Long Character Name Path Issue

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Jawpack
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:35 pm

Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by Jawpack »

I have some video files with long names buried in several folders. Everything will not show those video thumbnail images. If I shorten the name of the file, or put it one or two folders instead of several, it will show the thumbnail images.

For example: Suppose the file name has over 100 characters and is named 123 (using 123 instead of typing out 100 characters) and that filename is the same as the folder name. The path of that folder is:

This PC/D Drive Documents/A/B/C/123.
NotNull
Posts: 5167
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by NotNull »

Just today a new version of Everything (1.4.1.948) was released that "Fixed an issue with gathering icons for files with paths longer than 260 characters."

Installation instructions are on that same page.
Jawpack
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:35 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by Jawpack »

Thanks. The Dev must be clairvoyant! :lol:

Unfortunately, even with the Long Path Names registry hack, https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to ... haracters/ I still can't play those videos with certain players. VLC, WMP, GOM, Kodi and DIVX player will not play those files while in the long path folder.

However, the players MPC-HD (64), ACG, MC Media Center 10 Preview, Movies & TV, Photos, will play the file while in the long path folder.
therube
Posts: 4580
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by therube »

(I use MPlayer).

I'll note, that from what I recall...

If I open a video this is a "SFN", then attempt to drag (from Everything) a LFN file into the player, it will not load/play.
Though I can double-click (from Everything) the same file, & have it open in a new instance of MPlayer.

(Probably a similar issue when dragging a group of files into MPlayer.)


(I never use thumbnails, so can't comment on that. But I can check, later, perhaps.)
NotNull
Posts: 5167
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by NotNull »

Jawpack wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:15 pm Unfortunately, even with the Long Path Names registry hack, https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to ... haracters/ I still can't play those videos with certain players.
Does that mean that you installed the new version and that Everything will now show the video thumbnail images?

BTW: You can use Everything to find out which files have a too long path. Search for
path:len:>260


I was testing my VLC to see if I could make long paths working and it looked like it did, but it was using the 8.3 short filename (SFN) as @therube also mentioned.

I am 100% cetrain I disabled that on my filesystems (probably re-enabled by some Windows update). So I must thank you: now it's disabled again an I can no longer play
"C:\test\super long folder name with a lot of words in it\even longer folder name with even more words in it ( fourteen to be precise)\extremely long foldername that is a subdirectory of Even longer folder name with even more words in it\The Australian Pink Floyd Show - Everything Under the Sun (Live in Germany) [2016]\The.Australian.Pink.Floyd.Show-Everything.Under.the.Sun(Live.in.Germany.2016)2017.avi"
therube
Posts: 4580
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by therube »

VLC will work (works on my end) with LFN (I say LFN/SFN, but it's really Long Path / Short Path) - from an 'Open with'.
(Suppose that 'Open with' acts similar to setting it as the default file handler. [I don't want to test that.])
(Similarly, suppose any set as default file handler would work on double-click.)

Won't work from command line (vlc.exe LFN.mp4), or by dragging the file into vlc.exe.

All my players; MPlayer, ffplay, MPC-HC, MPC-BE, mpv, VLC all work with LFN - when 'Open with' is used.
None work with drag&drop.


(I'm not going to test WMP - at all.)
Jawpack
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:35 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by Jawpack »

NotNull wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:32 pm
Jawpack wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:15 pm Unfortunately, even with the Long Path Names registry hack, https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to ... haracters/ I still can't play those videos with certain players.
NotNull wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:32 pmDoes that mean that you installed the new version and that Everything will now show the video thumbnail images?
Jawpack wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:15 pmYes.
NotNull wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:32 pmBTW: You can use Everything to find out which files have a too long path. Search for
path:len:>260
Thanks! Awesome! One weird thing though is when I play one of the files via Everything using that syntax, the file moves to a different position when I click on it.
NotNull wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:32 pmI was testing my VLC to see if I could make long paths working and it looked like it did, but it was using the 8.3 short filename (SFN) as @therube also mentioned.

I am 100% cetrain I disabled that on my filesystems (probably re-enabled by some Windows update). So I must thank you: now it's disabled again
Jawpack wrote: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:15 pm:thumbsup:
Last edited by Jawpack on Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Jawpack
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:35 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by Jawpack »

therube wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:05 am VLC will work (works on my end) with LFN (I say LFN/SFN, but it's really Long Path / Short Path) - from an 'Open with'.
(Suppose that 'Open with' acts similar to setting it as the default file handler. [I don't want to test that.])
(Similarly, suppose any set as default file handler would work on double-click.)

Won't work from command line (vlc.exe LFN.mp4), or by dragging the file into vlc.exe.

All my players; MPlayer, ffplay, MPC-HC, MPC-BE, mpv, VLC all work with LFN - when 'Open with' is used.
None work with drag&drop.


(I'm not going to test WMP - at all.)
Apparently the problem is two-fold. Besides it having a long file name, the path is the major problem. I guess the path has more folders than VLC and a few other players can handle. After I used the syntax
path:len:>260
that NotNull posted, I used one of the files in that group and copied it into the same folder that the problem video file is in.

That file plays directly from Everything, but shows in VLC with a greatly shortened filename (8 characters) with ~ in between part of the filename. However, if I try to play that exact same file in the problem location, it will not play. Of course, if I shorten the filename while it's in the problem location, it will play.
NotNull
Posts: 5167
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by NotNull »

Jawpack wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:19 pm Thanks! Awesome! One weird thing though is when I play one of the files via Everything using that syntax, the file moves to a different position when I click on it.
You might have your files sorted by Run Count (you can check that in Menu:View > Sort by).
Every time you start a file from within Everything it increases it's run count, so it will move up in the list.

That file plays directly from Everything, but shows in VLC with a greatly shortened filename (8 characters) with ~ in between part of the filename. However, if I try to play that exact same file in the problem location, it will not play. Of course, if I shorten the filename while it's in the problem location, it will play.
That's exactly what I saw. VLC 'cheated' by using the SFN (8.3 filename notation that includes a "~").
That shortened filename is shown in the title bar of VLC.
When I removed all the SFN's, VLC was no longer able to play the file.
Jawpack
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 12:35 pm

Re: Long Character Name Path Issue

Post by Jawpack »

NotNull wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:29 pm
Jawpack wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:19 pm Thanks! Awesome! One weird thing though is when I play one of the files via Everything using that syntax, the file moves to a different position when I click on it.
NotNull wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:29 pmYou might have your files sorted by Run Count (you can check that in Menu:View > Sort by).
Every time you start a file from within Everything it increases it's run count, so it will move up in the list.
Jawpack wrote: Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:19 pmThanks! I changed it to Name. I thought it was set to Name. BTW, what in the world does run count mean and what is it used for?
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