Does Everything have a solution for "Destination Path Too Long" Error?

[Stamimail]

I can't move a file to a deep folder.
I get an error message like this:

[therube]

Not exactly.
There is only so much it can do.
There are actual (Windows) limitations too - like a 255 char limit per segment of file/path name.


With some things, the future 1.5, will be better with.
Like opening files that may not otherwise open (by passing the Short File Name to the application rather then the LFN which would otherwise fail).
And also notifying the user when they're hitting a too long name...

[NotNull]

There might be other solutions (I have no time to test it), but I used this a couple of times in the past:

Example: copy Everything.ini to folder C:\Deep00\deeper001\deeper002\....\deeper049\deeper050\Deepest
(length = 517)

• In Everything, search for the folder (deepest) you want to copy your file to
• Right-click this folder > Copy Full Name to Clipboard
• Serach for the file you want to copy (Everything.ini)
• In the resultlist, select this file
• Menu:Edit > Advanced > Advanced Copy to Folder...
  (You will notice that the path for the New Folder is already selected)
• Press CTRL+V to paste the long path
• Press the OK button
• Done

Note:
You might want to search for the "long folder" in a sparate Everything winow: Menu:File > New Search Window


EDIT:
I just noticed that you want to MOVE instead of COPY. Use Advanced Move to Folder... instead.

[Stamimail]

Thank you NotNull, it didn't work for me.
There is probably a limitation to doing this on a path that contains Unicode characters.

BTW, I found that not only LongPath in "New format:" field make a problem.
LongPath in "Old format:" field also make a problem, If you trying to copy/move a LongPath to ShortPath.

I eventually found a solution:
By shortening (Rename) the names of the folders in the middle
Move the file to the deep folder
And restore (Rename) the original long names of the folders in the middle.

[therube]

shortening...
moving...
restore...

Yep, LFN (handling in Windows) sucks.
I end up doing similar, a lot.

Advanced Renamer has a convenient directory (in addition to the expected, file) renamer.

So if you have a path & files like:

Code: Select all

c:/tmp/gobbly-gook-this-is-way-to-long-for-windows/red.png
c:/tmp/gobbly-gook-this-is-way-to-long-for-windows/blue.png
c:/tmp/gobbly-gook-this-is-way-to-long-for-windows/green.png
c:/tmp/gobbly-gook-this-is-way-to-long-for-windows/show.png

drag the directory c:/tmp/goobly-gook-this-is-way-too-long-for-windows/ into AR & rename it, shorter.


(Most renamers would bring in the files, not necessarily the directories.
AR can do either or both.
You can do similar with Everything, but AR has better collision control.)

[NotNull]

If you don't mind soultions outside of Everything, you can use the subst command.

Example:

2020-11-03 19_37_02-Command Prompt.png (16.78 KiB) Viewed 1968 times

After you did subst f: .. and subst g: ... , you can use File Explorer to copy your file to G:\ ....
(You probably won't even need the extra G: drive as such long paths (>500) are quite uncommon)


When done, use subst g: /d and subst f: /d to remove the temproary F: and G; drive.

[Stamimail]

Thank you therube and NotNull.

I used "Visual Subst" before a very long time for another problem.
It is good to know that this kind of software is useful for this problem as well.