Fix file/folder name length issues on Mac (2+ year-old bug!)
Admin@discussions.microsoft.com BHI Admin
correctly. Sure, it LOOKS like it does, but try moving the catalog, with
files referenced to a shared volume, to another machine and watch all the
files with names greater than 31, or files under parent folders with names
over 31, become broken.
The newly unrecognized files make xMedia re-import (if you update a folder)
the same files again, causing yet more problems with duplicates.
This makes xMedia on a Mac about as worthless in a file server configuration
as it is to run Mac OS 9 instead of OS X.
BHI Admin
Corentin Cras-Méneur
> xMedia on Mac does not handle file or folder names over 31 characters
What do you mean by xMedia?? Expression Media?? You're in the wrong
forum then (we are in the WMP for Mac forum here).
You shoud repost in microsoft.public.expression.media and specify what
version of the app you are using (2.0.2 is the current version - or v2
sp2: same thing)
Corentin
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Corentin Cras-Méneur
> What do you mean by xMedia?? Expression Media?? You're in the wrong
> forum then (we are in the WMP for Mac forum here).
Well obviously my newsreader goofed up. I'm the one in the wrong
newsgroup :-\
Sorry about that :-(
goodidea
I also have the problem with long file names in Expression Media 2.0.2
(Service Pack 2 installed; used with OS X 10.5.6 - but same problem under
10.4.11) and think it is a very serious bug, because it prevents easy
migration to another volume or file server or whatever.
But it's not the problem that files (or folder) references with long
fíle/folder names become broken when using "Reset folder path" (perhaps you
are using an older version of ExpressionMedia??? I think THIS bug was
corrected anytime; it work's for me, and I have files on a local file server
running OS X Server 10.4.11 and can switch to folder path to any other volume
or external hard drive for example) ... it's a problem with duplicates when
using "Reset folder path" and "Update folder now" - this will create
duplicates of all files with long file names (description to reproduce the
problem see below).
I know problems with long file names in iViewMediaPro/ExpressionMedia since
a long time. I wrote an email to the support of iViewMediaPro (= the father
of "ExpressionMedia") in november 2004 (!!!) - also with a problem using
"Reset folder path" concerning long FOLDER NAMES. They fixed it after a long
time - but only partially - there is still the prolem with LONG FILE NAMES,
that they are added again (as duplicates) when using "Reset folder path" and
"Update folder now". I call it the "long file name duplicate problem" ....
and there was another problem with the "MAKE - Backup/CD-ROM" command and
long file names - don't know if they fixed it already. Bye the way: the
31-character-limitation comes from old old old OS 9 times!!!! Does anyone
know how long this is ago (anyone at Microsoft for example)???
Details and repro steps:
Bye the way - it it not neccessary to change the folder path to another
volume or network server - you can reproduce the bug even with 2 base folders
on the same volume (even if you put these testing "base folders" in ONE
parent folder). Only put files with more than 21 characters inside the base
folders (the same files of course in both folders), import one of the folder
in ExpressioMedia and switch the base folder with "Reset folder path" to the
other folder. Then choose "Update folder now".
Bad result: all files with more than 31 characters will be added again!!!!!
Example setting:
Base_Folder_A
31_characters___12345678901.JPG
32_characters___123456789012.JPG
Base_Folder_B
31_characters___12345678901.JPG
32_characters___123456789012.JPG
Step 1: new catalog, import Base_Folder_A
Step 2: Organize Panel - Catalog folders - "Reset folder path" to
"Base_Folder_B"
Step 3: "Update folder now"
Result: file "32_characters___123456789012.JPG" is added as a duplicate!
Note: "Find duplicate item" finds this duplicate and wants to delete the
NEWER one, which will cause a neverending loop. The problem can only be
solved by deleting the OLDER one (if you want to stay at "Base_Folder_B") -
but this is very very bad, because in a real life setting, you will have
added the original (older duplicate) to many catalog sets (or added labels or
ratings) and this will be lost if deleting the older duplicates (if they are
not saved as metadata inside of the files, which is not possible with every
file type)!!!
SUGGESTION:
Let's report this serious bug to "Microsoft Connect" (try
https://connect.microsoft.com/default.aspx or
http://connect.microsoft.com/Expression)!!! I will do this just after this
posting .. but the more people are reporting this, the better! And I hope
that they will ever publish an update again for Expression Media!!!! I am
wondering that nott more people are reporting this problem.
Kind regards,
Patrick