MSFS Addons

OK, as far as Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Flight Simulator goes, I did not "just fall off the cabbage truck".

But I have been attempting to install various addons to MSFS, and have been encountering a weird error which seems to be mainly with aircraft/livery addons. Its basically saying that the "path is too long", even though the zip file structure did not look unusual at all.

I diligently Googled on the issue which suggested that it is an issue with Windows Explorer, and to use a program like 7-zip instead. I had this utility, so I gave it a shot.

I extracted the file with 7-zip and I indeed got much farther, until I got an error now indicating that "file name too long". Which is something I haven't seen since WINDOWS 3.0!

I honestly don't think I'm doing anything stupid here, but has anyone else encountered this?

By the way, the file in particular was the Liveries Mega Pack, v10.

And, yes, these were all being pointed to the correct Community folder.

When I load add-ons to the Community folder, first I unzip the file to a specific (and temporary) location, then copy the main folder -(not all the serarate subfolders)- to the Community on my C drive. My installation is on a different drive, and MSFS automatically moves it there, but leaves a reference file with directions to the install drive. But, I found it best to install it to the C drive Community, others have differing opinions, but it works just fine for me.

There's a very nice instruction in this forum - search "accessing Community folder".

Also, check in the location you unpacked the file to, for a readme.txt file for instructions on which folders need to go the Community.

I tried extracting to a specific temp location and then copying the main (topmost) folder of this location to Community. It seems to get about halfway, and then again stops with this error:

I have been installing addons on my non-C: drive Community location (my main MSFS install is on an external SSD), and so far has not been a problem. I am going to try installing to my C: drive Community folder however, and see what happens. Thanks for your feedback!

What's the full path to your Community folder, starting from the drive letter?

Just a little more background. This error is occurring on a couple of addons only (so far) - most seem to be installing normally. My main install drive is my M: drive - an external SSD. When I installed MSFS and selected this drive, the installer set up the path. The full path to the addon repaint in question is:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-286362359-108708673-3351814632-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Myanmar\SimObjects\Airplanes\Cessna208_MYA\TEXTURE.MYA\CESSNA_208B_GRANDCARAVANEX_COCKPIT_SEAT_FRONT_ALBD.PNG.DDS.json

I understand that under the Windows file naming system the total filename or path cannot exceed 259 characters, while the path above is 296 characters. This appears to be the problem.

I don't understand why MSFS had to pad the path to my M: drive (a virtually empty 1Tb SSD) with so much gibberish (which I had no control over), which then eats into this pathname character limitation.

Just a little more background. This error is occurring on a couple of addons only (so far) - most seem to be installing normally. My main install drive is my M: drive - an external SSD. When I installed MSFS and selected this drive, the installer set up the path. The full path to the addon repaint in question is:

 

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-286362359-108708673-3351814632-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Myanmar\SimObjects\Airplanes\Cessna208_MYA\TEXTURE.MYA\CESSNA_208B_GRANDCARAVANEX_COCKPIT_SEAT_FRONT_ALBD.PNG.DDS.json

 

I understand that under the Windows file naming system the total filename or path cannot exceed 259 characters, while the path above is 296 characters. This appears to be the problem.

 

I don't understand why MSFS had to pad the path to my M: drive (a virtually empty 1Tb SSD) with so much gibberish (which I had no control over), which then eats into this pathname character limitation.

That's what I was thinking. Try the process below to remove the path name limit.

https://www.howtogeek.com/266621/how-to-make-windows-10-accept-file-paths-over-260-characters/

Well, I had high hopes, but after trying (and double checking) the registry mod, no joy. Verified that the LongFileName attribute is set but it's still the same error. It's not a show-stopper by any means, but knowing it could possibly pop up with any future addon is frustrating!

Thanks for your help anyway, loki! It was definitely worth a shot.

 

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-286362359-108708673-3351814632-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Myanmar\SimObjects\Airplanes\Cessna208_MYA\TEXTURE.MYA\CESSNA_208B_GRANDCARAVANEX_COCKPIT_SEAT_FRONT_ALBD.PNG.DDS.json

 

This is the folder you should be moving or copying to the Community folder:

Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Myanmar

thats all...nothing else. All the rest is contained within that folder. Try just using that folder.

And if you can't move it to the M: drive Community, try the C: drive.

This is the folder you should be moving or copying to the Community folder:

Asobo_208B_GRAND_CARAVAN_EX_Myanmar

 

thats all...nothing else. All the rest is contained within that folder. Try just using that folder.

 

And if you can't move it to the M: drive Community, try the C: drive.

