Empty folders in NetExplorer Drive but they contain elements on platform

You have empty folders in Drive but there are elements in these folders when you connect to the web app.

This behaviour comes from a Windows limitation on path length, and so Windows explorer cannot display them.
Windows limites the number of characters at 260 in the name of files (including symboles, spaces and letter of drive)

If you have elements whose name is more than this, then Windows explorer won't be able to display them.
This limit does not exist in the web app.

In that case you will have to rename and/or shorten folder names along the path :

• Go to your NetExplorer platform,
• Spot the longest paths (>260 characters).
• Rename potentially longer folders or files.
• Refresh folders in Windows explorer.

Advice : Create short and precise folder names.

Notes

In WebDav drives, Windows add some elements in the path name:

• A key like\\nameofyourplatform@SSL\davstetgs13shb6ge0fpv6rtq0av4
• Transcription of specific characters : 1 special character or 1 space = 1 to 3 characters.

This will make your paths longer than they appear, this is why a short file tree is so important.

• Bypass the limit is useless because Webdav does not allow it.
• If a Root folder has a space in its name then the drive will display en empty folder.

Example

You're stuck when trying to open this file : 

C:\Documents\CLIENTS\256 - MML Leo Nakache\02-Correspondances\987 - Echanges nov 2015\259 - Contrôle identité professionnelle\ 347 - Contrôle du 01 01 2016 - Liste de collaborateurs simultanés.xlsx

Here, you are on  :

• 198 characters in the whole path name.
• Drive C : is translated by \\nameofyourplatform@SSL\davstetgs13shb6ge0fpv6rtq0av4 which gives 56 characters.
• 1 space or 1 special character is coded with 3 characters so you have  25 spaces = 75 characters.

This gives a grand total of 198 + 56 + 75 = 329 caractères

There you get a grand total that overrides 256 characters for Windows, and it cannot open document.