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Why am I unable to open a ZIP file from Procore on my Windows PC?

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Background

You might see an error when trying to open a ZIP file downloaded from Procore. For example, you may encounter the error after you download documents from Procore in bulk. This is a known issue specific to the Windows operating system.

Answer

The reason is a Windows limitation on file path length.

  • Example Path: C:\Users\JohnDoe\Downloads\Project-Files\Drawings\Architectural\Revision_A\Sheet_A101.pdf

Windows has a default limit of 260 characters for this entire path.

When you download a ZIP file from Procore, it contains files organized in nested folder structures. When you try to unzip it, Windows adds Procore's folder path to your computer's download path. For example, C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\. The combined length often exceeds the 260-character limit, causing an error.

Solution 

You can use one of the following methods to open the ZIP file:

  1. Move the downloaded ZIP file to the root of a local drive, such as C:\ or D:\, and unzip the ZIP file in this directory.
  2. Download and install a third-party application such as 7-Zip or WinRAR.
  3. In Windows, you can enable long paths by modifying a registry key or using Group Policy, and then access paths using the "\\\\?\\" prefix.
    1. In the Windows search bar, type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
    2. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location (you can copy and paste this into the address bar at the top): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
    3. In the right side panel, look for a value named LongPathsEnabled.
      • If you find it, double-click it and change its value from 0 to 1.
      • If you don't see it, right-click in the empty space, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it LongPathsEnabled, and then set its value to 1.
    4. Click OK and restart your computer for the change to take effect.