Download file names

[Gordon]

Does anyone out there with IT knowledge know what the max length of a file name is in the various conventions? I have had several cases recently of MP3 files downloading correctly but then failing to play and refusing any changes of name or shifting to another folder or being changed to wav for burning a CDR. The common factor seems to be the file name length.

I have found away round it but wondered what the specification[s] might say. iTunes seem to keep their m4a filenames shorter than some other vendors eg Amazon and so I have never had problems with them.

I've also had the odd problem with the Universal site downloading zip files that won't open.

[Frances_iom]

256 chars which includes full directory path, is I think the limit in FAT which is common simple fle system format used on most USB sticks etc.
255 for filename in ext-2,ext-3 ext-4 used in most Linux systems

however there is another problem with long names in FAT file systems (the canonical length is 8 char + 3 'format' after the last '.' - all long names are mapped to a short name and this mapping under large directory sizes + choice of filenames is not always unique - there is also a limit on directory size
Basically the common scheme of long file names to counteract the stupidities + limitations of the mp3 format are a recipe for disaster under some circumstances

[johnb]

Gordon,

I had the same problem some years ago when I was ripping CDs to FLAC using EAC. It took me a long time before the penny dropped.

Long filenames combined with heavily nested folders are to be avoided!

[Gordon]

Thanks Frances. I had a vague memory of 256 from somewhere. But I assume that includes everything: eg drive:\folder_1\...\folder_n\file name+extension and includes the "\" too?

Most downloads come into temp folders and are then transferred to a known location typically eg for Amazon

C:\MyDocuments\userID\MyMusic\amazon_mp3\foldernam e_1 etc it doesn't take long to get a large number of characters with all that lot for a combination of long folder and file names. It's 34 before we get anywhere specific!

Anyway in XP we have this: C:\documents and settings\userID [say6]\my documents\my music\amazon mp3\folder name [eg Berlin Philharmonic]\folder name [eg wagner siegfried]\file name.mp3 so that's 103 before the file name!! And here's the file name itself actually causing the problem:



it's 217 characters long with the extension. What are all those spaces doing!! With the folder system characters as well [103] that's 320!!! Surely someone at Amazon has a method of calculating?!?

[Gordon]

Gordon,

I had the same problem some years ago when I was ripping CDs to FLAC using EAC. It took me a long time before the penny dropped.

Long filenames combined with heavily nested folders are to be avoided!

Sure, trouble is with downloads we can't do anything at our end once they've chosen the default location to store the files!! I now have a fix but only after a lot of head scratching and the belief that surely they wouldn't do that would they??

[johnb]

Thanks Frances. I had a vague memory of 256 from somewhere. But I assume that includes everything: eg drive:\folder_1\...\folder_n\file name+extension and includes the "\" too?

Forgive me for answering - the Microsoft website gives the maximum number of characters as 260. This includes the drive (e.g. "C:\" ), the full path (including the "\" characters), the full file name and one invisible character at the end.

[Gordon]

Forgive me for answering - the Microsoft website gives the maximum number of characters as 260. This includes the drive (e.g. "C:\" ), the full path (including the "\" characters), the full file name and one invisible character at the end.

No need for forgiveness I'm sure, this is great place for pooling of knowledge!! Thanks, I looked in Microsoft too but could not find it for looking. Good to confirm the number and characters to count anyway.