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Rudz's avatar
Rudz
Kudo Collector
5 years ago
Solved

[DataFormat.Error] The file name is longer than the system-defined maximum length

I am trying to find all Microsoft Access databases on a drive. The query below works until the path gets too long and then dies with:

 

[DataFormat.Error] The file name Desk\..._5387851 d-7b20-44f7-a750-74e3552d 1 is longer than the system-defined maximum length.

 

Is there a work-around for this? I get confused when Windows allows files to be created, and then complains that the path is too long. For what it's worth, the path abbreviated above is 285 characters, and there are more folders deeper than this one. And also I can't change files on this drive, only report on them.

 

 

let
    Source = Folder.Files("H:\"),
    #"Removed Other Columns" = Table.SelectColumns(Source,{"Name", "Extension", "Date accessed", "Date modified", "Date created", "Attributes", "Folder Path"}),
    #"Filtered Rows" = Table.SelectRows(#"Removed Other Columns", each ([Extension] = ".accdb" or [Extension] = ".mdb"))
in
    #"Filtered Rows"

 

 

  • hi Rudz 

    Open a command prompt and then run a dir command to search for the files.  Output the search results to a file that you can open in PQ.

    Example command, change the file extension accordingly

     

     

    dir *.accdb /s /b > dbfiles.txt

     

     

    This will give you all files with the extension .accdb in all subdirectories off the directory the command was executed in, and stores the results in the file dbfiles.txt

    Results in the file look like this

     

    d:\main.accdb
    d:\temp\myfile.accdb
    d:\temp\backup\accounts.accdb

     

    Regards

    Phil


    If I answered your question please mark my post as the solution.
    If my answer helped solve your problem, give it a kudos by clicking on the Thumbs Up.

8 Replies

  • hi Rudz 

    Open a command prompt and then run a dir command to search for the files.  Output the search results to a file that you can open in PQ.

    Example command, change the file extension accordingly

     

     

    dir *.accdb /s /b > dbfiles.txt

     

     

    This will give you all files with the extension .accdb in all subdirectories off the directory the command was executed in, and stores the results in the file dbfiles.txt

    Results in the file look like this

     

    d:\main.accdb
    d:\temp\myfile.accdb
    d:\temp\backup\accounts.accdb

     

    Regards

    Phil


    If I answered your question please mark my post as the solution.
    If my answer helped solve your problem, give it a kudos by clicking on the Thumbs Up.

  • Jimmy801's avatar
    Jimmy801
    Community Champion

    Hello Rudz 

     

    I had the same issues. When your folders containing zip.files then things got nasty. So it's difficult to use Power Query on a big drive to search for files.

    My work around was always to run a makro in Excel, that writes me the file names in a table. Then I used Power Query to access to the content of this files

     

    If this post helps or solves your problem, please mark it as solution (to help other users find useful content and to acknowledge the work of users that helped you)
    Kudoes are nice too

    Have fun

    Jimmy

  • edhans's avatar
    edhans
    Community Champion

    That folder name looks like a path in the recycle bin. You should filter that subfolder/object out.

     

    The max path/filename is 255 chars, but there are cases when Windows allows more, but not all apps can handle it. The files in the recycle bin are such an instance.

  • v-yingjl's avatar
    v-yingjl
    Community Support

    Hi Rudz ,

    You can create parameters to save your folder location to search files instead of traversing the whole drive.

    Change the source like this:

    let
    Source = Folder.Files(""&Parameter1),
    ...
    in
    ...

    Refer this simliar issue: Import Folder long path 

     

    Best Regards,
    Community Support Team _ Yingjie Li
    If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

  • Rudz's avatar
    Rudz
    Kudo Collector

    edhans Good thought, but it's not the recycle bin, and I don't have any way to filter folders out. I tried adding a filter where Text.Length([Folder Path]) < 256 but it dies before the filter is applied.

     

    v-yingjl The point of my query was to traverse the whole drive. I was trying to a quick (ha!) search to find all the Access files on the drive.

     

    Jimmy801 This is the best idea here. Do you have any sample code to get me started?

    • Jimmy801's avatar
      Jimmy801
      Community Champion

      Hello Rudz 

       

      here the function to read files in VBA. You can implement in Excel, and if you need the file names in Excel, then this is some integrated approach. If you need the data in Power BI, then the approach of PhilipTreacy  looks really nice too. 

