Does registry path have limitation of MAX_PATH

Question

Does registry path have MAX_PATH limitation like file or folder path. What is the maximum length of registry path in Windows?

Thanks.

Answer 1

See registry-element-size-limits

Answer 2

According to the MSDN:

255 characters. The key name includes the absolute path of the key in the registry, always starting at a base key, for example, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

If you want to modify the maximum path length limit, you can refer to: Maximum Path Length Limitation

Starting in Windows 10, version 1607, MAX_PATH limitations have been removed from common Win32 file and directory functions. However, you must opt-in to the new behavior.

To enable the new long path behavior, both of the following conditions must be met:

The registry key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\LongPathsEnabled (Type: REG_DWORD) must exist and be set to 1. The key's value will be cached by the system (per process) after the first call to an affected Win32 file or directory function (see below for the list of functions). The registry key will not be reloaded during the lifetime of the process. In order for all apps on the system to recognize the value of the key, a reboot might be required because some processes may have started before the key was set.

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