

There are a couple of ways you can fix this easily without the use of any 3rd party applications. So, how can I copy the files or fix this issue? Also when you right-click such files, the number of options available in the right-click menu would also be limited compared to other files.Īll these are caused by those incredibly long file paths.They would open and close instantly without giving any errors. Or, some other times, the files won’t open properly.You will simply get a message saying ‘Cannot Copy’ in the title. One way you will know is definitely from the error messages similar to the ones above which clearly mentions the problem.How do I know that the file path length is causing the issue? So, if the file is residing under a folder which is too deep or too long, that has a length beyond the set-limit, you will get errors like the ones shown above. But, when you copy a file from one location, it takes into account the entire file path. This is the character limit for a file name, which excludes the file path under which it is located, like “C:\Documents and Settings\Test User\Desktop\test file.txt”. Mostly it varies between 256 and 260 characters. There is a pre-defined character limit beyond which you cannot name a file or folder, and it varies from one OS to another. You decided to copy a file or take a backup of it to another location or drive, you browse to the source location and starts copying. This is an error you might have experienced more at work than at home.
