Did the “Destination Path Too Long” error occur on your Windows PC while trying to copy, move, create, or rename a file / folder? The extraction error you might see is: “The filename (s) would be too long for the destination folder. You can shorten the filename and try again, or try a location with a shorter path. “
This error message may appear because File Explorer cannot copy / delete / rename path names longer than 256 characters. However, there is a way to fix this problem on Windows.
The “Destination Path Too Long” error is not the limitation of the NTFS file system, but of the Win32 API library. In the Win32 API, MAX_PATH is 260. Most standard applications, including Windows built-in Explorer (File Explorer), will not work properly with long path files that are longer than 256 characters. Windows understands the entire path, starting with the origin of the drive, ending with the last subfolder and the file name itself as the file / folder name.
This Gearupwindows article will guide you in troubleshooting the “Destination Path Too Long” error. The instructions in this post have been tested in Windows 11 and Windows 10. However, you can follow the same instructions for the predecessors Windows XP, 7, 8, Server 2003, Server 2008 and Server 2012R2 / 2016/2019.
Not only does the above error appear when moving a file / folder, but you may also encounter this error while extracting the contents from an archive file if the file / folder name or path is too long. Fortunately, there is a simple solution that you can do using the Windows registry or Group Policy. In this post we’re going to talk about both; You can use any of the methods as you wish.
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How do you fix the error “Destination path too long” under Windows 11/10 with the registry editor?
Step 1. Open the Run Dialog box by pressing
Step 2. Im Run Enter the following and press
Step 3. In the Registry Editor window, in the left sidebar, navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem
Step 4. On the right side of the File system Folder, look for the DWORD (32-bit) value LongPathEnabled. Double click on it to open the settings. Set value data as 1.
Step 5. Click OK.
Step 6. Restart your computer.
Now try to move / copy the folder that caused the error. You should no longer receive the “Destination path too long” error message. To restore the default settings, repeat the above steps and change the Measured value of 1 to 0.
How do you fix the error “destination path too long” under Windows 11/10 with the editor for local group policies?
Gentle reminder: Local Group Policy Editor is not part of Windows 11/10 Home Edition. Either enable gpedit.msc on your PC first or use the registration method.
Step 1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
To do this, press at the same time
Step 2. In the window of the Local Group Policy Editor that opens, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar:
Comuter Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Filesystem
Step 3. On the right side of the File system Folder, double click the policy name “Enable Win32 Long Paths” to open the settings.
The full description of this policy reads: “Enabling long Win32 paths allows manifest Win32 applications and Windows Store applications to access paths beyond the normal limit of 260 characters per node on file systems that support it. If you activate this setting, the long paths within the process become accessible. “
Step 4. Choose the activated Possibility.
Step 5. Click Apply.
Step 6. Click OK
Step 7. Restart your computer or laptop.
Once you’ve completed the above steps, the 260 character limit no longer applies. That means when playing with files / folders; No error message “Destination path too long” is displayed.
If you want to reapply the 260 characters on your computer, repeat the above steps and select the option in step 5 Not configured or Deactivated Possibility.