File name too long to copy, but Windows 7 doesn't give you full path to find it

[KublaiKhan]

I know all about how we must consider both path and file name.

I'm copying tens of thousands of files. I cannot go through every subdirectory and find what's causing this error.

Now, Windows 7 is better than XP, in that it will copy everything else first, and save problems for last. Where XP would stop just copying with file 501 of 1000, Windows 7 will stop after 999 of 1000.

So, at the very end of a 800 GB directory, I get the message that 21 files won't copy, because the name is too long. Unlike the "Copy or Replace" dialogue, wherein I got a full path and could track the files down, this time all I got was the name of one very generic sub-folder at the end of the path. Even worse, when it says 21 files, it could actually be 25 or 30—that count is never accurate. Pretty hard to figure this out.

Any tips or tricks I can use in the future?

I think I found some of the problems. I do not want to delete the entire 200 GB and try again. Maybe I can compare sections with Properties, and narrow it down from there. Not having a full path name, or even the start of the path name, is a real downer.

What I also find confusing, is that, at some point, this name wasn't so long that a program wasn't able to put the file on a hard drive. How is that possible?

 

[azaran]

Make your life easier and use a different set of software for your transfers. Windows is fine for basic coping but its always fallen short in matters like this.

If your just trying to back up files, Syncback by 2Brightsparks is great for that. It'll give you a proper error log with full file path name. It also has a free version.
http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html

If you want to do a disk file comparison and see what did and did not transfer and what folders are out of sync check out Beyond Compare by Scotter Software. Yeah I know, its a terrible name. This is my perfered software when doing a lot of file transfers but its not free.
http://www.scootersoftware.com/

 

[KublaiKhan]

I could probably use something that can compare two directories that should be the same and quickly tell me what's missing.

If something could look at a directory and tell me if any path and file names are over a given limit, or close to the maximum limit, that would be great.

 

[azaran]

I could probably use something that can compare two directories that should be the same and quickly tell me what's missing.

If something could look at a directory and tell me if any path and file names are over a given limit, or close to the maximum limit, that would be great.

In that case pick up Beyond Compare, that's exactly what you're looking for.

 

[Progress_Language]

I know all about how we must consider both path and file name.

I'm copying tens of thousands of files. I cannot go through every subdirectory and find what's causing this error.

Now, Windows 7 is better than XP, in that it will copy everything else first, and save problems for last. Where XP would stop just copying with file 501 of 1000, Windows 7 will stop after 999 of 1000.

So, at the very end of a 800 GB directory, I get the message that 21 files won't copy, because the name is too long. Unlike the "Copy or Replace" dialogue, wherein I got a full path and could track the files down, this time all I got was the name of one very generic sub-folder at the end of the path. Even worse, when it says 21 files, it could actually be 25 or 30—that count is never accurate. Pretty hard to figure this out.

Any tips or tricks I can use in the future?

I think I found some of the problems. I do not want to delete the entire 200 GB and try again. Maybe I can compare sections with Properties, and narrow it down from there. Not having a full path name, or even the start of the path name, is a real downer.

What I also find confusing, is that, at some point, this name wasn't so long that a program wasn't able to put the file on a hard drive. How is that possible?

I have exactly the same problem. I just upgraded from XP Pro, SP3 to run Windows 7 Ultimate, 32bit and have two (2) external drives attached. I am moving (MOVE) and copying (COPY/PASTE) files and folders back and forth continually.

Now I get these warnings that I cannot do this.

Here is what I did to work around the problem, until something better comes along:

OPTION #1 MOVE FILES/FOLDERS TO ANOTHER LOCATION w/ UNLOCKER
1. Right click on file or folder and select Unlocker in the context menu
2. Select "Move" in the pop-up window drop down location menu
3. Find directory path in the next pop-up window where you want to move items to > OK
4. Unlocker moves them there without and hassle

OPTION $2 COPY FILES/FOLDERS TO ANOTHER LOCATION w/ 7-ZIP and UNLOCKER
1. Right click on file or folder and select 7-ZIP > ADD TO ARCHIVE
2. Compress these items into a .zip file
3. Right click on the .zip file and select "Cut".
4. In the new directory, right click and select "Paste"
5. If 4 and 5 do not work, use Unlocker to "Move" the .zip file (See OPTION #1)
6. In the new directory, right click on the .zip file and select 7-zip > Extract here
7. The extraction process will create a folder containing your items.
8. Go inside that folder and select all and then select "cut"
9.Back out one step and select paste.
NOTE: You may still get the error of file names too long, but at least we have your files in the right folder, even though they are stuck in a sub folder. No problem... use Unlocker again to select all and "Move" outside the extracted folder and into their new home.
10. Delete the .zip file and there you go

I understand this is awkward, but on the positive side of things, I rarely encounter this, so I do not mind using two free apps to move my files and folders. It only takes a few minutes. This is due to long file names or even files buried too deep in a directory path. This is the cheapest and quickest way to do this without all the BS solutions I have wasted time reading about and having to consider the most insane and mad measures and steps possible.

Here is another reason why I think my method is the best over everything else (I may be in err):

If I engage the action of copying and pasting hundreds or thousand of folders with sub-folders and the action gets stalled because of some damn name error, then I am stuck with hundreds and thousands of files and folders in two locations and I have no idea what got transferred and what did not. Moreover, I simply cannot afford to lose any of these files or folders.

The next thing I know is that my routine day of working happily is interrupted by the Microsoft curse and now I find myself babysitting Microsoft's inept programming.

I understand I can click "Edit" in the tools menu and select "Undo Move" or whatever, but then I have to wait another 25 minutes while my original intention is all undone.

So, I just set aside about one hour when I know I need to move thousands of files and do it the way I explained above. This is guaranteed that everything gets moves or pasted without any fuss. The only downside is the time, but everything else I read as a solution also takes time, but not with a 100% guarantee like this.

I truly hope this helps someone looking for a straight and easy answer.