The system cannot find the path specified when opening .zip file using input tool

[mschmeiser]

I recently upgraded my alteryx version from 2020.4 to 2021.4. I have an Analytic App workflow which contains multiple input tools that are pointed at .zip files. Each zip file contains a folder and multiple files. The zip file and sub-folder use standardized names that also contain year and quarter . The file and sheet names are standardized. I am using the input tool where the path contains user input variables that allows a dynamic input dependent on year and quarter. The workflow ran with no errors on version 2020.4, but after upgrading the application, i am receiving the error, 'the system cannot find the path specified'. I changed the input tool to point directly at the zip file, sub-folder, file and sheet using the connect a file browsing tool. Even pointed at the exact file, i am still getting an error. 

I found the attached discussion, The system cannot find the path specified - Alteryx Community, that appears like this might be a known issue. If so, what is the resolution and/or are there any other methods of opening the .zip files?

[Qiu]

@mschmeiser 
Is it possible for you to upgrade to the latest 2022.3 version?

[apathetichell]

a few things:

1) is their a special character in your file path or location such as a quote, parenthesis or tilda?

2) can you share a screen grab of your action tool's current set up?

3) if you post the results of the filebrowse to text and output that text - does it look correct?

[mschmeiser]

No, our company has not made that version available to us yet.

[mschmeiser]

This is the actual file path used when i select it via the file extract process associated with the input tool.

Here is the same path with the usage of the user inputs. Neither one works, however, it did with v2020.4

[AshRez]

I only start using Alteryx today, and I am using v 2022.3.1.450 Patch 2, which is the latest. I was tying to read an excel file from a zip file similar to the above situation, and I was getting the same error. I have tried few times to isolate the reason of the issue (like special characters in the Zip file name, or the zipped file inside) and both didn't help. But I found that the real issue was based on the Zip file name size (number of characters) and the file that need to be unzipped name size (number of characters too.) which prevent Alteryx from the ability to extract the file into a temporary folder because any folder/file in Windows does not allow any file/folder to exceed more than 256(or 260) characters in total. e.g. C:\Users\<USER NAME>\AppData\Local\Temp\Engine_<RANDOM ALTERYX NUMBER>\Zip_<Combination of the ZIP file, + random numbers + File name>

Alteryx error: "The system cannot find the path specified" is in fact wrong and should have been displayed as "Unable to extract the target file, long name under Temp folder." so at least the user can easily fix the problem, rather than spending hours wasted.

[jamacdonald]

Did you find a solution to the "Long name under Temp folder" issue?  I think this is what I am running into but do not know how to solve it.

[AshRez]

Yes, make sure that the ZIP file name and the Zipped File name is short enough to avoid the error. 

if that is not possible, I would suggest to  create a process that rename the ZIP file, or maybe extract the zipped file into a location other than the default one.

by the way, even if this is a work around, there is a way to improve that if Alteryx themselves corrected that issue by reducing that large name they create under a temp folder, or at least be able to handle a long name path (which is not a default by Windows but it is possible, I've done that in my own programing before.)  

[AshRez]

If you are still facing the long name issue, here is another solution. you can change the default Temp folder location to much shorter like ("C:\") from under the Workflow - Configuration > Runtime > Temporary Files > Use Specific Folder .. and change the Path to new target shorter name.