      Option Explicit
      
      
      
      
      
      '*
      '* Properties that will be collected for each found file
      '*
      Type FoundFileInfo
          sPath As String
          sName As String
      End Type
      
      Function FindFiles(ByVal sPath As String, _
          ByRef recFoundFiles() As FoundFileInfo, _
          ByRef iFilesFound As Integer, _
          Optional ByVal sFileSpec As String = "*.*", _
          Optional ByVal blIncludeSubFolders As Boolean = False) As Boolean
      '
      ' FindFiles
      ' ---------
      ' Finds all files matching the specified file spec starting from the specified path and
      ' searches sub-folders if required.
      '
      ' Parameters
      ' ----------
      ' sPath (String): Start-up folder, e.g. "C:\Users\Username\Documents"
      '
      ' recFoundFiles (User-defined data type): a user-defined dynamic array to store the path
      ' and name of found files. The dimension of this array is (1 To nnn), where nnn is the
      ' number of found files. The elements of this array are:
      '   .sPath (String) = File path
      '   .sName (String) = File name
      '
      ' iFilesFound (Integer): Number of files found.
      '
      ' sFileSpec (String): Optional parameter with default value = "*.*"
      '
      ' blIncludeSubFolders (Boolean): Optional parameter with default value = False
      '   (which means sub-folders will not be searched)
      '
      ' Return values
      ' -------------
      ' True: One or more files found, therefore
      '   recFoundFiles = Array of paths and names of all found files
      '   iFilesFound = Number of found files
      ' False: No files found, therefore
      '   iFilesFound = 0
      '
      ' Using the function (sample code)
      ' --------------------------------
      '    Dim iFilesNum As Integer
      '    Dim iCount As Integer
      '    Dim recMyFiles() As FoundFileInfo
      '    Dim blFilesFound As Boolean
      '
      '    blFilesFound = FindFiles("C:\Users\MBA\Desktop", _
      '        recMyFiles, iFilesNum, "*.txt?", True)
      '    If blFilesFound Then
      '        For iCount = 1 To iFilesNum
      '            With recMyFiles(iCount)
      '                MsgBox "Path:" & vbTab & .sPath & _
      '                    vbNewLine & "Name:" & vbTab & .sName, _
      '                    vbInformation, "Found Files"
      '            End With
      '        Next
      '    Else
      '        MsgBox "No file(s) found matching the specified file spec.", _
      '            vbInformation, "File(s) not Found"
      '    End If
      '
      '
      ' Constructive comments and Reporting of bugs would be appreciated.
      '
      
          Dim iCount As Integer           '* Multipurpose counter
          Dim sFileName As String         '* Found file name
          '*
          '* FileSystem objects
          Dim oFileSystem As Object, _
              oParentFolder As Object, _
              oFolder As Object, _
              oFile As Object
      
          Set oFileSystem = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
          On Error Resume Next
          Set oParentFolder = oFileSystem.GetFolder(sPath)
          If oParentFolder Is Nothing Then
              FindFiles = False
              On Error GoTo 0
              Set oParentFolder = Nothing
              Set oFileSystem = Nothing
              Exit Function
          End If
          sPath = IIf(Right(sPath, 1) = "\", sPath, sPath & "\")
          '*
          '* Find files
          sFileName = Dir(sPath & sFileSpec, vbNormal)
          If sFileName <> "" Then
              For Each oFile In oParentFolder.Files
                  If LCase(Left(oFile.Name, 16)) = "procurement plan" Then
                      If LCase(oFile.Name) Like LCase(sFileSpec) Then
                          iCount = UBound(recFoundFiles)
                          iCount = iCount + 1
                          ReDim Preserve recFoundFiles(1 To iCount)
                          With recFoundFiles(iCount)
                              .sPath = sPath
                              .sName = oFile.Name
                          End With
                      End If
                  End If
              Next oFile
              Set oFile = Nothing         '* Although it is nothing
          End If
          If blIncludeSubFolders Then
              '*
              '* Select next sub-forbers
              For Each oFolder In oParentFolder.SubFolders
                  FindFiles oFolder.Path, recFoundFiles, iFilesFound, sFileSpec, blIncludeSubFolders
              Next
          End If
          FindFiles = UBound(recFoundFiles) > 0
          iFilesFound = UBound(recFoundFiles)
          On Error GoTo 0
          '*
          '* Clean-up
          Set oFolder = Nothing           '* Although it is nothing
          Set oParentFolder = Nothing
          Set oFileSystem = Nothing
      
      End Function
      
      

       

      If this post helps or solves your problem, please mark it as solution (to help other users find useful content and to acknowledge the work of users that helped you)
      Kudoes are nice too

      Have fun

      Jimmy

  • edhans's avatar
    edhans
    Community Champion

    That is odd with that file name Rudz - Is it some sort of "God Mode" folder or other folder made with a GUID that has that really long incomprehensible name? Otherwise, I am not sure why a folder on the desktop would have such a name.

  • The space before the 1 at the end of the file name is worth noting, as it could be a unintended space.