File Names Seem to Be Limited to Less Than 255 Characters

ID: Q148754

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

You may experience one or both of the following symptoms when you attempt to create a file in Windows 95:

When you attempt to use Windows Explorer or another program to create a file in a folder other than the root folder of a drive, the length of the file name seems to be limited to less than 255 characters. If you use Windows Explorer to move or copy a file with a very long file name to a folder other than the root folder of a drive, you may receive the following error message:
Cannot copy <file name>. The file name you specified is invalid or too long. Specify a different filename.

When you attempt to use Windows Explorer to create a file in the root folder of a drive, the length of the file name seems to be limited to 250 characters.

These symptoms occur even though the Windows 95 documentation states that a file name in Windows 95 can include up to 255 characters.

CAUSE

Long file names are limited to 255 characters in Windows 95. However, the maximum path length in Windows 95 is 259 characters. The maximum path length represents the length of the file name, plus the number of characters used to represent the drive and folder where the file is located. For example, the path length for the file


   C:\Windows\LongFileName.extension

is 33 characters, but the file name is only 22 characters.

Because the path length is limited to 259 characters, a long file name is limited to less than 255 characters if more than five characters are needed to represent the drive and folder where the file is located. If five characters or less are needed to represent the drive and folder where the file is located, the long file name is limited to 255 characters, even if the total path length is less than 259 characters. For example, if a file is located in the root folder of a drive, the long file name is still limited to 255 characters, even though 256 characters could be used before the maximum path length is reached.

When you use Windows Explorer to create a file, the length of the file name is limited to 250 characters instead of 255 characters. This is a known problem that occurs with Windows Explorer in Windows 95. However, if you use another program to create a file with a file name longer than 250 characters, the entire file name is visible in Windows Explorer.

RESOLUTION

To work around these problems, use the appropriate method:

If you are attempting to use Windows Explorer or another program to create a file in a folder other than the root folder of a drive, and the length of the file name is limited to less than 255 characters, you may be able to use a longer file name if you create the file in a different folder. If you create the file in a folder with fewer characters in the folder name, or in a folder that has fewer parent folders, fewer characters are needed to represent the drive and folder where the file is located. This allows you to use more characters for the file name before the 259-character maximum path length is reached.

If you are attempting to use Windows Explorer to create a file in the root folder of a drive, and the length of the file name is limited to 250 characters, you may be able to work around this problem by using a different program to create the file. For example, if you are attempt- ing to create a new text document (.txt) file, use Notepad to create the file instead of Windows Explorer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that the 250-character file name limit on files created in Windows Explorer is a problem with Windows 95. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For information about limitations on the length of file names when you are creating files from a command prompt, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q121059 Command-Line File Names Appear Limited to 127 Characters

Keywords : lfn win95
Version : 95
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :