Free utility to delete long file names etc 1

[hpsait]

I'm busy cleaning up data on a Windows 2003 Server, but I have came across data that I cannot delete. Path is too long or file name is too long. Total Commander can copy these files or folders but I cannot delete them. Any freeware utility you can recommend for 2003 and 2008 servers.

 

[strongm]

One trick here is to use the Subst command to reduce the path length

e.g. say ypou have a path to a file like:

c:\myroot\level1\level2\level3\level4\level5\hereismyfile.txt

Try

subst z: c:\myroot\level1\level2\level3\level4

And then your file can be referred to as:

z:\level5\hereismyfile.txt

which is shorter, as you can see.

 

[MakeItSo]

Long live the DOS commands, especially the short ones!
That'll sure come in handy for me too, some day.
==>*

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[hpsait]

Any software program that can do this?

 

[strongm]

Well, you can try prefacing the path with \\?\ to gain direct access to the underlying system calls, many of which (but not all)support a much longer path name than Windows normally allows. So

c:\myroot\level1\level2\level3\level4\level5\hereismyfile.txt

would become

\\?\c:\myroot\level1\level2\level3\level4\level5\hereismyfile.txt

 

[2ffat]

The software I've used to get rid of files with long file names is something like CAINE or Slax. These are Linux based. I burn them to CDs, boot from the CD and use Linux to remove long files name.

For servers that I can't take down, I use strongm's suggestion.


James P. Cottingham
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