Copying Files with Long Filenames to FAT Partitions

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When you copy a file from an NTFS partition to a FAT partition using File Manager, Windows NT automatically converts the name of the file to a format that is legal under FAT conventions. This does not occur when you copy files from the command prompt.

If you attempt to copy a file with a long name to a FAT partition from a command prompt, one of the following error messages appear:

• The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
  
  -or-
• File creation error - The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

To copy a file with a long filename to a FAT partition without receiving one of these errors:

1. Use File Manager to copy the files.
2. Use the COPY command at a command prompt to rename the file to a valid FAT filename in the copy process. For example, to copy a file by the name of "This is a LONGFILE.BAT" to C:\TEST the following command could be used:
   
   COPY "This is a long file" C:\TEST\LONGFILE.BAT
   
   Note that files with long filenames or spaces in the name need to be enclosed in quotation marks.