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File path errors when unzipping files on Windows

Philip MacDonald avatar
Written by Philip MacDonald
Updated this week

The intended audience for this article is Agents.

If you see a file path error when unzipping a download from Wunderite, such as a Bulk Data Download or a Forms Download, this usually comes from limitations in Windows’ built-in unzip tool. The native Windows extractor can fail when:

  • Filenames or folder paths exceed the 260 character limit

  • Folder structures are deeply nested (including folders already on your computer)

  • Filenames contain special characters

  • The file uses older or inconsistent encoding

  • The ZIP is very large (larger than 4 GB or has more than 65,000 files)

What you can try

  • Extract the zip file with Winzip, WinRAR, or 7-Zip. These tools handle long filenames and nested folders more reliably. You may need your agency’s IT team to install one of these tools.

  • If the error appears while downloading a form from Wunderite, try renaming the form in Wunderite before downloading it. Shorter names reduce the final file path length.

  • If your agency uses Windows 10 (version 1607 or later) or Windows 11, your IT administrator can enable support for long file paths. This removes the old 260 character limit and often resolves unzip issues. See Microsoft's help article to enable long file path names.

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