If when you try to extract a Zip file or an archive file on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, you get the Interrupted Action prompt stating Error 0x80010135: Path too Long, then this post is intended to help you with the most suitable solutions you can apply to easily resolve the issue on your system.
The main reasons for this issue include:
- File paths longer than 260 characters because the Windows 32 API library does not support file paths with over 260 characters.
- File corruption
- Malware infection
- Incorrect or unsuccessful installation of software
- Accidental deletion of necessary system file or entry
Fix Path too long Error 0x80010135 when extracting zip file
Archives are files containing one or multiple data files, which Zip, RAR, Unix Tar, and CAB archives are the most commonly used among others. These types of files, often referred to as compressed folders come in handy when copying and sending multiple files because they provide easier storage and portability. Archives also compress files, thereby enabling them to take less space. So, if you get the Error 0x80010135: Path too Long Interrupted Action prompt when you attempt to extract or unzip a Zip file or any other archive file on your Windows 11/10 computer, then in no particular order, our recommended solutions presented below should help you resolve this issue.
- Use an alternative Zip File Extraction Tool
- Extract the archive file to the root folder or Extract sub-folders only
- Use the Robocopy or XCopy command
- Enable Long Paths Support in Windows
Let’s look at the description of the process as it relates to each of the listed solutions.
Read: Fix Error 0x800700CE, The filename or extension is too long
Before you proceed with the solutions below, the most straightforward solution to this issue in most cases is to rename the archive file with a shorter name (eg 123456789_abcdefg_temp.zip to temp.zip) to reduce the file path. If possible, open the archive file first because it could contain several parent/child folders, and then locate any directories with long names. If you can’t rename the sub-folders within the archive, you can then rename the archive directory itself to a shorter name and then try extracting the archive contents again.
Can’t extract ZIP File on Windows PC
1] Use an alternative Zip File Extraction Tool
The built-in utility in Windows can work well in zipping and unzipping zip files. However, in some cases, the Path too long Error 0x80010135 can occur because the tool cannot handle a particular zip format. To get around this limitation, you can use an alternative third-party compression or decompression softwarel such as 7-Zip – these work well with most archive file formats.
Read: Long Path Fixer Tool will fix Path Too Long errors
2] Extract the archive file to the root folder or Extract sub-folders only
You can extract the archive file to the root folder by following these steps:
- Rename the zip file to a shorter parent name.
- Copy and move the file to the C:\ partition or a folder in disk C:\.
This will make the pathway shorter when you extract the file to a root folder by adding fewer characters to the file path. Make sure the root folder is on C:\, D:\, or any you prefer.
- Finally, extract the zip file in the folder in the C:\ partition.
You can also open the folders with long filenames in the archive and only extract them to a directory. Once done, you can now organize them according to the original archive by creating folders and moving the sub-folders inside them. Ensure that you use short names for the new folder.
If you were unsuccessful and the error in view reappears, you can try the next solution.
Read: The source file name(s) are larger than is supported by the file system
3] Use the Robocopy or XCopy command
Robocopy (Robust File Copy), is a command-line directory/file replication command. By default, Robocopy will only copy a file if the source and destination have different time stamps or different file sizes. Also, Robocopy will accept UNC pathnames including long pathnames over 256 characters long – although Robocopy successfully copies such files, to avoid issues such as difficulty accessing the files with Windows File Explorer, you need to choose a destination folder with a shorter name than the source folder.
To use the Robocopy command to copy the zip contents to the destination folder on your Windows 11/10 PC, do the following:
- Press the Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type cmd and then press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open Command Prompt in elevated mode.
- In the command prompt window, copy and paste the command below and hit Enter:
robocopy SourceFilePath DestinationPath /E /copyall
Substitute the SourceFilePath and DestinationPath placeholders accordingly – so, your syntax should look something like this:
robocopy C:\src C:\dst /E /copyall
Alternatively, you can run the following command:
robocopy C:\source D:\destination *.zip /MIR /v /s /XX
With this syntax, the /s switch is needed to prevent copying any empty folder in the archive file, and the /xx switch is needed to prevent the deletion of older files in the destination folder.
