"touch" files in WinXP to create 8.3 filenames

[Lord Evermore]

One of the first things I do when I set up a new system with XP is to turn off the 8.3 filename creation under NTFS. I don't know if it really makes any difference, but there's generally no reason to have it happening.

If at some point I did run into some software that I HAD to use, which also for some reason wouldn't work without 8.3 filenames available, would there be a simple way to generate the 8.3 names? Would something equivalent to the UNIX "touch" command would cause the file names to be regenerated (after I disabled the Registry key so they could be made of course), and then just run that against every file on the system? Or would every file have to be renamed, then changed back (which would require plugging the drive into another system or maybe making the change from a Recovery Console and would be unfeasibly long)? Would it just plain not be possible?

Obviously having to rename every file twice, it would be simpler and take less time to just wipe and reinstall, but perhaps a script could be created that stores the original name, renames the file, then renames it back to the original and moves on to the next one. Or a straight list of all the files could be made, and a matching list of randomly generated names, and then the rename command attached (a spreadsheet open with those in two columns, the first column the rename command, copy and past each line or just batches of them, then swap the two name columns and repeat).

Yeah this is an odd question. I don't have a need for the answer now, it just occurred to me.

 

[Nothinman]

The only way to know for sure is to try it. It wouldn't take long to reenable the key, touch a file and see what happens.

 

[GeekDrew]

Why is it that you disable 8.3 filename creation under NTFS in the first place?

 

[Nothinman]

Why is it that you disable 8.3 filename creation under NTFS in the first place?

Some places have it in their list of tweaks, I doubt it really affects much though. And as he said, it's really not necessary any more as long as you're not running any legacy applications.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Creating the 8.3 file name is just one more thing the system has to do whenever you save a new file or rename it. Even Microsoft says that disabling it can improve performance, but others point out it only really helps with partitions where you have like 300,000 files in just a few folders, and where many of them have similar beginnings to the names (since the system has to see what 8.3 filename is available in the numerical sequence).

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Why is it that you disable 8.3 filename creation under NTFS in the first place?

Some places have it in their list of tweaks, I doubt it really affects much though. And as he said, it's really not necessary any more as long as you're not running any legacy applications.

Ah... that seems, to me, to be similar to taking out body parts that you don't use all the time, because it may not be probable that you'll need them in the near future... for the sole reason that it'll make you 1/16 of a pound lighter. <shrug> I think that's a bit of a stupid reason to disable it.

I occasionally use legacy Apps anyway, so I won't be disabling that behavior. Haven't used one in over a year now, but I'm not going to eliminate the possibility.

That said, I would venture to guess that a batch script of renaming files to random names and then back again would work just fine for creating 8dot3 names, but I guess the only way to know for sure is to try it.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Well that's answered. I was at work when I thought of this, just tested it at home.

Touching files or resaving them doesn't make an 8.3 name get generated if there wasn't one before. Neither does moving them from one folder to another.