windows 7 - How to force short name (8dot3) generation?

I have a problem with windows windows shortnames. Sometimes the short names do not seem to be generated for "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)".

I verified that short name generation is enabled with fsutil behavior query disable8dot3 C: which tells me that the system wide setting is 2 (per volume) and the local value is 0 (create 8dot3 names).

It should look roughly like this (note that is is a german 32bit copy):

C:\>dir /a /x

 Verzeichnis von C:\

21.12.2011  00:17                           $Recycle.Bin
14.07.2009  05:53       DOCUME~1     Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
09.01.2011  15:35       DOKUME~1     Dokumente und Einstellungen [C:Users]
27.11.2013  15:11     2.147.016.704              pagefile.sys
14.07.2009  03:37                           PerfLogs
26.11.2013  17:31              PROGRA~1     Program Files
08.11.2013  21:58              PROGRA~2     ProgramData
09.01.2011  15:35       PROGRA~3     Programme [C:\Program Files]
09.01.2011  15:35                           Recovery
26.11.2013  17:40              SYSTEM~1     System Volume Information
23.01.2011  15:00                           Temp
11.01.2011  20:56                           Users
08.11.2013  14:53                           Windows

However on another machine (64bit copy), this looks like C:>dir /a /x

 Verzeichnis von C:\

21.12.2011  00:17                           $Recycle.Bin
14.07.2009  05:53       DOCUME~1     Documents and Settings [C:\Users]
09.01.2011  15:35       DOKUME~1     Dokumente und Einstellungen [C:Users]
27.11.2013  15:11     2.147.016.704              pagefile.sys
14.07.2009  03:37                           PerfLogs
26.11.2013  17:31                           Program Files
26.11.2013  17:31                           Program Files (x86)
08.11.2013  21:58                           ProgramData
09.01.2011  15:35                           Recovery
26.11.2013  17:40              SYSTEM~1     System Volume Information
23.01.2011  15:00                           Temp
11.01.2011  20:56                           Users
08.11.2013  14:53                           Windows

As you might have noticed, the short names are missing for the program folders.

The question is now how to generate them, because I need those short names for a few older scripts. I tried with fsutil file setshortname "Program Files" "PROGRA~1", but this just gives me Access denied..

Answer

Like i said in my comment... The only way i know how Windows is going to re-generate the short-name is to copy the directory and delete the original. (not doable for the "Program Files" directory.)

It would be best to change the script to use long file- and folder-names. If the script uses PROGRA~1 it will get in trouble with installations where the drive was cloned in a way the directories where copied back. For example if ProgramData is copied first onto the disk it will be named PROGRA~1 and Program Files will be named PROGRA~2.

There is an option to keep the scripts working for now:

You could create a directory-junction from PROGRA~1 to C:\Program Files. That way the scripts keep working and you have time to change them.

mklink /J "C:\PROGRA~1" "C:\Program Files"

Output of mklink /?:

Creates a symbolic link.

MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target

        /D      Creates a directory symbolic link.  Default is a file
                symbolic link.
        /H      Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
        /J      Creates a Directory Junction.
        Link    specifies the new symbolic link name.
        Target  specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link
                refers to.