# Workaround for \> 256 chars file paths
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/workaround-for-256-chars-file-paths/3325
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [May 16, 2006, 6:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/workaround-for-256-chars-file-paths/3325 "2006-05-16T06:15:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mll](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mll)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2006, 6:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/workaround-for-256-chars-file-paths/3325/1 "2006-05-16T06:15:32Z")
Hi there,
I like to name my mudsic files so that they're like this:
```
C:\[path to music files]\$validate(%artist%,_)\$validate(%album%,_)\$replace(%track%,/,-) - $validate(%title%,_)
```
The problem is, sometimes the total path length is more than 256 characters long, and Windows doesn't accept it, hence MP3Tag error messages. So I made the following change:
```
$left(C:\[path to music files]\$validate(%artist%,_)\$validate(%album%,_)\$replace(%track%,/,-) - $validate(%title%,_),255)
```
It works most of the time, but that will not if then length of C:[path to music files]$validate(%artist%,_)$validate(%album%,_)\ is more than 256 chars long, obviously.
Does anyone have an idea of a smart renaming formula ?
TIA
MLL
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/workaround-for-256-chars-file-paths/3325/2 "2026-02-09T12:19:45Z")