Is it a good idea to disable short filenames on Windows 7 running on a SSD drive?

Question

By default, NTFS creates an 8.3 filename every time it creates a long filename, which adds a bit of time to the file creation process.

One can disable that using:

fsutil behavior set disable8dot3 1

Is it a good idea to do it on a Windows 7 machine running on a SSD drive?

surfasb · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-16 12:22:03Z

2

16 bit apps use 8.3 filenames.

By far the most prominent 16 bit apps are Setup programs. Not a lot of them, but some.

Like any setting, I'd test all your applications just in case. But for the most part, you should be ok.

answered Sep 16, 2011 at 12:22

surfasb

22.7k5 gold badges53 silver badges77 bronze badges

4

8.3 can be handy when you are trying to remove a file which somehow came to have invalid characters in its filename.
– horatio
Sep 16, 2011 at 14:13
Much truth in your statement, but beware the Dark Side of the Force!
– surfasb
Sep 21, 2011 at 22:05
I haven't seen a 16-bit installer in the wild in years. There had been those ancient InstallShield things that had a 16-bit installer engine but they're quite died out by now. Not to mention that 64-bit systems are increasingly common and no 16-bit process runs on those anyway.
– Joey
Jul 30, 2012 at 7:53

Add a comment |

1 Answer 1