Filenames exceeding length limits cannot be moved.
Filenames exceeding length limits cannot be moved.
I'm trying to back up my HDD to an external HDD with around 300GB and thousands of files, but often end up missing about 2000 due to long file names. I've used programs like FastCopy and SyncBackFree, though they're slower and move fewer files than the built-in Windows option. Anyone know how to fix this issue?
The issue defaults to a 256-character path limit in Windows. Microsoft introduced a method to bypass this by altering the registry. You can also avoid it by using a shorter path that incorporates the file name.
Shortening some folder and file names is the best approach. Changes might work this time, but problems could still arise when using the backup to transfer files elsewhere or restoring them to the original system.
Exactly. Your file name isn't that long, but it's still a bit lengthy. A folder or two is acceptable, and it's easy to shorten them. For example, I found a PC with the Big Bang Theory series. The naming looked like this:
The Big Bang Theory complete series/the Big Bang Series complete series season 1/the Big Bang series complete series season 1 episode 1 - pilot
It’s clear this is unnecessary and I quickly condensed it to:
The Big Bang Theory complete series/season 1/ep01 - pilot
I assure you, without checking your drives, you have something similar that can be shortened easily.
OMG, I recall a challenge on Windows 10! There were simply too many subfolders making the entire path excessively long.
This is why I try to keep all folder and file names under 12 characters, to prevent this issue. But this only impacts the folders and files I create myself, not the ones generated by other programs.
In short, the problem isn't just about filenames, but the full file path being too long.