how to get rid of a long filename in windows

  • Thread starter Thread starter sobriquet
  • Start date Start date
S

sobriquet

Hi!

In a recent download, there was a file included with an idiotic
filename:

Aleksandr Bazhbeuk-Melikov, Natalia Goncharova, Lado Gudiashvili,
Mikhail Kalashnikov, Igor' Terent'ev, Unknown Artist, Sigizmund
Valishevskii, Il'ia Zdanevich and Kirill Zdanevich - Sofii Georgievne
Mel'nikovoi. Fantasticheskii kabachek.jpg

Now windows won't let me rename, move or copy the file.

Is there any way to change the name of this file so it's possible to
copy or move the file?

I use windows vista.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek
 
Try using the short 8.3 name and the ren command at a cmd prompt.

ren  drive:\folder\Aleksa~1.jpg  foo.jpg
Click to expand...

It's odd, when I try "dir Aleksa~1.jpg", it lists the file, but when I
do "ren Aleksa~1.jpg x.jpg" it says "The system cannot find the file
specified."
 
What's the path? Are you CDing to the dir first? If the path has spaces
in it you need to wrap the string in quotes. Otherwise the cmd shell
will choke at the first space.
e.g.
copy  "c:\path\with space\Aleksa~1.jpg"  x.jpg
Click to expand...

Solved! :-)

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/7893/prompt.jpg

The trick was to shorten all folder names in the path to a single
character.
Then windows would let me rename the file (or actually copy it and
delete the original).
 
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