Filename too long - how to fix the problem

Too long filenames or paths can cause problems in Windows. For example, if the length of the file name exceeds a certain limit, files can no longer be deleted. It is still possible to shorten names and paths.

What you can do about too long file names and paths

Windows has a limit of 256 characters for the length of file names and paths. If this limit is exceeded, errors will occur, among other things, when you try to delete the corresponding file. There are different ways how you can avoid or fix such problems.

• You can shorten too long file names. To do this, simply right-click on the file and select the "Rename" option from the menu. You will then have the option to enter a new, shorter file name. After that, you should no longer have any problems with the file.
• If the file path of the file is too long, there is also a trick that you can use to solve the problem. Move the folder where the file is stored to the desktop. This will shorten the path so that you can delete the file.

Delete files via command prompt

Alternatively, you can also delete files and folders via the Windows command prompt.

1. Öffnen Sie mit der Tastenkombination [Windows] und [R] den Ausführen-Dialog.
2. Geben Sie „cmd“ ein und klicken Sie auf „OK“, um die Eingabeaufforderung aufzurufen.
3. Geben Sie nun den Befehl „del“ und den Ordnerpfad an. Bestätigen Sie die Eingabe mit Enter. Beispiel: del C:\User\Test\Desktop\Testordner
4. Drücken Sie „J“ und bestätigen abschließend erneut mit Enter.