The XCopy tool, which stands for EXtended Copy, is a popular command-line utility for copying massive amounts of data in Windows. The command creates files with the archive attribute set, whether or not this attribute was set in the source file. To use the XCopy command to copy the zip contents to the destination folder on your Windows 11/10 PC, run the following command:
xcopy SourceFilePath DestinationPath /O /X /E /H /K
Read: The file name(s) would be too long for the destination folder error message
4] Enable Long Paths Support in Windows
In the Windows API (with some exceptions), the maximum length for a path is MAX_PATH, which is defined as 260 characters. A local path is structured in the following order:
- Drive letter
- Colon
- Backslash
- Name components separated by backslashes
- A terminating null character
By default, long path support is disabled in Windows. For this solution, you need to enable Win32 Long Paths support via Local Group Policy Editor, Registry Editor, PowerShell, or Command Prompt.
To enable Long Path Support via Local Group Policy Editor, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open Group Policy Editor.
- Inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Filesystem
- At the location, on the right pane, double-click on Enable Win32 long paths entry to edit its properties.
- In the open policy window, set the radio button to Enabled.
- Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
- Exit the Local Group Policy Editor.
- Restart your computer.
For Windows 11/10 Home users, you can add the Local Group Policy Editor feature and then carry out the instructions as provided above, or you can do the registry or PowerShell or Command Prompt method below.
To enable Long Paths Support via PowerShell, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Terminal in elevated mode.
- In the PowerShell console, type or copy and paste the command below and hit Enter:
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD –Force
- Exit Windows Terminal once the command executes.
- Restart PC.
To enable Long Paths Support via Command Prompt, follow these steps to edit the registry via Command Prompt:
- Open Command Prompt in elevated mode.
- In the command prompt window, copy and paste the command below and hit Enter:
reg.exe Add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /V "LongPathsEnabled" /T REG_DWORD /D "1"
- Exit CMD prompt once the command executes.
- Restart PC.
To enable Long Paths Support via Registry Editor, follow these steps:
Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:
- Press the Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
- Navigate or jump to the registry key path below:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
- At the location, on the right pane, double-click the LongPathsEnabled key to edit its properties.
- In the properties dialog, input 1 in the Value data field.
- Click OK or hit Enter to save the change.
- Exit Registry Editor.
Alternatively, you can automatically enable the LongPathsEnabled key in the registry. Here’s how:
- Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type notepad and hit Enter to open Notepad.
- Copy and paste the code below into the text editor.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]"LongPathsEnabled"=dword:00000001
- Now, click the File option from the menu and select Save As button.
- Choose a location (preferably desktop) where you want to save the file.
- Enter a name with .reg extension (eg; EnableLongPaths.reg).
- Choose All Files from the Save as type drop-down list.
- Double-click the saved .reg file to merge it.
- If prompted, click on Run > Yes (UAC) > Yes > OK to approve the merge.
- You can now delete the .reg file if you like.
- Restart PC.
Any of these solutions should work for you.
Read: Source Path Too Long? Use SuperDelete to delete files with such errors
How do I bypass the path of a file for too long?
if the path is too long, first copy the folder to the upper levels in File Explorer and then move it to your local computer. if file names are too long, first try to zip the files with an archive application and then copy the archive file to your local computer and then extract the contents. You can also use third-party apps.
How can I copy more than 256 characters?
Windows has a limitation where the entire path to a file cannot be over 255 characters. Microsoft has a command line copy program called “Robocopy” (Robust Copy) that can copy files without this limitation. ROBOCOPY will accept UNC pathnames including UNC pathnames over 256 characters long.
Also read: TLPD is a long file pathfinder to detect files with long paths on Windows
