filename too long error

re this thread

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprogeneral/thread/53779044-d453-458b-b8c4-96d41711ea69

which is locked as answered. It's not. I am trying to backup a data folder of about 56GB to a USB drive.

I get the error "the filename you specified is not valid or too long.

and one of the files I'm trying to backup is

C:\Data\DOG_TM_Manual.pdf

not too long as far as I can see.

It is not invalid, I can see it, and it's all there. I can move the file to another folder (can't copy it from there either) or rename it but not copy it.

If I click "skip" it then stops on another ordinary file. If I select "do this for all current items" then 1000's of files don't get backed up.

Did a filesystem check incl surface scan (ugg) with no problems.

All the files rejected are ordinary files (txt, pdf, jpeg's etc) and can be used, viewed, edited, renamed, deleted and moved.

I can move Data to somewhere else (ie C:\Temp) with no ill effect to the files but still can't back it up.

So this problem is not a path or filename too long problem and the files are not invalid!!

Maybe MS should get Windows 7 right before moving on the Windows 8.