File name is too long to copy to my laptop but is fine on External HDD

[chrisfromoh]

Hi everyone, I'm trying to copy my files from my external hdd on to my laptop but for a few files a window pops up telling me the name is too long and I should rename it. Why is my laptop telling me the extension is too long but it was just fine for my external? I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

 

[nukemaster]

The character limit(length limit) also all effects folders before the file. You may want to try to copy it to a folder that is not within too many other folders.

This is all done in the name of compatibility with older software.

 

[Eximo]

Well, how long is it. Folders count, empty spaces count, etc. MS claims to support 254 characters in a path name. Actually trying it proves it is closer to 176.

Either reduce the number of sub folders, or zip the files.

 

[Techpumpkin_WD]

Hi there,

The limit is actually a combined folder path plus file name. And when you move them the path changes. You can try to change the names of the files, or the folders that hold them.

Hope that helps

 

[chrisfromoh]

Is there any other way around it? It is just my laptop that is saying the file extension is too long. No problem on my desktop or with my other external HDD's. I don't really want to change the name or put it too a different folder because I have 4 or 5 back up external drives and I would have to go and change them on their too, just to keep everything congruent. If the file extension is fine for windows 7 on my desktop and when transferring to all my other external HDD's, why is it just my laptop that has a problem with it. Both my laptop and desktop run Windows 7. I'm out of town and have just my laptop and one external HDD othwerise I'd just do it on my desktop.

 

[nukemaster]

So you are saying you have the exact same file locations on the external and one system reads it, while the other does not?

The extension refers to the letters or numbers after a file name so file.exe is an executable file while file.bmp is a bitmap files. If it is an extension issue, maybe you have some files with strange extensions.

Some virus scanners throw a fit if a file has a double extension like file.bmp.exe . This is because MANY viruses try to hit computers that way.

In fact in the WORST idea ever, Microsoft make hide known file extensions ON by default making this problem quite bad as unknowing users could download a image file(the file above would look like file.bmp only and not file.bmp.exe) that was actually an executable(that could do just about anything.).

Also note that different file systems have different limits.

 

[chrisfromoh]

So you are saying you have the exact same file locations on the external and one system reads it, while the other does not?

The extension refers to the letters or numbers after a file name so file.exe is an executable file while file.bmp is a bitmap files. If it is an extension issue, maybe you have some files with strange extensions.

Some virus scanners throw a fit if a file has a double extension like file.bmp.exe . This is because MANY viruses try to hit computers that way.

In fact in the WORST idea ever, Microsoft make hide known file extensions ON by default making this problem quite bad as unknowing users could download a image file(the file above would look like file.bmp only and not file.bmp.exe) that was actually an executable(that could do just about anything.).

Yeah, all my external HDD's/flash drives and desktop HDD all have the same file locations and extensions. When I add something to one HDD, i just copy and paste it to all the other HDD's, which is a pain when you have 4 or 5 of them. The 3 files that my laptop is telling me to rename is a part of a bunch of subfolders in My Music folder and the albums and songs are Techno so all the file names are pretty long, but only my laptop is telling me to rename them. I'd just hate to shorten the file name on my laptop and then go home and have to copy the changes to my desktop, external hdd's and flash drives. I had a bad experience about 10 years ago with my external hard drive failing so now I keep as many back ups as possible. I'm a bit paranoid of losing all my files again

 

[Techpumpkin_WD]

What is the desktop OS ? Does the error message say "the path (file name) is too long" or does it mention extension as well ?

Maybe you could check this Microsoft hotfix, if you are using Windows 7 SP1 on the laptop and it's complaining only from the filename length. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2891362

 

[nukemaster]

It is very strange if you have the same file structure.

I have come across this issue sometimes because my backup drives have a folders for the backups. So my documents on this system is actually a drive of its own, but on the backup drives it has to be in a folder(well by choice, it allows other backups to have folders without the mess of all files in the root of a drive.).

 

[chrisfromoh]

Edit: Previous post not posted. New posts changed the conversation, while updating lithium ...:

What is the desktop OS ? Does the error message say "the path (file name) is too long" or does it mention extension as well ?

Maybe you could check this Microsoft hotfix, if you are using Windows 7 SP1 on the laptop and it's complaining only from the filename length. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2891362

The desktop is Windows 7 but I'm not sure which version it is. My laptop OS is Windows 7 Home Premium SP 1. When I try to transfer the folder, a window pops up saying, "Destination Path Too Long. The file name(s) would be too long for the destination folder. You can shorten the file name and try again, or try a location that has a shorter path." Then below that it shows me which folder is too long and I either can "skip" or "cancel".

 

[nukemaster]

You can see your version of via Control Panel -> System and Security -> System

The version as well as if it is 65 or 32 bit can be seen.

 

[chrisfromoh]

You can see your version of via Control Panel -> System and Security -> System

The version as well as if it is 65 or 32 bit can be seen.

Thing is that I'm out of state and don't have my desktop with me to check. I do know for sure it's 64 bit. Instead of transferring my files off of my external HDD to my laptop, I just transferred them to another, brand new external HDD and didn't run into any problems whatsoever. I did download the hotfix so maybe I'll try transferring the files to my laptop again and see if the hotfix resolved the issue. Thanks everyone for all the help.

 

[nukemaster]

If you are copying the files to your documents folder on the laptop please remember that is already in C \ Users \ Your Login \ Documents \ . That adds to the length of the overall file name. So if the external drive has just lets say e : \ Documents \ it would explain the thing working right.