I'd wish for better long filename support

[lloser]

Hi Marek,

I'm using FC in a professional environment where users often reorganize their file- and directorystructure and occasionally they create super-long filenames , i.e. > 260 characters (path+actual filename combined), as a result. I can not dive into such directories or copy them directly without shortening them first. But to do that, I have to find them first ...

Using Ghislers Total Commander, treating super-long filenames/directories directly proves not to be a problem, so there is a way to circumvent the troubles alltogether by means of programming. NTFS itself seems to support up to approx. 32.000 char per entry? I read somewhere, there exists a particular Unciode Windows API to make use of in programming? Don't know what that means, though

So beyond your "basic" long-filename support, I'd wish for rather "extended" long-filename support!

Thx in advance,
lloser
Using FC public beta 760

[Marek]

What is missing in the "basic" support. What can not you do?

[Forez]

[...]
What can not you do?

I also have a similar problem on Windows 7 x64 with NTFS file system and a proof that this problem is recognized [averted] by a third part software

Sometimes I have long names of files and I put them in many subfolders- meaning that each next subfolder gets me closer to the length limit. So OK, so I can always stop [or will be stopped] at some point. But what happens if I want to copy the whole structure to another folder, which requires adding even more signs "to the equation"? I get an info, that the path would be too long

My backup software was designed with this problem in mind- it creates ZIP files. So I can create a ZIP and automatically put it in another folder. So the problem of the too long names is subdued [hidden] within the ZIP file. And what happens if I use FreeCommander for exploring than ZIP file [thus re-creating a too long path, being constructed of the original path and the name of the ZIP and the folder in which this ZIP is stored]? I can go to the very end- but if I will try to access the file [now exceeding the length limit] a FreeCommander "Native error: 00019" appears



This problem of too long paths is also roaming the Windows itself. There are problems with executing deletion on them. And even after that, the $RECYCLE.BIN folder stores indefinitely structures exceeding the limit; only sometimes somehow temporarily hiding them. Aside from formatting the whole drive they can be only removed with the whole Recycle Bin folder itself; and than can be achieved within CMD with this command

rd /s /q c:\$Recycle.Bin

where the "c" of course stands for the drive C

[The $RECYCLE.BIN folder, will reappear after deleting something new and / or after a system reboot, so do not worry about messing up your Windows]

[klausisbruch]

What is missing in the "basic" support. What can not you do?

I have a build system for java programming, and java is notorious in working with veeeery long path/filenames, by creating many subdirectories.
Quickly, the current length limit of the latest FreeCommander donor version is exceeded, especially if attempting to copy or move the whole directory tree to some folder, which also already sits several subfolders deep.

Funny thing is, I can walk down such a veeery long directory tree in FreeCommander, but I cannot use FreeCommanders copy or move functions to get files there.

The request for FreeCommander is to support the path/filename length supported by the file system, which is 32.000 characters for NTFS, for copy/move/delete/zip/unzip/find,... etc.
Thanks, Klaus

[Forez]

On a side note in regards to

[...]
removed with the whole Recycle Bin folder itself; and than can be achieved within CMD with this command

rd /s /q c:\$Recycle.Bin

where the "c" of course stands for the drive C

[The $RECYCLE.BIN folder, will reappear after deleting something new and / or after a system reboot, so do not worry about messing up your Windows]

If you put this script in a BAT file and find out that the BAT executes itself but the Recycle Bin folder is not deleted after all, you need to:

create a shortcut to it, right click that LNK file, go to Properties > Shortcut > Advanced and select "Run ad administrator". And from now on use that shortcut instead of the BAT itself



Alternatively instead of CMD you can use a free software FastCopy, which can delete Recycle Bin folders

[Forez]

Whoever needs more than 256 characters in paths: try this REG hack:

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"LongPathsEnabled"=dword:00000001

On my Windows 10 it works - but only only to some extent: it still does not exceeds that overall limit - but it does allow me for creation of longer extensions-less files through a peculiar CMD [BAT script]. Maybe on your system it will work even better

Apparently this inability is a well known problem; e.g. https://community.mp3tag.de/t/maximum-p ... h/42047/14

There is also an alternative method of removing that limit through the Local Group Policy Editor: https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to ... haracters/ but did not indulge myself in it as had negative results in the past when trying to adjust my system with Local Group Policy