"Cannot Find '<Folder>:<Folder>...'" Error Opening File (127963)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Project, when you open a file, you may receive the following error message

Cannot find '<folder>:<folder>...'

where <folder>:<folder> is the location of the file that you are attempting to open.

CAUSE

This error message appears when you open a file by selecting it from the list in the lower part of the File menu, or when you open the file by double-clicking the file in the Finder, if the length of the path to the file exceeds 128 characters.

For example, if the file 'My Long File Name' is located in 'Macintosh HD:Microsoft Project:untitled folder1:untitled folder2:untitled folder3:untitled folder4:untitled folder5:untitled folder6', you receive the error message described above when you open the file from the File menu or by double-clicking the file in the Finder.

Note that when you receive the error message, the path is truncated in the error message. Only the first 127 characters are displayed in the error message.

Additionally, when you open the file by double-clicking the file in the Finder, the path is displayed twice in the error message, and a strange character may appear before the second occurrence of the path in the error message.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1

Avoid saving your project files in deeply nested folders with long names. Make sure that the length of the path to any of your project files is less than 128 characters.

Method 2

To open a file that is contained in a deeply nested folder, when the number of characters contained in the path to the file exceeds 128, open the file using the Open dialog box by choosing Open from the File menu.