I recently finished a permissions and ACL audit on our Windows Server 2019 file server, and it turns out we've got quite a few folders that exceed the old MAX_PATH limit of 260 characters. I know that NTFS can actually handle around 32,000 characters if you use the ? prefix, but some applications still only work with the 260-character limit unless I tweak the Windows registry to enable the long paths policy (LongPathsEnabled=1). I'm wondering:
- Does it make sense to enable this feature now that we've already got deep paths?
- Could turning it on cause any issues with existing applications?
- Should I also enable it on the client machines?
- Why isn't long path support enabled by default in recent versions of Windows since NTFS has been capable of it for a long time?
How is everyone else handling this situation in their environments?
2 Answers
The OS itself should handle long paths without any issues. As long as your clients are modern, they’ll likely be fine too. Just be cautious with the applications you’re using, as some of them might not interact well with paths that are too long.
I’d say if you’re encountering real issues related to long paths, then it’s worth enabling it. Otherwise, consider mapping deeper folders for easier access. But, keep in mind that some apps might still struggle with longer paths, no matter what settings you change in the OS.
I’ve definitely seen issues where software just doesn’t give a clear error about long paths, like when you open a file but it can't save it back properly.