You receive an error bulletin when you lot effort to open an Office document

  • Article
  • 5 minutes to read
  • Applies to:
    Office Products, Access 2010, Microsoft Function Access 2007

Symptoms

When you try to open up a file in any Microsoft Part plan that'south listed in the "Applies to" department, you receive one of the post-obit mistake messages:

Filename is not valid.

The file could not be accessed.

The path you entered, ' filename ', is as well long. Enter a shorter path.

filename could not be found. Check the spelling of the filename, and verify that the file location is correct.

A DDE mistake has occurred, and a description of the error cannot be displayed because it is too long. If the filename or path is long, try renaming the file or copying it to a unlike folder.

Screenshot of the error message.

Note

This upshot occurs when y'all open a file from a mapped bulldoze, a UNC path, or a URL (web address).

Cause

This issue occurs because of a character limit on creating and saving files in Office products. This issue occurs if the path of the file that you lot open up or save meets the following condition:

  • Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access: The total length of the path and the file name, including file name extension, exceeds 259 characters.

  • Microsoft Excel: The full length of the path and the file proper noun, including file proper noun extension, exceeds 218 characters.

Note

This limit includes the three characters that represent the drive, the characters in folder names, backslash characters between folder names, and the characters in the file proper noun itself.

Workaround

To work around this consequence, effort whatsoever of the post-obit workarounds.

Workaround i: Reduce the grapheme count

  • Rename the file then that it has a shorter proper noun.
  • Rename ane or more folders that contain the file so that they have shorter names.
  • Move the file to a binder that has a shorter path proper noun.

Workaround 2: Manually admission, open up, and repair

  1. Start Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

  2. On the File tab, select Open up > Browse to locate the damaged file.

    Screenshot of opening a dialog box.

  3. Select the file, select the Open menu at the bottom of the window, then select Open and Repair.

    Screenshot of the Open and Repair option.

This option repairs the damage to the file, and and so opens the file. Later on yous repair the certificate, workbook, or presentation, it's of import to verify that the issue has been resolved successfully. To do this, begin working on the file, and make sure that everything is working every bit expected.

Workaround 3: Alter file format and resave

Y'all might exist able to rescue a damaged file by resaving it in a different file format, and and so reverting it to the original format. This instance uses Word.

Pace 1: Save the file to another format

  1. Start Word.

  2. On the File card, select Open, so locate and open the damaged file.

  3. On the File menu, select Save every bit > Scan.

  4. Navigate to the file location that y'all want to relieve in.

  5. On the Save as type list, select the desired file format. For example, select Rich Text Format (*rtf).

    Screenshot of the Save As option.

  6. Select Relieve, and and so select File > Close.

Step 2: Resave the file as a Discussion certificate

  1. Select File > Open.

  2. Select the new file that'southward saved as a Rich Text File, and and then select Open.

  3. Select File > Save as.

  4. On the Save as type list, select Word Document.

  5. Rename the file, so select Save.

    Screenshot of the Save a Copy option.

Y'all have to do this only one time to brand sure that the certificate will now office correctly on your device. However, keep in mind that by saving the file as a new certificate, you are creating a dissimilar file. To avoid defoliation, name the new file something distinctive, and archive or delete the damaged version. Past doing this, you won't accidentally re-open the original file that hasn't been reformatted.

Workaround four: Open up unrecognized file format

If you lot can rule out file abuse as the culprit, cheque for file associations and unrecognized file formats. Sometimes, a file won't open up on your device because the device that the file was created on used software that your device doesn't have.

For example, in Discussion, y'all desire to view a PDF file that's attached to an email bulletin. Still, you don't have a PDF viewer installed. Therefore, your device doesn't know what programme to open to view the file. In this case, you can alter the format of the file to match a plan that y'all do have installed.

  1. Save the attachment to your computer. To exercise this, select the down arrow next to the attachment in the bulletin, select Save equally, navigate to the desired location, and so select Relieve.

  2. On the File carte du jour, select Open > Browse to locate the file.

  3. Right-click the file, point to Open with, and then select a different program to open the file.

  4. If the desired program is not on the listing, select "Cull another app" to locate a different programme.

    Notation

    If this works, and y'all would similar the selected plan to always open up this blazon of file, select the Ever use this app to open .docx files (for example) check box. Screenshot of the Always use this app to open .docx files checkbox.

For more information about file formats and how to manage them, see Acquire about file formats.

Workaround five: Clear some deejay space

You might non be able to open up a new file or save a file to your device if you're running out of space on the hard disk drive. On a full disk, much of the infinite is being used up by temporary, duplicate, and unnecessary items. The fastest and easiest method to free up infinite on a hard disk drive is to use the Disk Cleanup app that's included in Windows.

  1. Select Search, and type Deejay Cleanup.

  2. In the results list, select Disk Cleanup.

    Screenshot of Disk Cleanup.

  3. A dialog box opens and provides options to delete unnecessary files. Select the check box next to each category of items that yous desire to delete from your device, and then select OK. Everything in this listing can be deleted safely.

    Screenshot of Disk Cleanup for Local Disk (C:).

  4. When you are prompted, confirm that you desire to permanently delete the unnecessary files.

    Screenshot of the Delete Files option.

The post-obit files types are examples of removable items that you might meet in the Disk Cleanup list:

  • Windows Update: Recent files that were downloaded from Windows Update (selecting these does not remove currently installed update versions)
  • Downloaded Plan Files: Unnecessary programme files, often related to the program installation
  • Temporary Internet Files: Files saved automatically by web browsers when yous visit websites
  • Windows Mistake Reporting: Error reporting files that are created by the organisation
  • Recycle Bin: Whatever files that are stored in the Recycle Bin that you have not manually deleted
  • Temporary files: Other temporary files that are created past programs or web browsers
  • User file history: Files that record your browsing history (websites that you accessed, search results, and and then on)

More information

Nevertheless need aid? Go to Microsoft Community.