The Pitfalls of Long File Names . . . .

Windows 95/98/2000 does not limit your filenames to 8 characters, a period, and a three-character extension like DOS or Win3.1 required previously. Of course Macintosh computers have always permitted long filenames.

As an example, in the days of DOS and Windows 31, we might have named this file that you are now reading as:

files.doc

In Windows 95/98/2000, we can give this file a longer, more meaningful name, like:

Longfilenames.doc

File names under Windows 95/98/2000 can have up to 255 characters, including spaces. However, it is not recommended that you create file names with 255 characters. Most programs cannot interpret extremely long file names.

Also file names cannot contain the following characters: \ / : * ? " < > |

Considering that all networked computers (Macs and PC’s) are not created equal, applications, and even operating systems on a network can vary from workstation to workstation. Because networks are so diverse, you should avoid using long filenames on your shared drives.

The Long and Short of it . . .

Our Computer Services staff at NVCC is responsible for file server backups and restores. Occasionally we notice problems stemming from file names that are too long in our backup software. From time to time the long filenames prohibit restoring files successfully. To avoid these problems, our recommendations are:

• Do not use filenames that are more than 20 characters long. Although filenames can be up to 255 characters, we do not encourage long filenames. To save room for moving a file from one directory to another, use filenames shorter than the limit. Besides, filenames that are too long can make browsing a list difficult.
• Use a naming convention for your server files so that users are aware of naming considerations and can prevent problems with the long filenames they use. Use a meaningful directory structure. Create folders to store related files in. Then stick to the 20 character limit.

· Some utilities do not work well with the Windows 95/98/2000 directory entries for long filenames. Some virus scanning programs, disk repair utilities, disk optimizers, and other programs depend on the FAT file system and might not work with long filenames. Keep file names short!

Our Computer Services staff will be glad to assist anyone needing help with long file names, or creating a directory structure for storing files in an organized method. Just let us know via HelpDesk.