Why must long path names be enabled for timeSensor LEGAL 365 on Windows?

When using timeSensor LEGAL 365 on Windows (or in a Citrix environment) it is important to enable support for long path names – especially if your law firm works with detailed case titles .

Background

For file operations such as checking documents in and out , timeSensor LEGAL 365 generates full paths composed of the following components:

• Name of the client

• Case title

• Document title

Example of a resulting path:

C:\KanzleiDaten\Kundin Müller AG\Mandat 2025 – Vertragsüberarbeitung Ausschreibung Europapark\Entwurf Kaufvertrag.docx

Such paths can quickly reach a length of more than 255 characters . This is problematic because older Windows settings by default only support paths with a maximum of 260 characters (including file names and backslashes). If this limit is exceeded, file operations can fail.

Solution: Enable support for long path names

Windows 10 and later versions (including Windows Server) support long paths – but only if explicitly enabled.

How to enable long path names in Windows:

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor:

   • Press Windows key + R

   • Enter gpedit.msc and press Enter

2. Navigate to the following entry:

   Computerkonfiguration → Administrative Vorlagen → System → Dateisystem
   

3. Double-click the setting "Enable Long Win32 Paths".

4. Select "Activated" and confirm with "OK".

5. Restart the computer (or at least the affected application).

Note: In some Citrix environments or when using group policies at the domain level, this setting must be centrally configured by the IT department, as the registry key LongPathsEnabled must be set to 1 here: