Guest Bikini Browser Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Hello everyone... I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows 2003 SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just copy ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both target and destination drives are NTFS. I am using the standard Windows Explorer, click-dragging folders from the old data drive to the new 2003 Server's Hard Disk. Everything works as expected except that every once in a while I get a message like "The filename you specified is invalid or too long". and then the copying stops. This usually happens in folders that are nested 3 to 5 levels "deep" ore more in the folder tree. Here is one example of a file name I found: "Report on complience and internal control over financial reporting based on an audit of financial statements performed in accordance with government auditing standards.wpd" I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find the same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name for some of the files they then copy OK. This is very annoying since I have to "walk down the folder tree", find the file, and rename (i.e., shorten the name) it, for every error. Since the error also aborts further copying, I have to find these "landmines" one at a time, or more specifically, one per copy session. The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and nowhere near the 255 character limit. So here's my question: Is there some parameter somewhere that need to set to avoid this error? If the filenames are really too long, why did the system not complain about them when I originally named the files on the System Hard Disk? (This is a GOOD Question!) Is the problem really one of too long a filename or an "invalid" name. If the name was invalid, wouldn't the OS have complained when I originally assigned the name to that file on the System Hard Disk. I've looked at the "offending" filenames carefully, and none of the forbidden characters are present. Also, there are no leading or trailing spaces in the "offending" filenames. Is there a Utility with Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 SBS Server that is similar to SCANDISK on Win-9x OSes? If there was, I could use it to find ALL offending filenames at once, instead of having to "walk the minefield". Is there a better way to copy contents of a folder and all its subfolders from the System Hard Disk to a Backup Drive, that would be less sensitive to this "long file name error". I look forward to you ideas.... Bikini Browser
Guest JS Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long How about the total number of characters including the folder and subfolder names as part of the total count. JS "Bikini Browser" <remove.bikini.browser.this@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eDjOntt1HHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Hello everyone... > > I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows > 2003 > SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just > copy > ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both > target > and destination drives are NTFS. > > I am using the standard Windows Explorer, click-dragging folders from the > old data drive to the new 2003 Server's Hard Disk. Everything works as > expected except that every once in a while I get a message like "The > filename you specified is invalid or too long". and then the copying > stops. > > This usually happens in folders that are nested 3 to 5 levels "deep" ore > more in the folder tree. > Here is one example of a file name I found: > > "Report on complience and internal control over financial reporting based > on > an audit of financial statements performed in accordance with government > auditing standards.wpd" > > I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find > the > same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name > for > some of the files they then copy OK. > > This is very annoying since I have to "walk down the folder tree", find > the > file, and rename (i.e., shorten the name) it, for every error. Since the > error also aborts further copying, I have to find these "landmines" one at > a > time, or more specifically, one per copy session. > > The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and > nowhere near the 255 character limit. > > So here's my question: > > Is there some parameter somewhere that need to set to avoid this error? > > If the filenames are really too long, why did the system not complain > about > them when I originally named the files on the System Hard Disk? (This is a > GOOD Question!) > > Is the problem really one of too long a filename or an "invalid" name. If > the name was invalid, wouldn't the OS have complained when I originally > assigned the name to that file on the System Hard Disk. I've looked at > the > "offending" filenames carefully, and none of the forbidden characters are > present. Also, there are no leading or trailing spaces in the "offending" > filenames. > > Is there a Utility with Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 SBS Server that is > similar to SCANDISK on Win-9x OSes? If there was, I could use it to find > ALL offending filenames at once, instead of having to "walk the > minefield". > > Is there a better way to copy contents of a folder and all its subfolders > from the System Hard Disk to a Backup Drive, that would be less sensitive > to > this "long file name error". > > I look forward to you ideas.... > > Bikini Browser > > > >
Guest C A Upsdell Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long Bikini Browser wrote: > Hello everyone... > > I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows 2003 > SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just copy > ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both target > and destination drives are NTFS. > > I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find the > same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name for > some of the files they then copy OK. > > The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and > nowhere near the 255 character limit. AFAIK the limit applies to the full pathname, i.e. to the drivename plus the directory names plus the filename. So reduce the sizes of the directory names, if you can.
