32 char filename limit on mapped drive

Discussion in 'Parallels Desktop for Mac' started by smudge, Apr 23, 2007.

  1. smudge

    smudge Member

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    23
    I have my Mac home directory shared in Parallels as \\.PSF\Home\ but then mapped as the local H drive. I do this because some Win apps I use don't properly support UNC network paths.

    The problem I have is that filenames on the H drive are limited to 32 characters. It isn't a problem under \\.PSF\Home\.

    Is there a setting I'm missing or is this a known limitation of Parallels? (Build 3186)
     
  2. smudge

    smudge Member

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    23
    Can anyone confirm this issue on their own machine? Though i'd love a post from a Parallels tech saying it is a known bug and will be fixed in the next release :)
     
  3. mmischke

    mmischke Hunter

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    155
    I'm not seeing this behavior, although I'm running 3188. I created a text file with a 68 character filename on my Mac desktop and it appeared (and launched) correctly under both \\.PSF\Home and a mapped Z:\ drive.

    What are you running for a guest OS? Also, are you seeing this behavior under Windows Explorer or just under your app which doesn't recognize UNC paths?
     
  4. smudge

    smudge Member

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    23
    First, thx for responding.

    If the file is already there (created on the mac side) then it works (can open, read, delete, etc on the Win side) but try editing the filename in Windows Explorer. That is where the problem appears. Try creating a new text document or folder in Windows Explorer on your Z drive and see if it is limited.

    The Windows app will work with the file as well but if it needs to rename or create a new file based on the same name, it fails since it can't create the whole name.

    This is on a WinXP instance.
     
  5. iduff

    iduff Product Expert

    Messages:
    235
    I've had similar problems with select Microsoft apps. I can't remember which ones, and it is certainly not all of them. What I've had to resort to is to save from the Office app to the XP desktop, then in Windoze Explorer, fire up Parallels Shared Folders and move the data file from the XP desktop to the folder in OS X that I want.

    It seems to me to be an inconsistency in a Microsoft Office app, and not a Parallels problem.
     
  6. mmischke

    mmischke Hunter

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    155
    Hmmm... I was able to create, rename, open, edit and delete a file having a name length of 62 chars on the Z: drive (mapped to my Mac desktop) from within Windows Explorer.

    I see that you're running 3186 and I'm running 3188. I don't know what the differences are between the two.

    I'm happy to try out additional scenarios if you'd like to suggest any.
     
  7. iduff

    iduff Product Expert

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    235
    Sorry, I just went out to see if I could reproduce your problem, and I can't. All my Office docs save just fine to PSF folders, many characters deep.
     
  8. smudge

    smudge Member

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    I just upgraded to 3188 and the problem remains.

    I can create a new text document using Notepad and save it to the H drive with a long name. When I open Windows Explorer to the H drive, I can't rename the filename longer than 32 chars even if the filename is already longer. When trying to rename beyond 32 chars, I get a Default Beep sound if that helps.

    Is there anything in XP that would know it is a mapped drive to a Mac and it is limiting? Wouldn't think so since it works fine when using the \\.psf\Home\ directory. It is just too much of a coincidence that it is limited at 32 chars like it was on OS9.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2007
  9. Olivier

    Olivier Forum Maven

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    610
    Some Windows explorer extensions might be the culprit.
     
  10. smudge

    smudge Member

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    explorer extensions? Can you give an example?

    This is a pretty clean install of XP. I only use it for 2 Windows-only apps. No extra crap installed.
     

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