Long file names and full path names - limits?

[christopher_n_lewis]

Hi

I'm still using Windows 98SE.

I've recently been giving longer, more informative names to my files and folders, and nesting them. Now I'm getting unexpected corruption and error messages. The error messages suggest my file names are too long.

Is there a limit to the full path names that can be used in Windows 98SE? Would it be 255 characters (a wild guess ). And is there a limit to the depth of nesting folders?

Do these limits apply in Windows XP?

Christopher

[Peter Goodey]

I seem to recall that under Win95 there was a 255 character limit on long file names but a 259 character limit on the maximum path length.

Those two limits never lived together very happily!

[Colin Moretti]

Some applications also have limits on file names, I received the following in response to a problem I had:

So I wonder if it's a problem with the datbase that I use (Paradox). There
*is* a known problem if the full path (including filename) exceeds a
certain number of characters, I think it's 128. This can happen more
frequently these days, especially with the conventions in Windows XP etc.,
so I've met this one before.

There can also be problems with some apps with non-alpha-numeric characters in the file name as well.

Colin

[christopher_n_lewis]

[QUOTE=Peter Goodey]I seem to recall that under Win95 there was a 255 character limit on long file names but a 259 character limit on the maximum path length. QUOTE]

Thanks for that Peter, a useful clue.

I've been grubbing around in Windows Knowledge Base and have come up with this:-

"File names on Windows NT and Windows 2000 platforms can be up to 255 characters, and can contain spaces, multiple periods, and special characters that are forbidden in MS-DOS file names. "

and this:-
"The protected-mode FAT file system allows file names of up to 256 characters, including the terminating null character. In this regard, it is similar to NTFS, the file system that allows file names of up to 256 characters. Protected-mode FAT allows directory paths (excluding the file name) of up to 246 characters, including the drive letter, colon, and leading backslash. This limit of 246 allows for the addition of a file name in the standard 8.3 format with the terminating null character. The maximum number of characters in a full path, including the drive letter, colon, leading backslash, file name, and terminating null character, is 260."

... and lots more in a similar vein. If NTFS has this limit, then Windows XP is not a solution.

Colin makes a good point - check out these limits (especially Excel).

•Word 2002:
The total length of both the path and the file name, including the file name extension, exceeds 255 characters.•PowerPoint 2002:
The total length of both the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 256 characters. •Access 2002:
The total length of both the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 249 characters. •Excel 2002:
The aracters in a full path, including the drive letter, colon, leading backslash, file name, and terminating null character, is 260."

... and lots more in a similar vein. If NTFS has this limit, then Windows XP is not a solution.

Note This limitation includes three characters that represent the drive, the characters in the folder names, the backslash character between folders, and the characters in the file name.

The suggested solution - use shorter file names.

Perhaps there is a good reason to switch to 64-bit computiCTR>•Access 2002:
The total length of both the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 249 characters. •Excel 2002:

[Adam Fisher]

You can try "Long Path Tool" program.