How to move folder/files with path names > 255 characters in Windows 8.1? [closed]

Question

How can you copy/move a folder or file with path name length > 255 on windows?

I have looked around for ages, and the only possible way I have found is to use the subst method. I wish I didn't have to mess about with this. I simply want to copy/move a file or directory, X, to location Y.

I'm fine with making a .bat script, or other kinds of scripts to achieve this.

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PS: this is marked as of topic, which I'm fine with, but it was being done in a programming context.

Answer 1

Not Windows 8 but in Windows 7, 64bit, I have the same problem and I just discovered that while nothing else worked, I was able to cut and paste folders containing files with path names that were too long into a destination folder with a shorter path. That is, in Explorer.exe, I selected a directory that I couldn't delete because some files had path names that were too long, then CTRL-X to cut it and paste it into another explorer window (CTRL-V).

Answer 2

I finally found a good solution!

The savior is

Robocopy

Robocopy supports path names > 256 by default, and even provides a flag that lets you turn OFF support for long path names (flag: /256).

Example usage of Robocopy:

robocopy /E C:/path/with/very/long/names/in/it C:/new/path