Question

Long File Paths - Over 260 characters

  • 15 September 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 41 views

After enabling long file paths in all the proper locations there are still long file path restrictions on the FileCopy writer.

 

Am I missing something?

 

I ended up using a PythonCaller to get around this restriction, but thought I would bring up the issue so it can be updated or fixed.

 

Thanks


6 replies

Badge +6

@dbannon22 Hi, thanks for your question! This is an interesting issue, one that would certainly be worth exploring further. Just to confirm a couple details with you, have you enabled long file paths from your Group Policy Editor as described in this article:

 

Windows: Enable long file path support

 

You'll need to be running at least Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016 to enable long paths following the instructions in that article. You also require FME 2019.2.1 build 19813 (or higher) to support long paths.

Badge +10

@dbannon22 Hi, thanks for your question! This is an interesting issue, one that would certainly be worth exploring further. Just to confirm a couple details with you, have you enabled long file paths from your Group Policy Editor as described in this article:

 

Windows: Enable long file path support

 

You'll need to be running at least Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016 to enable long paths following the instructions in that article. You also require FME 2019.2.1 build 19813 (or higher) to support long paths.

@natalieatsafe​ I'm having the exact same problem.

 

FME Desktop and Server v2021.2.3 running on a Windows Server 2019 Standard 64bit machine. Long file paths enabled form the Group Policy Editor and FME Server Engine Service restarted.

 

...still the same problem, both from workbench and from FME server.

 

Checking the translation/job log I see this (trying to copy 13 files):

File Copy Writer: Opening writer

File Copy Writer: Dataset truncated to 260 characters: 'my path truncated'

... Last line repeated 12 times ...

File Copy Writer: Skipped 13 features that were missing source datasets

 

Badge +6

@dms2​ Hi there, sorry to hear you're encountering this issue! Are you able to attach full translation / job logs here? Even better if you could run the workspace in debug mode and provide the log for that! We have seen this behavior before, where the appropriate measures have been taken on the Windows side and long file paths are still an issue. The logs may give us some clues here. A screenshot or two of your FileCopy writer may also help! Thanks in advance!

Badge +10

@dms2​ Hi there, sorry to hear you're encountering this issue! Are you able to attach full translation / job logs here? Even better if you could run the workspace in debug mode and provide the log for that! We have seen this behavior before, where the appropriate measures have been taken on the Windows side and long file paths are still an issue. The logs may give us some clues here. A screenshot or two of your FileCopy writer may also help! Thanks in advance!

@natalieatsafe​ See attached: the log with the Log Debug option on and screenshots of the FileCopy writer configuration and workflow.

Hope it helps to find a solution. Meanwhile I'm using a PythonCaller as @dbannon22​ did.

Badge +6

@dms2​ Thanks for the additional information. I'm going to ask for one more detail from you here, just to confirm that long file paths are set in your Windows Registry Editor. Could you please pop open your Registry Editor (Start > Run > type "regedit" no quotes), and access your FileSystem values (Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > FileSystem). You should see an entry, in the right-side pane, called LongPathsEnabled. If you could please grab a screenshot of that setting, just to confirm the setting has been correctly recorded by Windows. I've attached a screenshot of my Reg Editor to demonstrate what I'm looking for here.

 

Here's something to try, as this has helped other users in this situation before. Are you able to adjust the location of your FME_TEMP environment variable to a folder you create right on the root of your C:\\ drive? Here's our documentation on adjusting FME_TEMP, for reference.

 

I've attached a few screenshots to show how I've set my FME_TEMP. First, I created a folder at the root of my C:\\ drive. Then I accessed my Environment Variables from Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced System Settings. Finally, I created a new Environment Variable, FME_TEMP, and set it's value to that new C:\\ folder.

 

Once FME_TEMP is set to a much shorter file path, try running your workspace with feature caching turned off, and debug mode turned off, and see how it performs. Just note, this is a workaround for an issue that is being investigated. If a full solution is made available, I will update this thread. If you're still running into errors, please submit a support case to us, ideally with a copy of your workspace and a sample of your source data, and we can investigate this issue with you further.

Badge +10

@dms2​ Thanks for the additional information. I'm going to ask for one more detail from you here, just to confirm that long file paths are set in your Windows Registry Editor. Could you please pop open your Registry Editor (Start > Run > type "regedit" no quotes), and access your FileSystem values (Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > FileSystem). You should see an entry, in the right-side pane, called LongPathsEnabled. If you could please grab a screenshot of that setting, just to confirm the setting has been correctly recorded by Windows. I've attached a screenshot of my Reg Editor to demonstrate what I'm looking for here.

 

Here's something to try, as this has helped other users in this situation before. Are you able to adjust the location of your FME_TEMP environment variable to a folder you create right on the root of your C:\\ drive? Here's our documentation on adjusting FME_TEMP, for reference.

 

I've attached a few screenshots to show how I've set my FME_TEMP. First, I created a folder at the root of my C:\\ drive. Then I accessed my Environment Variables from Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced System Settings. Finally, I created a new Environment Variable, FME_TEMP, and set it's value to that new C:\\ folder.

 

Once FME_TEMP is set to a much shorter file path, try running your workspace with feature caching turned off, and debug mode turned off, and see how it performs. Just note, this is a workaround for an issue that is being investigated. If a full solution is made available, I will update this thread. If you're still running into errors, please submit a support case to us, ideally with a copy of your workspace and a sample of your source data, and we can investigate this issue with you further.

@natalieatsafe​  A screenshot of my LongPathsEnabled setting:

LongPathsEnabled 

The FME_TEMP environment variable workaround didn't work. Guess it helps when using a shorter temporary file location file paths for the FileCopy writer still are inside the 260 character limit. In my case, source paths are 300 characters long so there was no chance this workaround would help.

 

I'll stick to the PythonCaller workaround which is working fine right now and wait for a fix for future workspaces I might run into the same situation.

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