by Windows 3.1. But even 10 years later the length of
file names are still being constricted by the capacity of a byte. Am
I the only one who is outraged!

Probably. The vast majority of users don't see it as any problem
at all. I don't. I've never come anywhere close to using all 255
characters, nor has anyone else I know.

Do you know if the SP2 will fix the problem?

I don't know for sure, but I doubt it very much.

What do you recommend I do in the meantime, before the next version
of Windows comes out?

Don't depend on the next version changing anything.

Should I use mnemonics as folder names, and my
own mnemonics dictionary? The idea doesn't sound good if you desire
many compartments to organize your data.

Your choice. Since I don't understand why you see this as a
problem, I don't know how to advise you.

 

[Guest]

Okay Ken, I know you're kidding when you say Longhorn isn't going to change anything. Right, you're kidding; WinFX will run on top of MS SQL, and will certainly be able to contain deeply nested file structures. Am I right?

Here is an example of a very useful file structure that is not supported by Windows:
Ken Blake/Personal/Pictures/Parties/2004/Ronald's Birthday/Me and Jen/Dancing to something something.jpg

Although that doesn't exceed the limit, it demonstrates how even a simple organization of files can easily reach the threshold. You might be thinking that my example doesn't even come close to 255 characters; and you're right. However, it is still a valid illustration because each character costs two bytes, and the threshold isn't 255 characters but 255 bytes; meaning you only have 255/2 characters to work with.