why this message occurs : the source file names are larger

Ron Wolpa

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"The source file name(s) are larger than is supported by the file system. Try moving to a location which has a shorter path name, or try renaming to shorter name(s) before attempting this operation."
Theoretically with NFTS system 256 characters can be used to name folders & files.
However I had found the message above as I try to move/delete files from some folders named no more than 10 characters long.
Every time I try to move/ delete files from such folders the message above comes up.
I solved by renaming with shorter folder names.
This post is an attempt to understand what is going on with such folders ? Thanks
 

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There is a max path length that it sounds like you are exceeding which is why renaming the folders to shorter names resolves the problem.

Maximum Path Length Limitation

In the Windows API (with some exceptions discussed in the following paragraphs), the maximum length for a path is MAX_PATH, which is defined as 260 characters. A local path is structured in the following order: drive letter, colon, backslash, name components separated by backslashes, and a terminating null character. For example, the maximum path on drive D is "D:\some 256-character path string<NUL>" where "<NUL>" represents the invisible terminating null character for the current system codepage. (The characters < > are used here for visual clarity and cannot be part of a valid path string.)

Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces (Windows)
 

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Yes , I had not noticed that there was a folder (with very long name) inside a folder (again with very long name) on which there were files with very , very long name. The author of the torrent I downloaded probably does not know there is a limit.
It caused me a serious inconvenience , windows explorer started to behave oddly , I could no longer open , delete , create folders , rename files or folders. I had to reboot the system many times , finally I downloaded NAME FIX 4.0.2 to rename the long name folders. Solved. Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WINDOWS PRO BUILD 9200
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD FX 8150 EIGHT CORE 3,60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A97 LE R 2.0 DDR3
    Memory
    8 GIGABYTES
    Graphics Card(s)
    VGA PCI 2 G FORCE ASUS GT 630 128 BIT
    Hard Drives
    HD SATA SEAGATE 7200 RPM 12GB S1DC44FM
Glad you found a solution.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo IdeaCenter K450
    CPU
    Intel Quad Core i7-4770 @ 3.4Ghz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo
    Memory
    16.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Integrated HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP h2207
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050@59Hz
    Hard Drives
    250GB Samsung EVO SATA-3 SSD;
    2TB Seagate ST2000DM001 SATA-2;
    1.5TB Seagate ST3150041AS SATA
    PSU
    500W
    Keyboard
    Wired USB
    Mouse
    Wired USB
    Internet Speed
    3GB Up, 30GB Down
    Browser
    SeaMonkey
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender; MBAM Pro
    Other Info
    UEFI/GPT
    PLDS DVD-RW DH16AERSH
Painstakingly I did , thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WINDOWS PRO BUILD 9200
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD FX 8150 EIGHT CORE 3,60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A97 LE R 2.0 DDR3
    Memory
    8 GIGABYTES
    Graphics Card(s)
    VGA PCI 2 G FORCE ASUS GT 630 128 BIT
    Hard Drives
    HD SATA SEAGATE 7200 RPM 12GB S1DC44FM
Error Even with Path Length of Only 218 Characters?

I am running into basically the same problem as the OP. When I was copying a file to another drive, the error message was "Destination Path Too Long" I did a count of the number of characters in the path and it was only 218 characters (with spaces counted). I had read the references that imply a maximum path length available of roughly 260 characters, but I got my error at only 218. In this case, the destination drive is formatted as FAT32. I am guessing that FAT32 does not permit as long a path length as NTFS? I can work around this and will try one of the long path rename tools, but wanted to understand why it flagged a path of only 218 characters. Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 (OEM)
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    HP Envy 700qe
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    3.40 gigahertz Intel Core i7-4770
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    Hewlett-Packard 2AF3 1.0
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    Computer came with Windows 8.1 OEM.
Re post #6: I think I have answered my own question. I had copied the path information from the address bar in a File Explorer window. That count gave me the 218 characters I noted above. However, I had not realized that the actual file name itself was not part of the address bar path. When I added in the characters from the actual file name, my character count went up to over 260. I see that I have been rather profligate with my folder and file names, so I shall go back and enforce more discipline on my naming conventions.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 (OEM)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy 700qe
    CPU
    3.40 gigahertz Intel Core i7-4770
    Motherboard
    Hewlett-Packard 2AF3 1.0
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 640
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Pavilion 25xi Pavilion IPS LED Backlit
    Hard Drives
    Primary 1TB
    Secondary 1TB
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Computer came with Windows 8.1 OEM.
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