6 Fixes For ‘Path too Long’ Error When Extracting a ZIP File in Windows 10 and 11

Quick Tips

• If the ZIP file’s name is too long, try renaming the file to a shorter name.
• Extract the archive to the root of the drive, as the simpler path will reduce the number of characters.
• You can also use WinRar or 7-Zip to extract the archive on your Windows PC.

Fix 1: Restart Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer offers interface support for many system apps, and if it encounters a glitch, you may have trouble with File Explorer. So, you must restart the process using Task Manager.

Step 1: Press the Control + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut to open the Task Manager.

Step 2: Click on the search bar > type explorer > press Enter to search for the process.

Step 3: Right-click on the Windows Explorer process and select Restart.

Your PC’s display will flicker briefly while the Windows Explorer process restarts. However, all the open app windows will remain as they were.

Fix 2: Rename the ZIP File

If the ZIP file’s name is too long, try renaming the file to a shorter name. Right-click on the ZIP file and select the Rename option from the context menu. Type a short name and press Enter to change the name of the file.

Right-click on the renamed archive file and select Extract All. Check if the extraction operation is successful.

Fix 3: Extract the Files to the Root Directory

Trying to extract an archive file located deep inside a directory can cause a problem. Windows also includes the folder structure in the file name, which can become unnecessarily long while extracting the file.

A simple workaround is to extract the archive to the root of the drive. The simpler path will reduce the number of characters and help you successfully extract the ZIP file.

Step 1: Press the Windows + E keyboard shortcut to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Navigate to the location of the archive file and right-click on it. Select Extract All.

Step 3: Delete everything in the path except the root directory name (C, D, or any other drive).

Step 4: Click on Extract.

Step 5: Check if you face the path too long error while unzipping.

Fix 4: Enable Support for Long Path Using Group Policy Editor

You can leverage the Group Policy Editor to support a longer path. After doing that, you can extract the ZIP file with names longer than 260 characters.

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu > type gpedit.msc in the search bar > press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to the Computer Configuration section on the left > click on Administrative Templates.

Step 3: Click on the System from the right pane.

Step 4: Scroll down and click on Filesystem.

Step 5: Find the Enable Win32 long paths policy. Right-click on the policy and select Edit.

Step 6: Click on Enabled > Apply > OK.

Step 7: Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your PC to apply the changes.

Try extracting the file and check if the error ‘0x80010135: Path too long’ appears.

Fix 5: Enable Support for Long Paths Using the Registry Editor

If you use the Windows Home version, you cannot access the Group Policy Editor. Instead, you must use the Registry Editor to enable the support for long file paths on your PC. But before doing that, back up your registry manually as a safety measure.

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu > type regedit in the search bar > press Enter.

Step 2: The User Account Control Window will launch. Click on Yes to open the Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to the address bar at the top, paste the following path, and press Enter.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Step 4: Hover to the right pane and locate the LongPathsEnabled value. Right-click on it > select Modify.

Step 5: Click on the Value Data text box and type 1 in it. Then, click on OK.

Step 6: Close the Registry Editor window and restart your PC to allow the changes to take effect.

Method 6: Use a Third-Party Archiving Program

If you still can’t extract the ZIP file after enabling the long path support, use a third-party archiving program like WinRAR or 7-ZIP. These programs don’t have the 260-character limit and can help you unarchive ZIP files with long names successfully unless the files themselves are corrupt.

Step 1: Download WinRAR. Run the setup file and install the app on your PC.

Step 2: Launch WinRAR and press Ctrl + O to launch the Open window. Browse the PC for the ZIP file and double-click to select it.

Step 3: Click on Extract To.

Step 4: Select the extraction location and click on OK.

Step 5: Press the Windows key + E to open the File Explorer. Navigate to the location where you extracted the ZIP file to access its contents.