Windows 2003 The file name or extension is too long. Can't copy

  • Thread starter Thread starter Johan
  • Start date Start date
J

Johan

Good day

In server 2003 I am trying to copy 20gb+ data to a share on another server
2003.
After copying, I want to delete the files from the source to free up space
on the first server 2003.

When I start copying I get the error "Cannot remove folder xxx: The file
name or extension is too long".

["xxx" above is a name that keeps changing depending what I am trying to
copy...]

- How do I get these files copied?
- Should I change filenames? We are talking of 1000's of files ad folders.
- Trying subfolders a little deeper don't work either.

I also tried google search for solutions, utils such as xxcopy and xcopy
which didn't work.

Can you please help?

Jo
 
I almost forgot. I am doing all of this via remote desktop and mstsc. That
wouldn't have anythng to do with it right?

"Johan" wrote:

> Good day
>
> In server 2003 I am trying to copy 20gb+ data to a share on another server
> 2003.
> After copying, I want to delete the files from the source to free up space
> on the first server 2003.
>
> When I start copying I get the error "Cannot remove folder xxx: The file
> name or extension is too long".
>
> ["xxx" above is a name that keeps changing depending what I am trying to
> copy...]
>
> - How do I get these files copied?
> - Should I change filenames? We are talking of 1000's of files ad folders.
> - Trying subfolders a little deeper don't work either.
>
> I also tried google search for solutions, utils such as xxcopy and xcopy
> which didn't work.
>
> Can you please help?
>
> Jo
 
"Johan" <Johan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C9F40E55-74D7-4BE5-9617-6C0D922D9821@microsoft.com...
> Good day
>
> In server 2003 I am trying to copy 20gb+ data to a share on another server
> 2003.
> After copying, I want to delete the files from the source to free up space
> on the first server 2003.
>
> When I start copying I get the error "Cannot remove folder xxx: The file
> name or extension is too long".
>
> ["xxx" above is a name that keeps changing depending what I am trying to
> copy...]
>
> - How do I get these files copied?
> - Should I change filenames? We are talking of 1000's of files ad folders.
> - Trying subfolders a little deeper don't work either.
>
> I also tried google search for solutions, utils such as xxcopy and xcopy
> which didn't work.
>
> Can you please help?
>
> Jo

You need to resolve this problem in two ways:

a) Educate your users to put their information into their
files, not into their file or folder names.

b) Shorten the offending file names. You access deep folders by
setting up a share or a substituted drive that points into the middle
of an excessively long path, e.g. like so:

net use Q: "\\%ComputerName\D$\UserShares\This is a very very long path
name"
or
subst Q: "D:\UserShares\This is a very very long path name"
 
Thank you

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>
> "Johan" <Johan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:C9F40E55-74D7-4BE5-9617-6C0D922D9821@microsoft.com...
> > Good day
> >
> > In server 2003 I am trying to copy 20gb+ data to a share on another server
> > 2003.
> > After copying, I want to delete the files from the source to free up space
> > on the first server 2003.
> >
> > When I start copying I get the error "Cannot remove folder xxx: The file
> > name or extension is too long".
> >
> > ["xxx" above is a name that keeps changing depending what I am trying to
> > copy...]
> >
> > - How do I get these files copied?
> > - Should I change filenames? We are talking of 1000's of files ad folders.
> > - Trying subfolders a little deeper don't work either.
> >
> > I also tried google search for solutions, utils such as xxcopy and xcopy
> > which didn't work.
> >
> > Can you please help?
> >
> > Jo
>
> You need to resolve this problem in two ways:
>
> a) Educate your users to put their information into their
> files, not into their file or folder names.
>
> b) Shorten the offending file names. You access deep folders by
> setting up a share or a substituted drive that points into the middle
> of an excessively long path, e.g. like so:
>
> net use Q: "\\%ComputerName\D$\UserShares\This is a very very long path
> name"
> or
> subst Q: "D:\UserShares\This is a very very long path name"
>
>
>
 
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