file naming conventions

[T Hunt]

What is the maximum length allowed for a filename in
Windows XP? Where can I find the latest
limitations/restrictions?

[Bill Crouch]

Depends on your file structure format. DOS using the
standard File Allocation Format Table (FAT)is limited to
what the old timers call the eight dot three or 8.3 when
using processors that were 16 bit. This means the
filename can't be longer that 8 characters long. Then
came the 32bit processors and with them the FAT32 file
format which allowed I believe filenames at least 32
characters long (might be wrong on the max number). The
large filenames carry to the NT File System (NTFS) in
WinNT, Win2000 and XP. The extensions, filename.xxx, are
still limited to 3.

Bill

>-----Original Message-----
>What is the maximum length allowed for a filename in
>Windows XP? Where can I find the latest
>limitations/restrictions?
>.
>

[rifleman]

In article <09d101c34fa6$a0112730$a501280a@phx.gbl>, [email]noone@nowhere.net[/email]
says...

> The extensions, filename.xxx, are
> still limited to 3.

So what happens to a file called Bookmarks.html ? Does windows only see
it as Bookmarks.htm ?
--
(I may be wrong...I usually am....)
Google is your Friend
Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
[url]www.gbpcomputing.co.uk[/url]

[Ken Blake]

"LVTravel" <jtrashbin@dmv.com> wrote in message
news:vhoedblkkm3c54@corp.supernews.com...

> Actually with ME, 2000 & XP there can be as many characters

after the . as

> you want.

And you can have multiple dots, so filenames of the format
abcdefg.hij.klm.nop are valid.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

> Interestingly enough, although NTFS can handle filenames of up

to 255

> characters, files created from the command line can only have

filenames up

> to 253 characters.
>
> The special characters that cannot appear in an NTFS filename

are as

> follows:
> ? " / \ < > * | :
>
> WARNING:
> Using any 16-bit program such as the Windows 3.x File Manager

or a DOS

> utility such as Norton Commander to manipulate files that have

long

> filenames will destroy the long filenames! If this is on an

NTFS volume, all

> the security information will be eliminated as well! Only use

32-bit

> programs that support long filenames to move or copy files on

an NTFS

> volume.
>
> The filename does include the entire path so the file called

fict.bat will

> be at a minimum of 11 characters long (C:\fict/bat) or if it is

C:\Documents

> and Settings\LVTravel\My Documents\Documents\fict.bat it is

much longer

> filename. Even though NTFS can handle file names that long if

you attempt

> to save the path to a CD-R disk it will choke since the allowed

path is much

> shorter on CD-Rs using the normal Joilet format.
>
> See
>

[url]http://scilnet.fortlewis.edu/tech/NT-Server/file_names.htm#Long_Filenames[/url]

> for alittle more than I took from the web site.
>
>
> "rifleman" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:MPG.19862ac275a53e2c9896e7@msnews.microsoft.c om...

> > In article <09d101c34fa6$a0112730$a501280a@phx.gbl>,

[email]noone@nowhere.net[/email]

> > says...
> >

> > > The extensions, filename.xxx, are
> > > still limited to 3.

> >
> > So what happens to a file called Bookmarks.html ? Does

windows only see

> > it as Bookmarks.htm ?
> > --
> > (I may be wrong...I usually am....)
> > Google is your Friend
> > Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
> > [url]www.gbpcomputing.co.uk[/url]
> >

>
>

[LVTravel]

Ken,

Yep! Really didn't want to confuse T. Hunt any more than we already have.


"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:vhognu17fbn08@corp.supernews.com...

> "LVTravel" <jtrashbin@dmv.com> wrote in message
> news:vhoedblkkm3c54@corp.supernews.com...
>

> > Actually with ME, 2000 & XP there can be as many characters

> after the . as

> > you want.

>
>
> And you can have multiple dots, so filenames of the format
> abcdefg.hij.klm.nop are valid.
>
> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>

> > Interestingly enough, although NTFS can handle filenames of up

> to 255

> > characters, files created from the command line can only have

> filenames up

> > to 253 characters.
> >
> > The special characters that cannot appear in an NTFS filename

> are as

> > follows:
> > ? " / \ < > * | :
> >
> > WARNING:
> > Using any 16-bit program such as the Windows 3.x File Manager

> or a DOS

> > utility such as Norton Commander to manipulate files that have

> long

> > filenames will destroy the long filenames! If this is on an

> NTFS volume, all

> > the security information will be eliminated as well! Only use

> 32-bit

> > programs that support long filenames to move or copy files on

> an NTFS

> > volume.
> >
> > The filename does include the entire path so the file called

> fict.bat will

> > be at a minimum of 11 characters long (C:\fict/bat) or if it is

> C:\Documents

> > and Settings\LVTravel\My Documents\Documents\fict.bat it is

> much longer

> > filename. Even though NTFS can handle file names that long if

> you attempt

> > to save the path to a CD-R disk it will choke since the allowed

> path is much

> > shorter on CD-Rs using the normal Joilet format.
> >
> > See
> >

> [url]http://scilnet.fortlewis.edu/tech/NT-Server/file_names.htm#Long_Filenames[/url]

> > for alittle more than I took from the web site.
> >
> >
> > "rifleman" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> > news:MPG.19862ac275a53e2c9896e7@msnews.microsoft.c om...

> > > In article <09d101c34fa6$a0112730$a501280a@phx.gbl>,

> [email]noone@nowhere.net[/email]

> > > says...
> > >
> > > > The extensions, filename.xxx, are
> > > > still limited to 3.
> > >
> > > So what happens to a file called Bookmarks.html ? Does

> windows only see

> > > it as Bookmarks.htm ?
> > > --
> > > (I may be wrong...I usually am....)
> > > Google is your Friend
> > > Email address deliberately false to avoid spam:
> > > [url]www.gbpcomputing.co.uk[/url]
> > >

> >
> >

>
>