|
Quick Start: Finding Long Filenames
Select What to Search
Select the folder(s), paths(s) or drive(s) you want to search in either the left or right windows. The Find dialog will default to searching these selections but they can be easily changed in the dialog itself.
Open the Find Dialog
| • | Select Find | Long Filenames... from the main menu |
Enter the Filenames or Patterns to Search for
| • | Enter the file patterns you are looking for. Multiple patterns are separated by either a semi-colon (;) or a bar character (|). You can even specify folders to exclude by preceding the name with a minus sign. For complete details right-click the field in the program. |
| • | Select minimum filename lengths you are looking for. The most common is to search for combined path and filename lengths but the others are available if you need them. |
| • | In the above example FileBoss will search for all files that have a combined path and filename length greater than 255 characters. |
Hint: You can limit your search (and thus speed it up and make its results more meaningful) by specifying one or more folders to search instead of just a whole drive. You can also, in the Patterns field, specify only certain files to search file such as *.doc | *.jpg | *.jpeg | *.html | *.htm
Click OK to search and create a Virtual Folder of all matching files
Nitty, Gritty Details
Searches can be based on three different lengths
Path, Filename or Total length (Path + Filename)
Searches can be across a drive, path or multiple drives and paths
Such as C:\ | \\Corp-backup\C\Accounting
Specific folders can be excluded making results more meaningful
C:\ | -Windows | -Program Files would exclude the folders Windows and Program Files and all their sub-folders
Uses the power of Virtual Folders
The results of the search are put into a Virtual Folder so that the found files can be manipulated individually, in groups or all together (copy, rename, delete, move and more).
The Search can be saved for later use
So the search can be used over and over again.
Use FileBoss's Easy but Powerful Rename Routines to Shorten Names
One by one or thousands at a time FileBoss has the right tool to help you rename files easily and quickly.
Sorting by Filename Lengths in Virtual Folders and Explore View
Always Available!
You don't need to create a special Virtual Folder. FileBoss has columns that will display the lengths of the filenames, paths, and total of both that can be sorted just like any other column in the contents window. And, of course, they are available in both Explore and Virtual Folders.
To turn columns on and off in any contents window simply right-click over a the column header bar (the bar at the top of the columns that display the column names) and select the columns you want.
Make sure that the column for showing the column for showing the filename length your are interested in is visible (if not see the next section for how to display the column).
Click on the appropriate column header to sort all entries by length. Click the column header again to reverse the sort order.
If you are in Explore View then as you move from folder to folder the files will remain sorted according to chosen lengths.
Hint: If you are looking at folders that contain lots of files you can and you know the extension or possible extensions of the file(s) you are looking for you can use a File Filter to only display those files.
Or you can even used Advanced Filtering to only show files with Modified times in the range you want.
Displaying the Filename Lengths in the Contents Window
(If the filename lengths are not already displayed in the Contents Window)
 This works the same in both Explore Views and Virtual Virtual Folders.
Move the mouse over the column headers (the column headers are at the top of the Contents Window and have titles like Filename, Ext and Size.)
Right-click the to display a list of columns that can be displayed
Check the boxes next to items you want displayed.
Click the Close Menu button.
Hint: You can change the order of the columns by clicking a header with the left mouse button and, while holding the mouse button down, dragging the column to its new location.
Rename the Files
Note that when renaming files to make the total path length shorter it is often convenient to rename one of the folder names. Just make sure that renaming the folder won't break any of the other programs on you system.
Select the files you want to rename.
If each of the files must be manually renamed press Alt+Ctrl+R to rename each file by hand. (Note that the rename dialog conveniently separates the root name and the extension so that you won't accidentally change the extension of a file.)
or if the files can be renamed in groups, press Ctrl+R and use one of FileBoss's powerful renaming tools.
Ref: HTDE_CREATE_FILESET_LONG_PATHS
| 