Guest Gerry Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457112.aspx#EBAA -- Hope this helps. Gerry ~~~~ FCA Stourport, England Enquire, plan and execute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bikini Browser wrote: > Hello everyone... > > I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a > Windows 2003 SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should > be able to just copy ALL the data from one drive to the other using > Winwows Explorer. Both target and destination drives are NTFS. > > I am using the standard Windows Explorer, click-dragging folders from > the old data drive to the new 2003 Server's Hard Disk. Everything > works as expected except that every once in a while I get a message > like "The filename you specified is invalid or too long". and then > the copying stops. > This usually happens in folders that are nested 3 to 5 levels "deep" > ore more in the folder tree. > Here is one example of a file name I found: > > "Report on complience and internal control over financial reporting > based on an audit of financial statements performed in accordance > with government auditing standards.wpd" > > I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to > find the same file names on the new server. However when I change > the file name for some of the files they then copy OK. > > This is very annoying since I have to "walk down the folder tree", > find the file, and rename (i.e., shorten the name) it, for every > error. Since the error also aborts further copying, I have to find > these "landmines" one at a time, or more specifically, one per copy > session. > The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and > nowhere near the 255 character limit. > > So here's my question: > > Is there some parameter somewhere that need to set to avoid this > error? > If the filenames are really too long, why did the system not complain > about them when I originally named the files on the System Hard Disk? > (This is a GOOD Question!) > > Is the problem really one of too long a filename or an "invalid" > name. If the name was invalid, wouldn't the OS have complained when > I originally assigned the name to that file on the System Hard Disk. > I've looked at the "offending" filenames carefully, and none of the > forbidden characters are present. Also, there are no leading or > trailing spaces in the "offending" filenames. > > Is there a Utility with Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 SBS Server that > is similar to SCANDISK on Win-9x OSes? If there was, I could use it > to find ALL offending filenames at once, instead of having to "walk > the minefield". > Is there a better way to copy contents of a folder and all its > subfolders from the System Hard Disk to a Backup Drive, that would be > less sensitive to this "long file name error". > > I look forward to you ideas.... > > Bikini Browser
Guest SuperGumby [SBS MVP] Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long the data should be restructured to remove such long paths. One way of getting at the files is to create intermediary shares along the file path and attach to them. d:\really_long...folder_name\some_more\and_even_more\eventual_file.doc turn \some_more\ into a share and attach to it, this shortens the apparent folder\file name length and allows the files to be accessed. I hit the problem some time ago where a client had d:\some_long_pathing\nurses in Melbourne wishing to move to Sydney\Anna Marrie Goddard\resume.doc and renamed the folders (once I could, you very likely can't while the long paths exist) to d:\shorter_pathname\Nurses Mel2Syd\GoddardAM and was thanked by the client for the ingenious naming system, it meant that when document paths appeared they could actually be seen (or at least, more of the content). Part of your responsibility as administrator is to improve how things are done. "C A Upsdell" <""cupsdell\"@nospam@upsdell.com"> wrote in message news:u8$O9Ku1HHA.1336@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Bikini Browser wrote: >> Hello everyone... >> >> I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows >> 2003 >> SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just >> copy >> ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both >> target >> and destination drives are NTFS. >> >> I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find >> the >> same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name >> for >> some of the files they then copy OK. >> >> The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and >> nowhere near the 255 character limit. > > AFAIK the limit applies to the full pathname, i.e. to the drivename plus > the directory names plus the filename. So reduce the sizes of the > directory names, if you can. > >
Guest Eugene Tan Posted August 6, 2007 Posted August 6, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long hi, I've seen this happen on a couple of my customers. If this is happening to files/folders which are only 3 to 5 levels nested, that means some enduser is including a lot of description or particulars on the folder names and/or file names. If it's only 1 or 2 users, help them find an effective workaround, if it's across the board then you need to help them figure an alternative solution. One reason why it happens is that on the server, the path might be D:\Company Share Folders\WorkArea\Current\Client\ProjectName\etc\etc\ but this is mapped on the PC as N:\Current\Client\ProjectName\etc\etc\ so the end users are able to save with this path but you run into trouble when trying to copy or migrate. Even copying to D:\short\Current\Client\ProjectName\etc\etc\ fails because the source path itself is too long. One way to workaround is to do the copying from a PC, mapping D:\short as a drive letter and then copying from N: to this. Downside is, copying over the LAN can take lots longer seeing that you're a migration. You can test if only a few folders are affected, then only copy these via PC. Ultimately though, you'll want to find another way that doesn't come so close to the 256 character limit. Figure out and train the users. In my customers' case, they needed keep descriptions so it would show up in searches as well as needed the reference number. In one case, since I was doing an app in ACCESS, I used only the reference number for the folder, and all other descriptions were put into fields. To get to the folder, users did a search, then click