---
title: "LongPathsEnabled 1: enabling paths longer than 260 characters in Windows"
description: "Windows limits file paths to 260 characters for older programs. What the tweak changes, when it helps, when it hurts and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/enable-long-paths
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Windows"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# LongPathsEnabled 1: enabling paths longer than 260 characters in Windows

**Short answer:** Windows limits file paths to 260 characters for older programs. LongPathsEnabled set to 1 lifts the limit for programs that declare support for long paths. In the registry it sets LongPathsEnabled to 1 under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem.

## In the app

- Switch: Enable Long Paths (Windows, Free, Advanced)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1152

## What it does

Windows limits file paths to 260 characters for older programs. LongPathsEnabled set to 1 lifts the limit for programs that declare support for long paths.

In the app the switch is called "Enable Long Paths", described there as: Lets apps use file paths longer than 260 characters, which some mod and developer tools need.

## When it helps

- Mod managers, game modding tools, Git and developer tools that build deeply nested folders.

## When it hurts

- Nothing. Programs that do not support long paths behave as before, File Explorer among them in parts.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem` | `LongPathsEnabled` | `1` | Your previous value (saved before the change, or deleted if there was none). Windows default: 0 |

Source: Tweaks/pack_extra.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /v "LongPathsEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /v "LongPathsEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /v "LongPathsEnabled"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. The app saved what each value was before the change and writes exactly that back, or removes the value if it did not exist.

## Verdict

Safe. Turn it on if you mod games or develop.

## Questions

### What does the "Enable Long Paths" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets LongPathsEnabled to 1 under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem.

### What is the default value of LongPathsEnabled?

The Windows default of LongPathsEnabled is 0. Frozen Tweaks sets it to 1, and switching the tweak off puts back the value you had before.

### Is "Enable Long Paths" safe to switch on?

Safe. Turn it on if you mod games or develop. The main cost: Nothing. Programs that do not support long paths behave as before, File Explorer among them in parts.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.

### Is "Enable Long Paths" free in Frozen Tweaks?

Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.

## Related guides

- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)
- [How to Increase FPS on PC: The Complete 2026 Guide](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/how-to-increase-fps-on-pc)

## More tweak explainers

- [Startup sound](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-startup-sound)
- [Folder type discovery](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-folder-type-discovery)
- [Folder windows in a separate process](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/separate-process-for-folder-windows)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/enable-long-paths