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If you often have to copy literal file paths in Windows Explorer, you've probably come up with some roundabout way to copy them. You can forget about that workaround if you have Windows Vista. Vista's hidden Copy as Path option lets you copy a path in a single step. If you don't have Vista, all is not lost. You can use Ninotech's Path Copy utility.
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I regularly need to copy literal paths to files
I’ve found in Windows Explorer. The process
of getting a single file path into the clipboard
is annoying. You can open a command-shell
window and run a command such as
Dir /s /b uniquefilename
from a directory at least one level above
the file to get the whole path in the command-
shell window. Alternatively, you
can copy the complete address for the open
folder from the Address bar in Windows
Explorer, paste the address into a text editor,
type a backslash (\), go back into Windows
Explorer and right-click the filename,
select rename, press Ctrl+C to copy
the filename, press the Esc key to
cancel the rename operation, paste
the filename into the text editor to
complete the path, and finally select
and copy the entire string you’ve
constructed. Even this approach
requires customization to be successful;
you have to set up Windows
so that it shows complete folder
paths in the Address bar and shows
file extensions for all file types.
Although it’s hidden, Windows Vista
has a context menu option named Copy as
Path that lets you copy a path in a single
step. After you select the file, you simply
hold down the Shift key while right-clicking.
This option works with multiple files
and folders as well. When you use the Copy
as Path option on more than one item, all
the paths are resolved, quoted, and put in
the clipboard as multiple lines of a single
clip, like this:
“C:\Windows\System32\cluster.exe”
“C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe”
You don’t need to have Vista to easily
copy paths from Windows Explorer. Ninotech’s
free Path Copy utility (home.worldonline.
dk/ninotech) works on Windows XP,
Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows
9x. Path Copy installs an extended context
menu item for copying paths. With one or
more items selected, you can copy the item’s
name, path, or parent folder path either as
a full path or short path (8.3 format). If you
access the item over a network, Path Copy
also lets you convert paths to Universal
Naming Convention (UNC) format or Internet
format (e.g., \\server\Shared%20Files).
There’s also support for custom modifications,
which is handy if you’re a scripter
or programmer and need to escape backslashes
in paths or convert them to forward
slashes (/).
Even though I have Vista on my personal
PC, I still use Path Copy because I like its
flexibility. However, most of my path copying
takes place on client PCs, where Path Copy
isn’t available. As a built-in convenience,
Vista’s Copy as Path option is turning into a
big timesaver for me.
End of Article
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