What DOS does with long file names

DOS abbreviates long file names under the following scheme: it takes the first six characters and appends the "~" character, followed by consecutive numbering. "Budget - October" and "Budget - November" will thus be seen as "Budget~1" and "Budget~2." If you frequently share files with DOS users you can make files more distinguishable by using, for instance, file names such as "Oct Budget" and "Nov Budget," which in turn will result in "OCTBUD~1" and "NOVBUD~1." There exists a workaround for the file naming convention described above that involves adding the "NameNumericTail=0" value to the Registry

This added Registry entry can change the name of the Program Files folder. As a result, Windows setup, Microsoft Plus! Setup, or the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel and programs in the Program Files folder may no longer work correctly. If this effects you, Knowledge Base article Q148594 details how to solve the problem.