Fixing "The File Path is Too Long" Error on Windows

If the file path is too long or you can’t open the download and are receiving an error message, this is an error with Windows. By default, Windows uses a path length limitation (MAX_PATH) of 256 characters: Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces.

If you select Download All and choose the option to auto truncate the file names that should solve it. If not, please try opening the download closer to the root file. You can also use a service like 7zip https://www.7-zip.org/ to open the download.

Solution 1: Opening the download closer to the root file

If you get the error "The file path is too long" when trying to open a downloaded file, it means that the location where the file is saved has too many folders in its path. To fix this, try moving the file closer to the main folder on your computer (like your desktop or C: drive). This shortens the path and should allow the file to open without any issues.

Steps:
Right-click on the file you want to open.
Select Cut.
Go to your Desktop or another folder close to the main drive (C:).
Right-click and choose Paste.
Try opening the file again.

Tip: You can learn more about file path length limits on Microsoft's support page.

Solution 2: Opening the download with a service like 7zip

Further information on Extracting .Zip files in Windows by opening closer to the root file:
Save the downloaded .zip file to the hard drive.
Right click on the file and select extract all. This will open the extraction wizard.
Click Next and then select the location to extract the files to. (This example uses Program Files on C drive.)
Choose the option to Make a new folder. (Most make the folder name “http://IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME]“)
Click Ok. The directory should now point to “C:\Program Files\http://IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME].”
Click Next to begin the extraction process.
Make sure that the Show Extracted Files option is checked.
Click Finish when complete.

If you need any further assistance or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our support team.

The Admin of the room can also manually rename the folders and files to shorten the file path as well. They can see which files are being affected by going to the Home folder and selecting Expand All. There will be red triangles next to the folder that has files that are affected. You can start by renaming the folder and then go down to each file until the red triangles go away



If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.

Updated on: 13/02/2025