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This article applies to:

  • Product: HighQ
  • Subject: Documents,File Exchange

Download a zip with long file and folder names

The Windows operating system limits the length of file paths to approximately 250 characters and the file path length in Collaborate is theoretically unlimited. How can the files and folders in a site be downloaded in a zip file when the file path length in Collaborate is beyond the Windows limit?

HTML index download

One method is the HTML navigation download, described here. The site files are saved in the same folder as an HTML file that shows an index of the files, which makes it easy to access the downloaded files in a browser. As the files are saved in a flat format, there are no issues with file path length.
However, as the files are renamed
documentid-version.suffix
 (such as
ABCD-1.doc
 ) instead of the filename shown on the site, the HTML navigation option may not be appropriate.

ZIP download

If the downloaded files must be shown with their folder structure and the correct filename; the ZIP file download option must be used. However long folder names must be shortened before the downloaded files and folders are extracted to a computer using the Windows OS.
note
This requires additional software than the software that is installed with the Windows OS. Two programs, in particular, can be used: WinRAR or 7zip.
Do not rename any of the files or folders on the Collaborate site itself in order to shorten folder names, unless you intend to permanently rename the folders. Keep the site file structure unchanged
  1. Navigate to the Index View of the
    Files
     module and select the checkbox next to the root folder of the site (the folder that is the same as the name of the site). All of the files and folders in the site will then be selected..
  2. Deselect one of the files or folders that are directly beneath the root folder, which in turns deselects the root folder. Reselect the deselected file or folder
  3. Select
    Download
     above the selected files, then in the
    Select options
     screen, select
    Download
     again. Ensure you do not select the
    Include root folder
     checkbox
Due to the long folder paths, a message displays that lists every folder and file with a name that is too long. Copy all the text and save it to a text file or Word document for later reference. Select
Continue anyway
.
The ZIP file downloads to your computer. Locate the ZIP file and open it with
WinRAR
 or
7zip
.
note
If you open it with the Windows OS file explorer, it displays an error message:
If opened with
WinRAR
, the ZIP file will display without the root folder:
Go back to the list of long folder and file names copied from the message. Find the long folder names and use WinRAR to rename those folders. Do not rename files - only rename folders.
note
This does not change the name of folders on the site.
To rename a folder:
  • Right-click on a folder, select
    Rename
     and enter the new name.
The shortened folder name is listed.
  • Extract the full contents of the ZIP file to an appropriate location on your computer.
If the file paths are still too long, WinRAR displays an error message with more information about folders that might need to be renamed.
  • Rename folders as necessary.
note
Extract a ZIP file to a folder near the root of the computer to minimise the path length of the extracted files and folders.