That is what I have been doing... dragging over the first level folder within the zip file. This is from the Liveries Megapack v10 download and about half of the C208 repaints cause this error for me. The others were fine.

Well, I had high hopes, but after trying (and double checking) the registry mod, no joy. Verified that the LongFileName attribute is set but it's still the same error. It's not a show-stopper by any means, but knowing it could possibly pop up with any future addon is frustrating!

 

Thanks for your help anyway, loki! It was definitely worth a shot.

Did you make sure to reboot after making the registry change?

And you tried this to the Community on your C: drive, right?

Here's what I did when I was having problems with long file names.

Create a shortcut on your desktop by using windows explorer to navigate to your C drive Community folder. Onece there right click on the Community folder and "Create Shortcut". Save the shortcut to your desktop.

Open the folder you unzipped your download to, highlight the top level folder and right click to "Copy".

Double click on the Community folder shortcut on your desktop, once it opens, right click and "Paste"

It's worked for me.

If you don't mind working with the registry, here is how to do it. By the way you do this at your own risk.

Enable long file name support in Windows 10

Start the registry editor (regedit.exe)

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem.

Double click LongPathsEnabled.

Set to 1 and click OK.

Reboot.

- The registry setting LongFilePath is enabled (1) via regedit

- I performed multiple restarts and re-verified the registry change

- Error is still occurring

When I installed MSFS, I directed the installation to my external 1Tb SSD, my drive M:

Below is the path structure that MSFS set up to my M: drive. This directory path is quite convoluted (I have no idea why) which, when added to already very lengthy file names in MSFS, really eat into that 259 character path name limitation.

I am just curious if anyone else that has installed to a non-C: drive location has a Community path structure similar to this?

My installation is on Drive D, my complete path is D:MSFS2020\Community

Odd. When I installed it, I selected the destination as my M: drive, and MSFS took it from there. It created the complex path structure to the Community folder that I have in my screenshot below. Did you modify your directory path after MSFS installation?

Odd. When I installed it, I selected the destination as my M: drive, and MSFS took it from there. It created the complex path structure to the Community folder that I have in my screenshot below. Did you modify your directory path after MSFS installation?

Nope. Specified it as the download site and that's where it went (I have the MS Store version, if that matters.) I did create the directory prior to installation too.

I wish I'd tried that before letting MSFS generate all of the ridiculous subfolder structure that it came up with when I simply pointed it to M:

I'd like to clean up the path leading to my Community folder on my M: drive, but I've got a feeling I would have to do a reinstall.

I have the store version as well.

What a mess!

Having MSFS bury the Community folder 11 levels down in my empty external drive was bad enough, but check out the ridiculous 44 character-long directory name it created on level 2...

You could use a tool like MSFS Addons Linker which would allow you to put your addons anywhere you like, organized how you like. The program will create symbolic links in your Community folder, saving you from having to mess with it and avoiding the path name too long error.

Works a treat for me and makes it easy to enable/disable addons without moving anything around.

You could use a tool like MSFS Addons Linker which would allow you to put your addons anywhere you like, organized how you like. The program will create symbolic links in your Community folder, saving you from having to mess with it and avoiding the path name too long error.

 

Works a treat for me and makes it easy to enable/disable addons without moving anything around.

Thanks for the tip! Will check into it.

My installation is on Drive D, my complete path is D:MSFS2020\Community

Well, I just blew away everything in my Community folder, de-installed MSFS, and did a complete reinstall.

Nowhere did it give me any option as to where to install the program, other than a drop-down menu that let me select which drive I wanted it to go to. No subdirectory, directory path, nothing. I was just able to point it to my external M: drive, and that was it. MSFS again set up the very same convoluted multi level directory structure that it set up the first time.

I don't know how you were able to specify a directory path for installation. I was given a drop-down menu with available drive letters, and that was it. MSFS took it from there.

This was with the Microsoft store install version.

I don't know how you were able to specify a directory path for installation. I was given a drop-down menu with available drive letters, and that was it. MSFS took it from there.

 

This was with the Microsoft store install version.

You can set your packages directory the first time you run the sim when it downloads the packages. Click the path shown before downloading and you can change it to where you want. I have mine set to G:\MSFS\Packages, for example.

You can set your packages directory the first time you run the sim when it downloads the packages. Click the path shown before downloading and you can change it to where you want. I have mine set to G:\MSFS\Packages, for example.

There was nothing that came up that indicated that I could redirect where my "packages" directory was to be located, much less the "community" directory that I was looking for. If it was indicated, then it certainly did not make it clear that this was the point where you had the opportunity to define how the directory structure was to be laid out. The process is not even remotely intuitive in that regard!