Last Reviewed:  April 19, 2023

Can't Delete a File Because the Path is Too Long

When you try to delete a file that's on a network drive, it fails with an error that the path is too long.

Cause

This is most likely happening because of FileCenter's Recycle Bin. To explain:

When you're working with network files, Windows doesn't have a recycle bin. Deletions are permanent.

FileCenter offers a recycle bin for network files. The recycle bin is very simple: FileCenter simply moves the file to a special folder on the drive, usually called "FileCenter Recycle Bin". FileCenter preserves all of the original path.

So even though your original files come in under the 256 character limit, when you delete them, FileCenter tries to put them into a folder tree that will sometimes cause some files to exceed the 256 character limit.

Solutions

You have a few options:

First, you can do your deletions outside of FileCenter when you run into this, knowing that the deletion can't be undone.

Second, you can turn off FileCenter's recycle bin, knowing that network deletions will now be permanent (Settings > Miscellaneous > When deleting network files or folders ... > Delete Permanently)

Finally, you can change the path of FileCenter's recycle bin to something much shorter (Settings > Miscellaneous > When deleting network files or folders ... > Move to Custom Recycle Bin, then choose a short path).

A better solution starts right here.

Download your free trial and get on the path to better file organization in 2 minutes.

  • Fully-operational, 15-day trial
  • Windows desktop software
  • No credit card required, no strings attached.