Hi,
I’m trying to install a mod to my community folder, but when I copy files there, I get an error message that some filenames are too long, and I have to cancel the process. My path looks something like: D:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-7555345473-1456586222-3848173965-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_97675b3d8b558\LocalCache\Packages\Community.
What to do? Can I simply rename some of the folders to a shorter name, or will this break the install?
Why in the world would MSFS automatically assign such long directory names, when path names are limited to 260 characters. But to be fair, it’s not like the company behind this flight simulator would know anything about the windows operating system. Oh, wait… 
I know this is off the subject, but I just signed up to the forums and there’s no where for me to create a new post / topic, any ideas that could help me out? I can respond to posts already up?
Hi @PathlessSpore60,
I’ve moved your post into a new topic as the topic you replied to should have been closed as it was over a year old. 
So now, you have your own topic.
@RFG10228944,
Welcome to the forum! As a new user you won’t be able to create a new topic until you reach a higher Trust Level. However, this is easy to obtain! See this guide on Trust Levels and how to advance:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/trust-levels-and-how-to-advance/121729
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Quick and easy way to enable long paths.
https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/filr/filr-4/filr-desktop/t47bx2ogpfz7.html
The long names are not a concern in Windows 10/11.
You can rename the folder that contains the addon to anything you like. All paths specified in files below that should be relative, so your addon should still work if you renamed its folder to “a”, for example.
I have edited my OP to make things a bit clearer.
MSFS often assigns a very long path-structure when it installs the app on a different drive than C:. Mine looks somethings like
D:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-7555345473-1456586222-3848173965-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_97675b3d8b558\LocalCache\Packages\Community
So, I would need to rename most of these directories, but I’m too worried that will break the install…
I run windows 11!
I have already tried both enabling long-file names by regedit, and also by the method you linked to. Doesn’t help, not sure why. Maybe allowing long file names doesn’t retroactively change the file structure already in place, it applies only to drives installed in the future. Don’t know though.
With it enabled you should be okay.
Is the program you are installing simply giving a warning that it will be / may be to long and allow you the option to continue? or does it just fail at that point?
I should be, but I’m not, I have tried it, even restarted the computer several times. The installation I’m referring to is simply a copying of files using file explorer into the community folder. The particular files I’m trying the copy is the pms50-gtn750-mod.
The following is not my image, but that of another user with a similar issue, but mine looks just like it.
Ah okay, so it’s not the application saying this could be too long, it’s actually Windows.
Can you give screenshots of the registry changes you made and any other work around?
The full path to the community folder would be useful as well.
Mine is something like:
D:\Flight Simulator\Community
It was provided above.
D:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-7555345473-1456586222-3848173965-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_97675b3d8b558\LocalCache\Packages\Community
you already tried the old symbolic link trick too ( mklink ) ?
Vielen Dank, Micha! Making a symbolic link worked!
Still, one would hope that other users wouldn’t have to spend two days like me on simply copying files into the community folder, and MS/Asobo will not force such long directory names on some users!
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