# 64 Character folder + filename limit on DVD/CD's?



## Sasqui (Mar 15, 2011)

We just got an email from IT regarding backing up projects to CD/DVD... that there is a 64 Character folder/path + filename limit on DVD/CD's.

So if a pathname + filename on the network is greater than 64 characters, the file will be forced to the root of the disk and truncated if the filename itself is more than 64 characters.

Is this true?  Or limited to a specific OS or format of the DVD/CD?

EDIT:  Found this thead, but it's OLD (2002):  http://discussions.hardwarecentral.com/archive/index.php/t-92367.html


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## streetfighter 2 (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm pretty sure that thread is more or less right, except Joliet is rather old and impractical.  I think the most recent version of ISO 9660 is just as compatible, more widely accepted and has slightly more lenient (and different) path limitations.

I could be wrong though, I dunno much about CD filesystems because CD/DVDs suck.


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## Sasqui (Mar 15, 2011)

streetfighter 2 said:


> I'm pretty sure that thread is more or less right, except Joliet is rather old and impractical.  I think the most recent version of ISO 9660 is just as compatible, more widely accepted and has slightly more lenient (and different) path limitations.
> 
> I could be wrong though, I dunno much about CD filesystems because CD/DVDs suck.



Wow, the 9660 has some shitty restrictions:
"...
File and directory name restrictionsThe standard has three different levels for interchange, here paraphrased from section 10:

Level 1: File names are limited to eight characters with a three-character extension, using upper case letters, numbers and underscore only. The maximum depth of directories is eight.
Level 2: File names are not limited to 11 characters (the 8.3 format) but can be up to the maximum allowed by the 1 byte counter in the directory entry and the filename length byte counter. Typically, this is close to 180 characters, depending on how many extended attributes are present.
Level 3: Files are allowed to be non-contiguous (i.e., fragmented), principally to allow packet writing or incremental CD recording).
The standard also specifies the following name restrictions:[citation needed]

*All levels restrict filenames to upper case letters, digits, underscores ("_"), and a dot. Linux by default [3] converts uppercase letters to lower case while mounting ISO filesystems.
File names shall not include spaces.
File names shall not start or end with the dot character.
File names shall not have more than one dot.
Directory names shall not use dots at all.*..."

Is Joliet still the de-facto standard for burning software?  The 64 character limit is a Bitch!!!


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