Microsoft Windows Character Limits for Naming Folders and Files Business Technology (BTech) BTech Alerts & Notifications - Check this page for the latest information on emergencies and system outages. All times are Pacific. Overview A guide for naming Folders and Files in the Microsoft Windows Environment. Managing the length of the Folder Names and File Names will reduce the risk of losing information. Microsoft Windows imposes a maximum path length of 260 characters (including both the file name and the path to it). Naming files in Microsoft Windows is crucial for efficient organization and easy retrieval.If the file path exceeds this limit, you may encounter issues accessing the file. Long filenames are a well-known issue at jobsites but doesn’t get attention until there is an issue with opening files. Section A: Creating meaningful and well-structured file paths and filenames in Microsoft Windows Descriptive and Clear: Use descriptive names that convey the content or purpose of the file. Avoid generic or cryptic names like “document.pdf”, “misc.docx”, “miscellaneous.pdf”, or “file.txt.” Alphanumeric Characters Only: Stick to alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers). Avoid special characters or symbols that may cause compatibility issues. Use Underscores Instead of Spaces: Separate words in file names using underscores (_) rather than spaces. Underscores serve as a convenient way to separate words within a filename. Unlike spaces, which can cause issues, underscores are a safe choice. For example: project_report.docx instead of Project Report.docx. Include Dates (if relevant): Add dates to file names for time-sensitive documents. For instance: budget_2024.xlsx. Be Concise: Keep file names short but meaningful. Long names can be unwieldy and may get truncated in certain contexts. Avoid Reserved Words: Do not use reserved words like “CON,” “PRN,” “AUX,” or “NUL.” These are reserved by the Windows operating system. Version Control: If you have multiple versions of a file, use version numbers (e.g., v1, v2) in the file name. Maintain consistency in versioning. Case Insensitivity: Remember that Windows file names are case-insensitive. However, it’s good practice to use title casing (capitalizing the first letter of each word). Avoid Excessive Length: Windows supports longer file names. Avoid exceeding 260 characters (including the path). Be mindful of folder structures and nesting. Section B: File and Folder Names Character Length Limits Maximum Length: The total length of a file or folder name (including the full path) should, generally, be 260 characters or less. Individual Limit: No individual file or folder name can exceed 255 characters. This includes spaces and backslashes used as separators. Section C: Characters Stick to alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers). Windows file names are case-insensitive. Avoid characters or symbols that may cause compatibility issues or confusion. Parentheses “()”, dash “-“, hyphen “–“ Use an underscore “_” to replace the space character. A space will translate to “%20” and take up 3 characters. Reserved Characters: Be cautious with reserved URL characters. Do not used reserved characters: Reserved Characters < (less than) " (double quote) | (vertical bar or pipe) > (greater than) / (forward slash) ? (question mark) : (colon) \ (backslash) * (asterisk) Section D: Words Reserved Words: Do not use reserved words. These names are reserved and used by the Operating System. NUL PRN CON AUX COM LPT Separate Words: Separate words in file names using underscores (_) rather than spaces. A space will translate to “%20” and take up 3 characters. Folder name with space yields a total of 18 characters 1. PRECONSTRUCTION Folder name with underscore (_) yields a total of 17 characters 1_PRECONSTRUCTION Filename with spaces yields a total of 45 characters QUALIFICATIONS - Swinerton - County of El.pdf Filename with underscore (_) yields a total of 41 characters QUALIFICATIONS_Swinerton_County_of_El.pdf Abbreviated Words: Appreciating words can significantly reduce the total characters in a file path (folder(s) and file name) Folder name with space yields a total of 18 characters 1. PRECONSTRUCTION Folder name with abbreviation yields a total of 8 characters 1_PRECON Filename with abbreviations yields a total of 45 characters QUALIFICATIONS - Swinerton - County of El.pdf Filename with abbreviations yields a total of 30 characters QUALIFI_Swinerton_Co_of_El.pdf Example Abbreviations: Word Abbreviation Word Abbreviation Word Abbreviation Access acc Facility fac Purchase