Long file names on Linux file server jumbled when opening on 16-bit PC program.

brandonhughesj · 03-03-2009, 05:35 PM

I'm new. Thank you all in advance for any help you can give me.

Our windows file server (just a PC with 2TB of disk storage) died. It contains graphic design files and text documents created since 1995 by 16 and 32 bit design software applications.

We replaced it with a Western Digital ShareSpace 4TB NAS Model: WDA4NC40000N

I mirrored all 1.2TB of data off my backup windows based NAS to the new Western Digital NAS.

Now when I try and open a file using my old 16-bit design software any file or folder over 8 characters in length is completely jumbled and unrecognizable. You can imagine the frustration of not knowing exactly where you are when trying to open and save.

Is there a solution to my dilemma or am I out of luck?

I apologize if I haven't been clear enough to diagnose. Please let me know if I need to clarify.

Thank you.

Jeff

MS3FGX · 03-03-2009, 08:36 PM

How were these files handled under Windows? Were they just condensed to 8.3 format on the client side? Which version of Windows was the server running, by the way?

I know Samba has options and rules to handle file names in situations like this, but I don't know what sort of interaction you really have with the underlying OS on a device like that.

brandonhughesj · 03-04-2009, 06:32 AM

MS3FGX,

Exactly. They were condensed to 8.3 format on the client side. The previous file server was running Windows Business Server 2003. But remember, it died. The files that currently reside on my new WD NAS were mirrored from my backup (Lacie Ethernet Disk NAS) which is running Win XP Pro.

Example:
File name when opening from my windows based Lacie backup
C:\Jobs\02Febr~1

Same file name from my Linux based NAS > C:\Jobs\1w0ajfjd

The whole file name is C:\Jobs\02February

Thank you.

Jeff

AnanthaP · 03-04-2009, 07:53 AM

Unless you know the exact algorithm that linux used (to jumble into 8 bytes), you cannot have a straight method. It must be routine in the NAS box.

But is it a problem of creating the file system on the new NAS as a FAT drive which as far as I remember, creates file names by truncating the bytes beyond 8 bytes. This is near enough to Windows way of *~1, *~2 etc.

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