I get this error "too long path name" and I can't copy paste my files to an external hard drive.

I had the same issue, and Long Path Tool solved it easily. You should definitely give it a try.

This is a windows issue "too long path name " and you can solve it by using a copy tool like Goodsync or Gs Richcopy that can handle this issue while copying from your PC to Dropbox or from Dropbox to PC

Hey dghobrial, I hope it's okay for me to jump in here.

This particular error is coming from your computer's OS and not Dropbox, but I would suggest taking a look at this article that has some more info and steps, to see if they help.

Thanks Nancy

Yes, I'm trying to copy all our Dropbox files to an external drive as a backup. However, I’m getting a “too long path name” error for some files, but not all. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a screenshot when it happened, and I just skipped those files. I’m not sure which ones exactly. I’ll need to restart the process, but I want to make sure I avoid the same issue next time. Would it be better to do the copy directly from Dropbox online? Also, should I copy all the files at once or do it in smaller subfolders?  Thank you again for your help!

Thanks for posting this on our Community, dghobrial! 

Just to make sure I got it right, you have the Dropbox desktop app installed and you're copy pasting your files from your local Dropbox folder to your external drive, correct? 

Are you receiving the "too long path name” error for all files that can't get copied to your external hard drive? Does the error appear when trying to paste them on the drive or are you taking a different action when it appears on your screen?

I’d also like a screenshot of it to have a visual.

Give me a nudge when you have more info.