pur Accident acdnt Foreign fgn Power pwr Accounting acct First fst Qualification qualify Acknowledgement act Furniture furn Quality qual Agreement agrmt General gen Received rcvd Analysis anyls Group grp Records rcrds Applicant appl Hazard haz Referral ref Approvals approv health hlth Relations relns Architect arch Infection INF Requests reqs Attachment att Inspection Insp Required req Billing bill Insurance Insp Revenue rev Building bldg investigation investig Safety sfty Change chg Inventory invt Saint St Checklist chklst January jan Schedule sch Civil civ Journal jnl Security sec Completion cmpl License lic Services servs Committee cmte Marketing mktg Spanish span Communication comm Mechanical mech Standard std Construction constr Medical med Structural struct Consultant cnslt Management mgmt Subcontractor subcon Contract cnt Minute min Substantial subst Contractor contr Month mo Supervisor supv Correspondence corresp Master mstr Surveying sur County Co Numbers num Sustainability sustain Credentials creds Optimization optim Temporary temp Control ctrl Orientation orient Tenant Improvement TI Daily dly Program pgm Template tmeplt Directory dir Phone ph Tracking trkg Disciplinary discipl Permit pmt Train trn Damage dmg Preconstruction precon Training trng Documentation doc Preliminary prelim Utility utl Design dsg Professional pro Vision vsn Electrical elec Project proj Warranty wnty English eng Protection prot Weather wthr Engineer engr Providence provid Year yr Equipment equip Personnel prsnl Exposure exp Public pub Section E: Date Format YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601)Year, Month Day YYYYYear Only Example:Date Format: YYYYMMDD and YYYY Folder name with space yields a total of 142 characters. Z:\MDB\Office\EstPrecon\Opports\2022 Jobs\22478076P_Sleep Number - Ground Up\11. Legal\LNTP_Early Release\07.19.23\2023-0719_LNTP-Sleep Number Folder name with Date Format and abbreviations yields a total of 127 characters. Z:\MDB\Office\EstPrecon\Opports\2022_Jobs\22478076P_Sleep_Num_Grnd_Up\11_Legal\LNTP_Early_Rel\20230719\2023_0719_LNTP_Sleep_Num Section F: File Paths (Folder name & Filename) Maximum Length: The total length of a file or folder name (including the full path) should, generally, be 260 characters or less. Apply Abbreviations to the Folder names and Filenames. Avoid using repeating words. Replace spaces with an underscore. Examples: Example 1: File Path with spaces, “.”, and full words Original - File Path with spaces, “.”, and full words: Z:\SI\JobFolderTemplates\TI-DIV_35_36_91_289_291_293\12. SAFETY(s)\12b. Swinerton - Project Documentation\6. Required Safety Postings\1. Workplace Safety Postings\Operating Rules for Industrial Trucks - Spanish - Cal-OSHA.pdf · File path is 225 characters total (leaving 35 characters remaining). Updated - File Path with spaces, and “.” removed and abbreviations added: Z:\SI\JobFolderTemplates\TI-DIV_35_36_91_289_291_293\12_SAFETY(s)\12b_Swinerton_Proj_Doc\6_Req_ sfty_Postings\1_Workplace_sfty_Postings\Operating_Rules_for_Industrial_Trucks_Span_Cal-OSHA.pdf · File path is 194 characters total (leaving 66 characters remaining). Example 2: File Path with spaces, “.”, Special Characters, and full words Original - File Path with spaces, “.”, Special Characters, and full words: Z:\SI\JobFolderTemplates\SMC-DIV_100_101_103_104_107_481\300 Contracts\303 Construction Contracts (general contractors)\303 Contractor Name - Construction Contract Files\303.03 Proposals & Bids File path is 193 characters total (leaving 67 characters remaining). Updated - File Path with spaces, “.”, special characters removed, and abbreviations added: Z:\SI\JobFolderTemplates\SMC-DIV_100_101_103_104_107_481\300_Cnt\303_Constr_Cnt_gen_contr\303_Contr_N ame_Constr_Contr_Files\303_03_Prop_Bids\ · File path is 140 characters total (leaving 120 characters remaining). Example 3: File Path with spaces, full words, and repeating words. Original - File Path with spaces, full words, and repeating words: Z:\MDB\Office\Main Project\Remodel Project\Sub Project\Drywall\Drywall Estimates\Submitted Drywall Estimates\Estimate.pdf · File path is 121 characters total (leaving 139 characters remaining). Updated - File Path with spaces removed, abbreviations added, and duplicate words removed Z:\MDB\Office\Main_Proj\Remodel_Proj\Sub_Proj\Drywall\Estimates\Submitted\Job1_Estimate.pdf · File path is 91 characters total (leaving 169 characters remaining). References Microsoft Learn: Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces - Win32 apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/naming-a-file