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Turn off subst


The October 10, 2015 Tip of the Night showed how you can use the subst command to deal with files that won't open in Explorer because their file path exceeds 255 characters. You must just get this error message:

Go into Windows command prompt and nter the command 'subst' followed by a drive letter and then a folder path. This folder path holding files with paths longer than 255 characters gets substituted as a drive letter, allowing you to open the file.

The tip from last year didn't say how to remove the temporary drive mapping. You may not have the option to delete the drive letter in Windows Explorer. In order to disconnect the drive letter, simply enter the command subst Z: /D .


Sean O'Shea has more than 20 years of experience in the litigation support field with major law firms in New York and San Francisco.   He is an ACEDS Certified eDiscovery Specialist and a Relativity Certified Administrator.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the owner and do not reflect the views or opinions of the owner’s employer.

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