Error 0x80010135 sometimes appears when you extract a ZIP file using the Windows File Explorer extraction utility. When it occurs, it also throws up a message that says, "Path too long."

Users can't unzip ZIP files with File Explorer's Extract option because of error 0x80010135. This can mean you can't install or run downloaded software packages included in ZIP archives.

So, has error 0x80010135 also got you stumped? If so, you can fix error 0x80010135 with the methods below.

1. Reduce the Length of the ZIP's File Name

Error 0x80010135 usually occurs because the path for the extracted folder exceeds Windows' 260-character limit. That's why the error message says the path is too long, and this issue will more likely arise for ZIP archives with long file names. The extracted folder will have the same name as the ZIP archive by default. So, try reducing the length of the ZIP's title like this:

  1. Open File Explorer and bring up the directory containing the ZIP archive you need to extract.
  2. Right-click the ZIP file to select Rename on Explorer's context menu.
    The Rename option
  3. Enter a shorter file title for the ZIP archive within the text box. Keep the archive's title within five or six characters if you can.

2. Extract the Archive to the Root Directory

The overall extraction path for a ZIP can also be too long if it includes many subfolders. By default, the ZIP file will extract to the folder where it resides, which can cause the issue. Users have confirmed they've resolved error 0x80010135 by selecting to extract their archives to the root C: directory instead. Doing that removes subfolders from the extraction path. This is how you can extract a ZIP to the root directory:

  1. Go to whatever folder includes the ZIP file you can't extract in Explorer.
  2. Right-click on the ZIP and select the context menu's Extract All option.
  3. Click Browse within the Extract Compressed window.
  4. Then click on the C: drive and press the Select Folder button. The extraction path should be just C:\, as in the screenshot below.
    The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folder window
  5. Click Extract to unzip the archive to the root directory.
    The Extract option

An alternative way to apply the same fix is to copy and paste the ZIP archive into the root directory. Then extracting it from that location will unzip the archive with a default root directory path. You won't need to select to unzip the archive there within the extraction tool.

To do so, right-click on the archive and select Copy. Click the C: drive in Explorer's sidebar and press Ctrl + V to paste the ZIP into the root directory. Then unzip the ZIP archive.

3. Extract the Archive With 7-ZIP

If error 0x80010135 still arises after trying the potential solutions above, the archive might include some subfolders with overly long names. However, you can't rename any folders within a ZIP without extracting it first.

Then you'll need to try a workaround solution that's worked for many users. Unzip the ZIP archive with an alternative third-party extraction utility, such as 7-ZIP, for which the 260-character limit doesn't apply. If you don't want to use 7-Zip, you can also choose any of the best Windows File Compression and Extraction tools, all of which have no character limit.

Here's how you can extract a ZIP file with 7-ZIP:

  1. Open the 7-Zip download page.
  2. Click on the 64-bit Windows x64 Download link.
  3. Bring up the directory in which your browser downloaded the 7-ZIP setup file.
  4. Double-click on the 7z2300-x64.exe file.
  5. Click on Install within the 7-Zip setup window.
    The 7-Zip Setup window
  6. Open the 7-Zip archive extraction software.
  7. Select the ZIP archive for which the 0x80010135 error occurs in 7-ZIP.
  8. Click 7-Zip's Extract option.
    The Extract option
  9. Select OK in the Extract window.

4. Enable Longer File Path Support

Enabling longer file path support will eliminate the 260-character path limit that causes error 0x80010135. You can do so by manually editing the registry, running a PowerShell command, or enabling a Win32 Group Policy setting. This is how to enable longer file path support with the PowerShell method:

  1. Run PowerShell as an administrator or open that command-line shell in Windows Terminal.
  2. Input the following command to enable long file path support:
            New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD –Force
        
    The disable long paths PowerShell commands
  3. Press Enter to enable long file paths.
  4. Close out of PowerShell (or Windows Terminal) and restart your desktop or laptop.

Extract the ZIP Archives You Need

The potential solutions covered here will certainly fix error 0x80010135 for most users. Those fixes will address the 260-character restriction for extraction paths that primarily causes the issue. Then you can unzip all your downloaded ZIP files in Windows 11 and 10.