Acrobat Reader DC long file path

[Shawn5FEE]

As an organization, we are using Windows 10 with the "LongPathsEnabled" registry entry set to 1, as posted here: Enable Long Paths in Windows 10, Version 1607, and Later 

This has helped us with moving long pathed files and opening them in Microsoft Office programs.

However, Adobe Acrobat DC (and Acrobat Reader DC) still cannot open files with paths longer than 255 characters. We have tested this in multiple scenarios and have found that Acrobat has this problem with any long file path. The file simply won't open or opens a blank document. If you copy the document to a short path, it opens flawlessly.

I have found several similar threads here , here and here . All mention it's a file path limitation of Windows. That is simply no longer the case. As seen in the top link, Windows 10 now supports file paths up to 32,767 characters. 

As linked in this thread here , user avn1 has correctly deduced that Adobe has not updated Acrobat to recognize the new MAX_PATH restrictions. That thread has several more responses but none from Adobe employees.

Could you please advise when Adobe plans to add long file path functionality to Acrobat products? Or at least acknowledge that you are working on it, please?

[Jeremiah5EA7]

This is still an issue.  

@akanchhas it's been 8 months since you posted.  How'd the meeting with the engineers go? 

[Mark Joseph24139492d74w]

Someone who responded two years and many corroborating posts after the initial complaint with "This could be a break in the latest patch" is probably not a person I would count on to take this problem seriously. Or Adobe, in general, for that matter.

[aidang49608711]

3 years on and this is still an issue...its laughable

[Noman33279954ukgn]

Hello Everyone,

Just copy the file on your desktop and open. It will work 🙂 

[Ariel M W]

You never came back with an update and this issue still exists even in the newest version as of 5/21/23

[Martin28187555vm11]

Problem still exists, several reports from within the organisation. Please fix it!

[Brad291404252680]

March 2023.  Still an issue.  I have a client that recently migraterd from a local server to Sharepoint, and the paths are longer.  For files deep in the folder tree this still occurs.

When opening from Explorer you get a path not found error.  When attempting to open from within Reader, you get an explicit Path too long error.  Verified that this was on the newest version of reader, and occurs with 64 or 32 bit installations of Reader.

This is stunningly ridiculous, especially since Acrobat and reader are the same code base and it occurs to paying customers of the full version.

[Karen29155374oj72]

Still experiencing the same thing - can't open PDF as the file name is too long....

Is there a 2023 patch for this?

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/acrobat-reader-dc-long-file-path/td-p/1135...

[Thomas298577636eyg]

The fix is open pdf in another app. Openning in any browsers worked to me.

[Jeremiah5EA7]

That's more of a workaround than a fix considering adobe costs a premium and is supposed to be the industry leader. 

[tony_72000]

For those who are here having issues opening PDF files from a OneDrive sync location, Adobe Acrobat already support long file paths, and this is a OneDrive Sync Client / Windows Explorer issue.

I have tested this by deeply imbedding a PDF in SharePoint, synchronising the file, and trying to open it in Explorer and get the error. The placeholder for the file is there, but it won't download. Using the "\\?\" fix forces the file to be downloaded and then Acrobat is happy to open the file. Not sure why Microsoft has kept this limit, but might have something to do with copatability.

Maximum Path Length Limitation - Win32 apps | Microsoft Learn

Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint - Microsoft Support

[DoubleSupercool]

This seems to be the issue I have just encountered - long file names on folders synced with OneDrive. Anywhere else, fine. In my OneDrive for Faculty folder? Too long and the path doesn't exist. Shortening works.

[Michael32870145fz2l]

I've run into the same issue and found that is it a OneDrive Sync specific issue, and an error occurs when trying to download the file. I found a workaround/fix where if you right click on the folder or file and click 'Always keep on this device', OneDrive will download it and then there will be no additional step of downloading before opening. 

The only con is that it will take up storage space, so the smaller/less nested the folder the better.

[Carl039]

Adobe we have waited long enough.  Install OneDrive, sync it with a sharpoint site with stupidly long paths and filenames and you will see our issue!

[tony_72000]

As I mentioned above, Adobe already supports long file paths. It is OneDrive that doesn't.

If you have a placeholder in your OneDrive folder that will create a long file path, OneDrive will fail to download it.

If you create a local file with long file path, Adobe Acrobat opens it up with no problem.

This is a Microsoft issue that I don't think will ever be fixed anytime soon, due to compatibity with other software that doesn't support long file paths. 

[Noman33279954ukgn]

Hello Everyone,

Just copy the file on your Desktop...it will open 🙂

Good day !!!

[tony_72000]

How can you copy the file to your desktop if OneDrive won't even download the original? The only solution is to download the file from the web and open it from your download folder. But that breaks the conveniance of using a sync service. If you change the file, you have to then manualy re-upload it again.

[Michael34850370oxkz]

Hi,

Not sure if this is still relevant but I resolved this by changing the regkey,

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\LongPathsEnabled to 1

Then in adobe opening preferences, going to Security (Advanced) and then I just added the C:\ to Priveledged locations,

[Michael34850370oxkz]

Just also a side note, reboot is required after reg change

[tony_72000]

For this registry setting to work, any app also has to support long path lengths and OneDrive currently does not. So it it doesn't help.

[Martin36362310x29j]

It seems you cannot open files with paths longer than 255 characters on Adobe. Have you tried Long Path Tool? It works for me. 

[_Spiros_]

I have DC Pro. April 2024 and it still appears that Acrobat has issues resolving/opening/processing pdf files with long path names, (specifically in network locations). I have to copy files to local or short network folder to be able to process files. I was not able to combine files, or run a batch actions. This is unacceptable for a premium product.

[Rickey36552389i3yy]

LongPath files are too irritating - the errors that come with them just get on my nerve  - so  I started using LongPath Tool. It is effective. 

[Ana36766357xsrx]

I researched a lot, read every article but was not able to find anything. Recently, I downloaded the Long Path Tool and it has helped me, it has some issues but that can be overlooked. 

[andij14]

It's 2024 and this is still an issue for me with Adobe Acrobat Pro. There are no updates available, I'm at the latest version.