Number of characters allowed in filename

[Guest]

For some reason, recent files with I moved to PC had filenames clipped off to
8 characters. This only happened with a handfull of files. Files I
originated on my PC could be any length I wanted. Can't seem to find the
trick to allow me to make the filename as long as needed on these transfers.
Any help out there?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

For some reason, recent files with I moved to PC had filenames
clipped off to 8 characters. This only happened with a handfull of
files. Files I originated on my PC could be any length I wanted.

Can't seem to find the trick to allow me to make the filename as long
as needed on these transfers....

Neither will we, since we don't know what Operating System is on the machine
you are moving them from or how you are attempting to "move them". =)

 

[George Hester]

Do this. Start | run | cmd | OK | cd\ | dir *prog* | hit <ENTER>

Do you see Program Files to the far right of the result? If so you're fine.
There is no trick. File names longer than 8 characters not including the
extension is the norm in Windows XP. It may be the files you copied were
already in 8.3 format.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If you're using MS-DOS, you're limited to 8.3 filenames. 8 characters
before the dot and a 3 letter extension.

File names in XP can have up to 255 characters.

The path can be 1024 characters or 2,048 characters, depending.

[[XP, XP SP1 and XP SP1a
This problem may occur if the system PATH environment variable is longer
than 1024 characters when the program is installed. When you start the
program, the path is truncated to 1024 characters, and this truncated
version is then written back to the registry.

After you install this hotfix or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the PATH
environment variable limit is increased to 2,048 characters.]]
From...
Windows XP cannot find a program's executable files or DLL files
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;832978

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

PC at work was running windows XP. At home running XP Home version. For
months have moved many document files back and forth with flash drive, just
copy paste, etc. I've copied many files with more than 32 characters in the
filename, back and forth with no issues. Recently, I had some large folders
with multiple files that I copied to flash, then moved to PC at home. A
handful of filenames (Word and Excel) were truncated to 8 characters. Some
longe filenames (Adobe PDF's) weren't truncated. I tried changing the
truncated filenames back to the original length, but was stopped at 32
characters.

Does this clarify?

Tankman

 

[Wesley Vogel]

This probably has to do with your flash drive. Some CD burning software
have the same issues. Is there software of some kind involved with your
flash drive?

This registry key determines whether or not short file names (8.3) are
created with an NTFS format.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation

How to Disable the 8.3 Name Creation on NTFS Partitions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];121007

I would not recommend disabling the 8.3 Name Creation, unless you know what
you're doing. You could render something useless.

This all assumes that your hard drive is formatted NTFS. I don't know how
8.3 names are handled if the hard drive is formatted FAT32.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

PC at work was running windows XP. At home running XP Home version. For
months have moved many document files back and forth with flash drive,
just copy paste, etc. I've copied many files with more than 32
characters in the filename, back and forth with no issues. Recently, I
had some large folders with multiple files that I copied to flash, then
moved to PC at home. A handful of filenames (Word and Excel) were
truncated to 8 characters. Some longe filenames (Adobe PDF's) weren't
truncated. I tried changing the truncated filenames back to the original
length, but was stopped at 32 characters.

Does this clarify?

Tankman