How to Enable Long Path Support in Git on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you're a Windows user working with Git, you might have encountered the annoying Filename too long error. This happens because Windows has a maximum path length limit of 260 characters by default. Fortunately, Git provides an option to bypass this with long path support.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to enable it:

Step-by-Step: Enable Long Path Support in Git

Step 1: Open Git Bash or Command Prompt
You can use Git Bash (recommended) or Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

Step 2: Check the Current Setting
Run the following command to see if long paths are already enabled:

git config --system core.longpaths

If it returns nothing or false, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Enable Long Path Support
To enable long path support, type:

git config --system core.longpaths true

This will allow Git to handle files with longer paths than 260 characters.

Step 4: Confirm the Change
Run the same command again to verify:

git config --system core.longpaths

It should return true.

Note: If you get a permission error, try running Git Bash as Administrator.