Bulk download path limit | DealCentre

  • Updated

Applies to: Everyone
 

When bulk downloading documents from DealCentre, you may encounter a scenario where long folder + file path names will exceed the default Windows limit of 260 characters (which will prevent you from extracting the documents from the ZIP file). 

For Windows users, DealCentre will present an option to automatically shorten the path length during the download. The system will rename the folders / documents with their ID numbers from the platform. The download will also include an index file for reference in matching the original names with the shortened names.

If you prefer not to shorten the path length during the download, click Do not shorten. The files will download in a ZIP file with their full paths. 

You will then need to use one of the two workarounds below to extract the files.

7-Zip

The free 7-Zip application does not have the Windows character limit like the Windows Explorer extraction tool. 

You can download and install 7-Zip from the following site: https://7-zip.org  

Extract the ZIP

  1. Right-click on the ZIP file and choose 7-Zip > Extract Files.
  2. In the window that opens, select a destination folder. 
    Note: Always select the highest location possible on your system (i.e., the location with the shortest path length - generally the C: directory).
  3. Click OK to begin the extraction.

IMPORTANT: You must specify the destination path directly in the Extract to field in step 2. If you instead try manually dragging the content from the ZIP file into a destination folder, you will encounter the Windows character limit.

Registry change (Windows 10 and higher)

IMPORTANT: We highly recommend engaging your company's internal IT team to complete these steps, as updating your computer's registry incorrectly can have serious consequences (including rendering your system unstable or unusable). 

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. In the Registry Editor window that opens, navigate to the following path: 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
  4. Next:
    • If you see an existing LongPathsEnabled entry, double-click it.
    • If the entry does not yet exist:
      1. Right-click in the right-side pane.
      2. Click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
      3. Name the entry LongPathsEnabled.
      4. Double-click the new entry to open it.
  5. Set the Value data field to 1 and click OK. 
  6. Restart your computer to apply the changes. 
  7. You can then extract the ZIP using the standard Windows Explorer extraction tool.

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