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How to create paths longer than 260 characters in Windows 10

2 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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The Windows file system imposes limits when it comes tfilenames: there are restrictions regarding the type of characters you can use and how long the paths can be. The current maximum path length is 260 characters, but it appears Microsoft has changed that in itsWindows 10 build 14352.

More precisely, users can resort to a registry hack to remove the 260 character limit in path lenghts. This feature won’t work for every application, but this could soon be fixed when Microsoft rolls out the Anniversary Update. Microsoft’s explains the process enabling this feature:

Enabling NTFS long paths will allow manifested win32 applications and Windows Store applications to access paths beyond the normal 260 char limit per node. Enabling this setting will cause the long paths to be accessible within the process.

The removal of the 260 character limit is very useful especially for corporations. When engineers do a site migration, they often can’t copy everything simply because certain paths are too long.

There are two ways to enable long character paths in Windows 10: use theGroup Policy Editoror editthe registry.

How to enable long paths under the Group Policy Editor:

How to enable long paths using the registry:

If you ever encounter an error message informing you that the folder path contains invalid characters, you can useour step-by-step guideto solve this problem.

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Madalina Dinita

Networking & Security Specialist

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer.

She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies – AI and DNA computing in particular.

Prior to joining the WindowsReport team, she worked in the corporate world for a number of years.

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Madalina Dinita

Networking & Security Specialist

Madalina is a Windows fan since forever, especially interested in AI, emerging technologies, privacy, and security.