Problem copying files. "Destination path is too long." What can I do?
I need to copy files from one external hard drive to another. Unfortunately, I keep getting the error message that the file name is too long for the destination folder (see attached image). I've already tried these solutions:
- The Registry Editor settings for long paths are enabled (long Paths Enabled set to 1)
- The hard drive on which I need to save the files is formatted.
- Open the group options, as you can apparently change something there. However, I couldn't get in there because it apparently doesn't work with the Home version (Windows 11).
What I find odd is that the problem seems to only affect one hard drive, even though, based on my research, the issue should actually lie with Windows itself. The paths on the other hard drive are so long, and I can easily open the nested folders and create new ones. So I find it odd that this doesn't work on the other hard drive (which is much newer).
I don't really want to change the folder structure because, on the one hand, it would be very time-consuming and, on the other hand, the structure would no longer make sense.
Unfortunately, I'm not really familiar with IT stuff… Does anyone have any ideas what else I could do myself? Or is this a job for a specialist?
(2 votes)
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It’s already in the error message.
The setting refers to the actual file name incl. Ending.
In the error message, however, the file name (including the complete path!) is too long. Each character from the drive letter is counted, each included special character is stored by more than one standard character…. (Under Windows, a space in the path or file name is already three characters!) And if the entire name of the path with all characters, filenames and extension exceeds the limit supported by the file system on the storage medium, you run against the wall when writing and in the worst case, you do not even have the option to read the file again.
So cut directory names appropriately – especially if the directory structure goes very deep and many nested subdirectories are used, on special characters where it is possible to dispense with file names not in whole sentences.
This is also true for historical reasons or, if necessary, Embedded systems. Lis https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/windows/win32/fileio/maximum-file-path-limitation or this can be deactivated. Logically with the disadvantage that certain systems cannot read the files.
Notification
Thank you very much I like to read it
This refers to the NAMEN file. BENENNE the file around. and the problem is eaten.
The problem is not the names of the individual files, but the names of the entire folders of a path are too long. The more you nest the structure, the more characters the current path has. The problem seems to be that the hard drive seems to have only a small limit for the number of characters of the paths, but the computer itself does not.
I just want to avoid renaming the folders, because it would be very time-consuming for several 10,000 files. However, thanks for the answer
Check in the Explorer (right click on the drive and properties) with which file system the disk was formatted. NTFS is quite flexible, but the FAT layers can have limitations. Ext(x) not considered.
Thank you for the answer. Actually, I’ve tried. Got the hard drive formatted with NTFS. Didn’t make any quick formatting, but a long time. Unfortunately, it didn’t do anything. It has a field labeled with “Grösse der Delivery Units”. I didn’t change anything. Do you know if you could do something there?
Now you go deep.
Very rough
Means: I don’t see the problem because the directories / tables can become bigger when growing.
Nevertheless, each file system can have restrictions on the file (and directory) name – you can googeln.
Quite doof: it could (I don’t know) make a problem if the file name is stored as UTF instead of as ANSI, because then depending on the letter several bytes are used per character.
Just a little background.
Go to the editor/notepad. In an Explorer, you go to one of the files you want to copy and click on it. You copy the file name from the address field to the editor.
Then look at the problematic panel and do the same with a new file – also in the editor. Then compare.
My guess: you want to copy a file tree from the source disk to a sub-file tree of the target disk. However, it must be borne in mind that the paths are attached to each other.
I made it now, but a little different than expected. I took the first few overfolders of the structure apart, and then as everything on the second hard drive was reassembled. Strangely this has now worked, although the path is the same length xD
Hui that the question goes so deep I would not have expected :
But thank you for the information. I’ll look at this.
Shorten path
I would like to avoid this, because otherwise the structure will no longer make any sense and this would be very time-consuming for several 10,000 files. As it appears on one hard drive, I assume that it should actually work on the other.
if you know better
sry cheff
Dude, that wasn’t supposed to be degrading or better-visited, but as a hint… Instead of reacting, you would have read the question correctly and could save you the first answer.