Vista contracts the file names when I paste them into a different folder

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hello

I need to paste a lot of Outlook messages into folders for the sake of archiving. When I try to do this, however, the file name tends to get contracted.

For example, yesterday when I tried to paste a message called "SD06012-01 - Power Pack for Lightweight Laptop_RRIT-10-31312 - new", its name got contracted to "SD06012 -.MSG".

The information in the name that gets missing is of such nature that I cannot afford to lose.

This only seems to happen, however, when I am using my Vista Ultimate x64 based laptop. When I use an XP-based one, no such thing occurs.

Do you have any idea why this might be happening?

Thank you for your time!!! Your help will be deeply appreciated.

ilikefree · Oct 12, 2010

Could you go to regedit (windows key and R, type regedit)
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System,current control set,control,file system.
Take a snapshot of that page or tell me what the value of these two keys are.
NTFS Allow Extended Character 8Dot3Rename
NTFS Disable 8dot3 Name Creation

Thanks

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hello

Thank you for responding.

Please find attached the requested screenshot

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

Click on each of those two keys and change the last digit in the number from 0 to 1. Then close Registry Editor and try to copy again and see if the problem is resolved - I suspect it will be.

Good luck!

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hello Lorien,

by the last digit do you mean the one in brackets?

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hi Lorien,

I followed your suggestion. It did not, however, work for all the files.

I am attaching a screenshot of the files that needed to be copied /on the left/ and how it actually copied them /on the right/.

Is there anything else that could be done to ensure that Copy/Paste will work for every file and not at random basis?

Thank you for your time and effort!!!

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

Go back to that registry page and in addition to the digit inside the brackets, also change the last digit to the far right in the main set of numbers to a 1 as well. I believe that will do the trick.

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hi

This automatcally changed when I changed the digit in the brackets. So both digits have been 1 ever since I did the first change.

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

Change NTFS Allow Extended Character 8Dot3Rename back to 0's again (but leave the other one as changed) and try again - sorry, that I haven't yet gotten it right - but I hope this time it will work.

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Still no change - continues to contract some of the file names although I returned the NtfsAllowExtendedCharacter8dot3Rename back to 0.

Could it possibly be vise versa and the NtfsDisable8dot3Name Creation needs to be set to 0 and the NtfsAllowExtendedCharacter8dot3Rename needs to be ste at 1?

:rolleyes:

Thanks

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

It's the only option that we haven't tried, so it's worth a shot.

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

I just checked my system and both are set at 0 and I don't have this problem (so it's possible this isn't the issue at all and everything here was OK from the start and the problem lies elsewhere), so if this doesn't work, perhaps we should set them both back to 0 and see if someone else responds with another answer since I'm stumped.

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Thank you very much for your help Lorien!!

Having exhausted the last option to no effect, I am setting them back to 0.

At least we now know that the problem does not lie there. :confused:

ateneva · Oct 12, 2010

Hi

I have noticed during the tests today, that only messages with longer names get contracted and only when I paste them onto a folder based on a server. When I try to paste them in a folder on my desktop they appear all right.

Could it be possible that the reason for contraction lies in the length of the file name and is there a way of reversing this - setting a rule for example that however long, the name of the file is, it should be kept with the same length when pasted?

Thanks in advancehttp://www.vistax64.com/general-dis...-when-i-paste-them-into-different-folder.html

ilikefree · Oct 12, 2010

ateneva said:
Hello

Thank you for responding.

Please find attached the requested screenshot

That looks normal to me There is a thread on another forum I was following about a similar thing but they wanted to restore some long file names that got deleted and some shortened.
Most people said to use robocopy to move them but as I don't know anything about this program I will leave it to others.Sorry

I thought Lorien and I were on the right track though.

Lorien · Oct 12, 2010

OMG! I didn't realize we were talking about different computers - much less a server. Are you in a domain environment? If so, it's almost certain that the problem is some limitation set on the server (either controlling your computer through a group policy or active directory OR some configuration on the server that stores the data that limits the file size and goes to 8and3 after a certain size is exceeded).

Unless you are a domain administrator (and I suspect you aren't), you will not be able to resolve this problem yourself (you won't have the access or permissions) - but you should bring it to the attention of the system administrator or system engineer who maintains the server and explain the problem you are having (it would be good if you could identify the exact filename size where it converts - but that's probably not necessary as they will be able to determine that with a few keystrokes as I know how I would configure such a thing myself though there are several possible methods but it's still easy for them to find out).

They may be doing this intentionally or they may simply be using system defaults which are set too low and they may be more than happy to increase them to accommodate your needs. Perhaps they don't even realize it's a problem. Maybe you're the first one using such long filenames. If it's intentional, then there probably isn't much you can do about it except try to change their minds or store your files on your computer instead of the server or find some way to abbreviate the filenames so they all fit (and they should be able to give you the exact limit especially if it is intentional and even if isn't but they still won't change it).

I'm sorry we wen't through all that before - I had no idea you were dealing with transfers from a domain client computer to a domain server. It never even occured to me to ask - I assumed it was happening only on your PC (I wasn't even thinking an ad-hoc home network). The solution to your problem is to talk to the system administrator or someone who is a domain administrator and see if they will change the settings for you - or if they won't alter the limitation, at least give you the parameters of the limitations so you know from now on how to limit your filenames (and can correct any that are currently too long).

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Vista contracts the file names when I paste them into a different folder

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