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Thread: Folder Limitations

  1. #1
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    Folder Limitations

    As a rule of thumb is there a limitation on the number of files that can be in one folder? What about a size capacity?

    Just wondering...

    Thanks,

    Bob

  2. #2
    Ultimate Member G's Avatar
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    There will be no file size limit unless it is a FAT filesystem.

    The length of the filenames path will have an impact on the deep of the directory.

    Directory
    Strictly speaking a file directory is an information source or area of disk that simply stores an index of filenames given to the files saved on the disk and serves as a table of contents for those files – that is, a collection of filenames (along with their file reference) organised in a particular manner for quick and easy access. To create a directory, NTFS indexes the filename attributes of the files in a directory.
    A directory contains data that identifies the name of a file (the filename), the size, the attributes (system, hidden, read-only, and so on), the date and time of creation, and a pointer to the location of the file. Each entry in a directory is 32 bytes long. Windows refers to subdirectories (directories beneath the root directory) as folders.
    See: Filename, File Reference, and Master File Table (MFT).


    Filename
    The filename is the name given to the disk file. Both NTFS and FAT (Windows 9x onwards) allow each filename in a path (directory path) to be as many as 255 using (LFNs) long filenames (Windows 95 VFAT) and 260 (Windows NT family operating systems, NTFS) characters long (long filename). Filenames can contain Unicode characters as well as multiple periods and embedded spaces. However, the FAT filesystem supplied with DOS is limited to the traditional 8 (non-Unicode) characters naming convention for its filename, followed by a period ( . ) or separator and up to a 3-character extension. All filenames must be created with the ASCII character set. The filename must begin with either a number or letter and contain any characters except for control characters, (. " / \ [ ] : ; | = ,. The character [square brackets] is permissible for Windows NT family operating systems). There are certain names that are reserved and converted to uppercased format, e.g., CON, AUX, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, PRN, and NUL.
    The relationship between 32-bit Windows (Windows) application and DOS Windows applications means that filenames that the Windows subsystem can create on a NTFS volume will not be visible on DOS and 16-bit Windows applications. The group includes filenames longer than the 8.3 format of DOS names, those containing Unicode (international) characters, those with multiple period characters or a beginning period, and those with embedded spaces. When a file is created with such a name, NTFS automatically generates an alternative, DOS-style filename for the file. The DOS filenames are fully functional aliases for the NTFS files and are stored in the same directory as the long filename. The NTFS name and the generated DOS names are stored in the same file record and therefore refer to the same file. The DOS name can be used to open, read from, write to, or copy the file. If a user renames the file using either the long filename or the short filename, the new name replaces both the existing names. If the new name is not a valid DOS name, NTFS generates another DOS name for the file. Note: If a file has both an NTFS name and an auto-generated DOS name, a user can delete the file without problems. The filename attribute within the file record of the MFT is always a resident attribute.
    Under the registry root key HKEY_CLASS_ROOT – (HKCR) a key exists for every registered filename extension.
    Side note: The universal naming convention (UNC) is used for naming files and other resources beginning with two backslashes (\\), indicating that the resource exists on a network computer. UNC names conform to the \\servername\sharename syntax, where servername is the server’s name and sharename is the name of the shared resource. In other words, a shared directory should be in the form of \\servername\sharename. The UNC name of a directory or file can also include the directory path after the sharename, by using the following syntax: \\servername\sharename\directory\filename. Problems can arise if care is not taken to ensure that the directory path does not exceed 32 characters for backup programs, for example.
    See: American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII), Attribute (Resident & Non-Resident), FAT (12-, 16-, and 32-bit), File, File Reference, File Record, Master File Table (MFT), and Universal Naming Convention (UNC).

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