Word Cannot Open Files with Long Names on HPFS Partitions

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c
• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• IBM OS/2 versions 2.0, 2.1

SYMPTOMS

Word for Windows cannot open a document from a hard disk that uses the OS/2 High Performance File System (HPFS) unless the filename conforms to the MS-DOS file-naming convention.

Note: MS-DOS filenames consist of an eight-character filename, followed by a period (.), followed by a three-character extension (for example, FILENAME.EXT).

WORKAROUND

Rename the file so it conforms to the MS-DOS file-naming convention.

MORE INFORMATION

If a filename does not conform to the MS-DOS file-naming rules, it does not appear on file lists in Word for Windows or in other MS-DOS- based or Windows-based applications. By design, the operating system filters out such filenames to avoid compatibility problems.

HPFS, which is supported by Microsoft Windows NT and IBM OS/2, supports filenames up to 254 characters long that contain blank spaces and multiple periods. You can run MS-DOS or Windows-based applications with OS/2, but these applications can only handle files with MS-DOS filenames.

You can also run MS-DOS or Windows-based applications with Windows NT, which features NT File System (NTFS) long filenames. Windows NT, however, automatically creates a short, MS-DOS-compatible filename for all files, which it records in the directory where the NTFS file is stored. As a result, you can open NTFS files in Word for Windows, but you cannot open HPFS files.