Filenames Limited to 31 Characters. Workaround?

Question

Filenames Limited to 31 Characters. Workaround?

Hi there, just switched to a Mac at work. Many of the files I work with are on an external drive that I connect to over the network. Problem is, quite a few of the files aren't showing up and, by process of elimination, I've come to the conclusion that it must be because the filenames are longer than 31 characters. I've had my Mac at home for about a year and have never had a problem with long file names.

I found this topic from Apple ( here) about long file names that makes it sound like I should be able to make them up to 255 characters. But then at the end of that article it says something about "When using a Mac OS Standard format volume, file names are limited to 31 characters." I honestly don't know what a Mac OS Standard format volume is, if I have it (which I'm assuming I do) and if it's a setting I can change or if it's something I'm stuck with.

If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear 'em.

Thanks!

Mac Specs:
Mac Mini
Macmini3,1
Intel Core 2 Duo
2.66 GHz
Memory: 4 GB

Posted on Aug 12, 2010 2:36 PM

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Answer 1

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,508 points

Aug 12, 2010 4:59 PM in response to sarahfelldown

Mac OS Standard (HFS) is the original Macintosh drive format. Due to the ever growing size of hard drives, it was no longer possible for that file system to access that many sectors/blocks on the drive. Enter Mac OS Extended (HFS+). It's been in use now since Mac OS 8.1. Your Mac Mini is using HFS+. And in fact, must. OS X will not install on a Mac OS Standard drive.

Now if the external drive is formatted Mac OS Standard, you will be limited to 31 character file names for anything written to that drive, but that doesn't explain not being able to see what is already there.

Highlight the external drive on your desktop and press Command+I, or choose Get Info from the file menu. Under the General information, where it says Format, it should read Mac OS Extended if it's HFS+. Mac OS Standard if it's HFS. Which does it say?

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Answer 2

Aug 12, 2010 5:01 PM in response to Kurt Lang

It says AppleShare. The drive is shared by all of us in the office, everyone else uses PCs and I assume this thing was formatted for PC when they bought it. D'you think that's the issue?

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,508 points

Aug 12, 2010 5:27 PM in response to sarahfelldown

That is an ancient Apple drive interface. See a bit on it here. As you can see, it wasn't supported well even on what are now very old PowerPC Macs. Using that as an example, it's no great surprise OS X can't access it very well.

Entire list of what versions of AppleShare worked with which Mac operating systems here. Even the last version of AppleShare, version IP 6.3.3 v1.3, doesn't work on anything later than OS 9.2.1. Notably absent is any Intel based Mac, or even PPC Macs newer than a G4. Also, no mention of OS X in there at all.

I'd say it's time your office moved up to a modern server.

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Answer 4

Aug 12, 2010 5:23 PM in response to Kurt Lang

I'll forward this on to my tech guy. Thanks for all the info!

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