Many users are being affected by this issue when trying to copy a file/folder and are getting this error message “The source file names are larger than is supported by the file system“.
If you’re encountering the issue of source file names being larger than what your file system supports, here are some solutions you can consider:
Shorten File Names Manually
- Identify the Files: If possible, locate the files with excessively long names.
- Rename Files: Manually shorten the file names or use a batch renaming tool that can handle multiple files simultaneously.
Use a Batch Renaming Tool #
Tools like Bulk Rename Utility (Windows), NameChanger (Mac), or command-line tools on Linux can help you batch rename files quickly to shorter names.
Change the File Path #
Reduce Folder Depth: Sometimes, the combined path and file name exceed the file system’s limits. Move the files to a folder closer to the root of your file system to reduce the overall path length.
Use a Different File System #
NTFS (for Windows) and APFS (for Mac) allow longer file names and paths compared to older file systems like FAT32 or exFAT. You might need to convert your drive to a more modern file system if you’re using an older one.
Use Software to Copy or Access Files #
Tools like 7-Zip, Robocopy (Windows), or rsync (Linux) can copy files even with long names, helping you bypass some file system limits. My syntax that works best is as follows.robocopy.exe <Source> <Destination> /d copy:T /E
Use a Script to Rename Files Automatically #
On Linux or Mac, you could use shell scripts to truncate or adjust file names automatically. For Windows, PowerShell scripts can help achieve this.
