Editor
Fix Windows Long File Path Errors in Unreal Projects
Windows enforces a 260-character path limit by default. Unreal projects — especially with nested content folders — frequently exceed this. A one-line registry change and an Editor Preferences toggle permanently resolve MAX_PATH errors.
windowspathregistrysetupeditor
If you're seeing errors like "The system cannot find the path specified" or file operations silently failing on deeply nested Unreal content, the Windows long path limit is almost certainly the cause.
Step 1: Enable Long Paths in Windows
Run this command in PowerShell as Administrator:
powershell
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" `
-Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -ForceA reboot is required for this registry change to take effect system-wide.
Step 2: Enable Long Paths in Unreal Editor
- Open Edit → Editor Preferences
- Search for "long paths" or navigate to General → Loading & Saving
- Enable "Enable Long Paths Support"
Why This Keeps Coming Up
- Unreal content paths include the full OS path + /Content/ + nested folders
- Asset names that are descriptive tend to be long
- Plugin content adds extra depth to the path
- Working from a deep workspace path (e.g., D:\P4V\StreamName\Project\...) compounds the issue
This is one of the first things to configure on a new Windows workstation used for Unreal development. It prevents a whole class of confusing build and cook errors.