File System Support

Windows 95/98 supports the long filename file allocation table (FAT) when running Windows. Any physical file on this extended FAT file system will logically be associated with two names — namely, the primary filename (also referred to as the long filename) and its alternate name or alias. Windows 95/98 automatically generates the alias, and it is always in the standard 8.3 filename format. When a file is saved to disk, the system creates a directory entry for both the long filename and alias. Because the number of entries in the root directory is limited, it is best to store files in a directory below it to avoid filling up the root. For more information about the filename conventions and how the system generates the alias, see Long File Names.