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Find the long file names on your drives

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Have you ever wondered whether your drive contains files with very long file names? I experienced a problem with my Home Server backup, where some of the files turned out to have very long file names (close to 255 characters). When files with that long file names are copied to other directories with perhaps a long folder name, the total characters in the path and file name exceed 255 characters, and the copy operation fail. I therefore needed a small application to reveal those file names.

The result is FindVeryLongFileNames.exe which by default scans the specified drive and path for file names longer than 200 characters. It also scans all subfolders. For example;

FindVeryLongfileNames C:\   - will scan your C-drive and all subfolders for long file names
FindVeryLongfileNames \\SERVER\Music   - will scan your network share \\SERVER\Music and all subfolders for long file names.

If you want to look for file names with names longer than for example 240 characters, you may specify;

FindVeryLongFileNames \\SERVER\Music   240     - will scan your network share \\SERVER\Music and all subfolders for file names longer than 240 characters

Note that the tool just outputs the results to the console. This means that you can use standard redirect-operation (use >) to redirect the output to a file. for example;

FindVeryLongFileNames \\SERVER\Music >c:\Longfile namesMusic.txt

When FindVeryLongFileNames finishes, you may see the result in the file c:\Longfile namesMusic.txt.

Since the tool outputs the file names on the format xxx - file name, you may sort the file too, with the standard SORT command, such as;

SORT c:\Longfile namesMusic.txt >c:\Longfile namesMusicSORTED.txt

Remember you can add the /REVERSE parameter to the SORT command to reverse the sort order to descending.

You may download the tool here.

Comments

Gravatar Image1 - Thanks for creating such a useful tool. Its already earned a place in my productivity toolkit.

Two Useful Tools for Your Productivitry Toolkit: { Link }

Eric

Gravatar Image2 - Excellent utility! Helped me figure out what path names greater than 255 characters was making Windows Live Sync fail the sync between my computers.

Gravatar Image3 - Fantastic!!! a lot THX

Gravatar Image4 - Excellent tool!
Thanks for your help.

Gravatar Image5 - Great tool - but it struggled on counting a *really* long path name correctly Emoticon

A server here choked on this path (at least I found it with your tool):

223 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Fondsgeschaft\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Fondsgesch225 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Fondsgeschaft\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Fondsgesch220 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Fondsgeschaft\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Fondsgesch221 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Fondsgeschaft\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Fondsgesch225 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Fondsgeschaft\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Fondsgesch226 - d:\disk_d\i\IT-Structure\BONG\LIH\2-Project_Work\1-Process_Landscape\2-Final\LIH_CD_Prozesslandkarte_071107\Projektergebnisse\1_Ist-Analyse\Immobilienleasing\LIH_Ist-Analyse_Prozesse_Immobilienleasing_Akquisition_070921_V2.xls

Gravatar Image6 - I had a problem recently. When I was trying to delete a file which file name is too long, I could not do that. After days of searching I finally found software and using for some time. That is Long Path Tool, which can simplify and probably end your problems in unlocking, managing and renaming files that appear to have a long filename like 255 plus characters. So do not wait get your problem solved from longpathtool(dot com) website.

Gravatar Image7 - Hi,

I was having problems with the server backup of my WHS 2011 box and at some point I was suspecting that the cause of the problems could be the (very) long filenames of my music collection. As I am a programmer myself, I already was thinking about writing a simple java or C# proggy to scan my folders/files. But why inventing the wheel again? A google search pointed to your blog and yes, you provided me with the solution. Thanks a lot for your neat little program.

Gravatar Image8 - thanks for the info.,you could also try long path tool. it helped me with error 1320 in Win 7.,
Emoticon

Gravatar Image9 - The “fully functional” trial version of PATH TOO DEEP Fixer 3.8 created a "test" file on my computer but then required the licensed version in order to delete it. Fortunately I was able to delete the file manually. I was not amused.

Gravatar Image10 - You can use Long Path Tool, for such problems, it works good.

Gravatar Image11 - I can't output file since it tells me

Access is Denied

I am logged in as Admin. Please help

Gravatar Image12 - I can't get output with this command. please let me know how to get the output.

FindVeryLongFileNames C:\ 255 >c:\Longfile longname.txt

It doen't display any thing and file is 0MB. however when I put simply command without any output file, it display on console.

Please help

Gravatar Image13 - hello
you are welcome here
long path tool can also be used for sort out this types of problem.

....................Emoticon

Gravatar Image14 - Thank you, I used this today and it worked a treat !!

Gravatar Image15 - Try using Long Path Tool program! this is very helpful interms of this kind of problem.

Gravatar Image16 - I would recommend in this case to try program Long Path Too

Gravatar Image17 - Long Path Fixer presents you with a simple list of files and folders in the current directory (including "hidden" files and folders). You can drag and drop files or folders onto it and it will navigate directly to path of whatever you dropped.

Gravatar Image18 - search for related forum posts( where people are looking how to copy, delete, long path files ) <br />and leave there suggestion to try Long Path ToolEmoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon

Gravatar Image19 - “Long Path Tool” is very helpful for this error !
You can use to solve this problem.

Gravatar Image20 - “Long Path Tool” is very helpful for this error !
best solution for your problem.
Emoticon Emoticon Emoticon

Gravatar Image21 - “Long Path Tool” is very helpful for this error !
best solution for your problem.

Gravatar Image22 - The Long path tool is the very best program for error, unlock solution.
Try it and solved your problem.
I used the long path tool and I solved my error, unlocks problem solution.

Gravatar Image23 - Hello,
For long path file name problem , you can use this useful software `` Long Path Tool ``

thanksEmoticon

Gravatar Image24 - Hello,<br />For long path file name problem , you can use this useful software `` Long Path Tool ``<br /><br />thanksEmoticon

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