on a button and the folder would open. In another case, since I wasn't doing any app, well they still need some folder hierarchy but I helped keep the naming very short. The actual folder description was put as a dummy filename which began with dash and spaces. Eg. "- detailed folder description such as project name" or "@ detailed folder description such as project name". HTH, Eugene Tan SBS MVP =========================== "Bikini Browser" <remove.bikini.browser.this@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eDjOntt1HHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Hello everyone... > > I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows > 2003 > SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just > copy > ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both > target > and destination drives are NTFS. > > I am using the standard Windows Explorer, click-dragging folders from the > old data drive to the new 2003 Server's Hard Disk. Everything works as > expected except that every once in a while I get a message like "The > filename you specified is invalid or too long". and then the copying > stops. > > This usually happens in folders that are nested 3 to 5 levels "deep" ore > more in the folder tree. > Here is one example of a file name I found: > > "Report on complience and internal control over financial reporting based > on > an audit of financial statements performed in accordance with government > auditing standards.wpd" > > I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find > the > same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name > for > some of the files they then copy OK. > > This is very annoying since I have to "walk down the folder tree", find > the > file, and rename (i.e., shorten the name) it, for every error. Since the > error also aborts further copying, I have to find these "landmines" one at > a > time, or more specifically, one per copy session. > > The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and > nowhere near the 255 character limit. > > So here's my question: > > Is there some parameter somewhere that need to set to avoid this error? > > If the filenames are really too long, why did the system not complain > about > them when I originally named the files on the System Hard Disk? (This is a > GOOD Question!) > > Is the problem really one of too long a filename or an "invalid" name. If > the name was invalid, wouldn't the OS have complained when I originally > assigned the name to that file on the System Hard Disk. I've looked at > the > "offending" filenames carefully, and none of the forbidden characters are > present. Also, there are no leading or trailing spaces in the "offending" > filenames. > > Is there a Utility with Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 SBS Server that is > similar to SCANDISK on Win-9x OSes? If there was, I could use it to find > ALL offending filenames at once, instead of having to "walk the > minefield". > > Is there a better way to copy contents of a folder and all its subfolders > from the System Hard Disk to a Backup Drive, that would be less sensitive > to > this "long file name error". > > I look forward to you ideas.... > > Bikini Browser > > > >
Guest NZSchoolTech Posted September 12, 2007 Posted September 12, 2007 Re: The filename you specified is invalid or too long Your total path length allowed is 255 characters the filename and the folder paths as well. You can zip up the offending folder, copy the zip file to the new location and unzip it. -- -- NZSchoolTech "Bikini Browser" <remove.bikini.browser.this@gmail.com> wrote in message news:eDjOntt1HHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Hello everyone... > > I'm trying to migrate files from a Windows SBS 2000 server to a Windows > 2003 > SBS R2 new server. The data drive is alone so I should be able to just > copy > ALL the data from one drive to the other using Winwows Explorer. Both > target > and destination drives are NTFS. > > I am using the standard Windows Explorer, click-dragging folders from the > old data drive to the new 2003 Server's Hard Disk. Everything works as > expected except that every once in a while I get a message like "The > filename you specified is invalid or too long". and then the copying > stops. > > This usually happens in folders that are nested 3 to 5 levels "deep" ore > more in the folder tree. > Here is one example of a file name I found: > > "Report on complience and internal control over financial reporting based > on > an audit of financial statements performed in accordance with government > auditing standards.wpd" > > I can't always shorten the file's name, because the users expect to find > the > same file names on the new server. However when I change the file name > for > some of the files they then copy OK. > > This is very annoying since I have to "walk down the folder tree", find > the > file, and rename (i.e., shorten the name) it, for every error. Since the > error also aborts further copying, I have to find these "landmines" one at > a > time, or more specifically, one per copy session. > > The "offending" finenames are typically 25 to 50 characters long, and > nowhere near the 255 character limit. > > So here's my question: > > Is there some parameter somewhere that need to set to avoid this error? > > If the filenames are really too long, why did the system not complain > about > them when I originally named the files on the System Hard Disk? (This is a > GOOD Question!) > > Is the problem really one of too long a filename or an "invalid" name. If > the name was invalid, wouldn't the OS have complained when I originally > assigned the name to that file on the System Hard Disk. I've looked at > the > "offending" filenames carefully, and none of the forbidden characters are > present. Also, there are no leading or trailing spaces in the "offending" > filenames. > > Is there a Utility with Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 SBS Server that is > similar to SCANDISK on Win-9x OSes? If there was, I could use it to find > ALL offending filenames at once, instead of having to "walk the > minefield". > > Is there a better way to copy contents of a folder and all its subfolders > from the System Hard Disk to a Backup Drive, that would be less sensitive > to > this "long file name error". > > I look forward to you ideas.... > > Bikini Browser > > > >
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