Windows operating systems have long had a limitation when it comes to file paths. The default limit for the length of a file path in Windows is 260 characters, which can be quite restrictive, especially for power users, developers, or those dealing with deeply nested folders.
Step 1: Backup Your Registry Before making any changes to the Registry, it's crucial to back it up in case anything goes wrong.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- In the Registry Editor, click on File in the top left corner.
- Select Export... to create a backup of your current registry settings.
- Choose a location to save the backup file and provide a descriptive name.
- Click Save.
Step 2: Modify the Registry
Now that you have a backup of your Registry, let's proceed to enable long paths.
- Download the registry file from this link: EnableLongPaths.reg.
- Save the file to a location on your computer.
- Double-click on the downloaded EnableLongPaths.reg file. You may see a security prompt; click "Yes" to continue.
Note: If you want to create the .reg file manually, you can open Notepad and paste the following code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem] "LongPathsEnabled"=dword:00000001
Save this file with a .reg extension (e.g., EnableLongPaths.reg).
After double-clicking the file, you will receive a confirmation prompt. Click "Yes" to proceed.
Download the .reg file here: EnableLongPaths.reg
Happy file management on your Windows machine with longer paths!