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[AKFubar]

Hi:

I want to transfer some of my files from my WinXP drive to the DNS-323.  When I copy them over, the file names are shortened with a "~".  Is there any reason why this happens?  Is there anything I can do to make my filenames intelligible when I copy them over?

Thanks

[jamieburchell]

How are you copying your files to the 323 from your Windows XP box?
In the dark days of Windows 3.1 and DOS, filenames were limited to 8.3 characters (8 letters of a filename and an extension). Unless you are using some really old software or a cmd prompt with switches to specifically cause it, I don't see how it can happen.

[AKFubar]

Thanks for replying Jamie.  I'm actually using drag and drop in Windows Explorer from a system drive formatted to NTFS in up to date WINXP Pro with the copy function (rather than the move function) to a hard drive on the DNS-323.  I believe the file structure on the 323 is smb.  Not sure if that makes a difference?  Don't know much about smb. 

[jamieburchell]

SMB or CIFS is a network protocol. When you access the shares on the 323, you are using SMB to do that. I've never seen the behavour you're describing before. Do the filenames contain any special characters?

Have you always had this trouble since you've had the 323? What firmware version are you running on the 323? I can't imagine any firmware version had this issue.

[AKFubar]

Nothing in particular other than I am using underscore for spaces in the filename.

[jamieburchell]

This may be of interest to you

http://superuser.com/questions/179045/windows-7-long-filenames-change-to-8-3-when-copying-to-a-nas-drive

[AKFubar]

Thanks for posting that.  The problem described in that post seems particular to Windows 7 but the description of the problem is accurate for what I am experiencing in WinXP Pro.  That's a good lead.  I'll check the knowledge base at M$ and see what I can find out.

Thanks for your help

[jamieburchell]

Might be worth trying to copy a file with a "plain" filename and updating the firmware on the 323.

[AKFubar]

My 323 is at rev. 1.08 has their been any recent updates issued?

[AKFubar]

Well Rev 1.08 on the DNS 323 was supposed to have added long filename capability.  For some reason even tho I have updated to 1.08 some time ago, mine has stopped accepting long filenames.  Possibly corrupted somehow.  Not sure.

[jamieburchell]

Perhaps you could try a factory reset and reconfigure. You shouldn't loose your data doing this, but it would be sensible to have a backup.

[AKFubar]

Well Jamie, your motto rings true again!  I did a restore to factory defaults and reconfigured and that solved the long filename issue I was having.  Long filenames are working once again! 

Thanks again for your advice!

Cheers

[jamieburchell]

Excellent! Glad it's working, although I have no idea why. Must have been some old configuration settings lurking around.

[AKFubar]

Yeah it was a strange problem.  so why not a strange fix eh?  .

I actually didn't think of a factory reset because it really didn't seem to be the thing to do for this problem.  It seems that whatever caused it happened recently because I had never noticed it before.  In any case just glad it worked.  Fortunately, I keep screen shots of all my config settings in case I have to do a factory reset.  Came in handy.  I'll keep this in mind if something like this crops up again tho.