How do I fix truncated files that have the tilde (~) in them?

I transfered some Autocad files to my machine. When I open up Explorer, the file names have been truncated (ie 10042-105A became 10042~10) Why did the file get truncated with a "~"? Is there a setting in Win98 I can change to fix this?

This question was answered on July 28, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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The Windows 95/98/NT operating systems support what is called "long filenames" DOS can only recognize 8 characters in the filename and 3 characters in the extension Example: "filename.ext" If you drop to a DOS prompt on a Windows 95/98 system and copy long filenames, anything longer than 8 characters will be truncated with the tilde (~) For example, the folder Program Files is truncated to Progra~1 because of the 8 character limit The easiest way to return the file to its original name is to right-click on it, then on the Rename option This allows you to rename the file, but don't forget the extension.

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Posted by Ken Colburn of Data Doctors on July 28, 1999

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