How to delete a long path file

[nick]

When I try to delete anything in my desktop, I get the message " the file name you specify is too long."

[troyzone]

Hi Nick,

This may happen due to the maximum path length limit in Windows-based operating systems, which is about 260 characters. Windows doesn't allow the complete path plus filename for a given file, for example C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop\file.txt, to exceed a certain length. If it does, you'll typically get error messages. I've found that if a file is moved from one location to another and the path to the destination is too long, Windows may let you move the file there but then you can't delete it and so forth as you'll get errors. Perhaps that is what happened in your case. I don't know why Windows may allow a file to be moved someplace where it's path is too long to begin with, it's a bug or flaw with the operating system as far as I'm concerned.

One way that you might be able to work around this is to rename the file or one or more of the folders it is contained within to something shorter until the total path is below the limit, i.e. shorten the path to the point where it will let you delete or otherwise work with the file. I've done this before with some success. Or perhaps you can move the file someplace else where the path to it is shorter and the total path + filename length is below the Windows-imposed character length limit. Hope this helps.

Troy