How to copy file path to clipboard?

Question

Is there a way to copy the currently selected filename, including the path, to the clipboard? Ideally this would be through the right-click menu.

Some degree of flexibility would be useful, like the ability to copy just the filename, path+filename, filename minus extension, etc. This isn't essential, though, as long as it can copy the path+filename.

The solution must be compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Answer 1

Use CopyFilenames

or

Copy Filenames to Clipboard Utility

Windows XP has no way to copy a list of filenames to the clipboard (this has changed in later versions of Windows, starting with Vista). A Microsoft Knowledge Base article suggests writing a small *.bat file that runs the DIR command, collects its output into a file, prints that file, then deletes it. This may be convenient some times, but it would be more useful to be able to select a list of files, and have the names of them put on the clipboard. Then you could paste them wherever you needed them.

So here's a utility to do that. You have to do a bit of work yourself - but not much - to install it. Here are the instructions:

1. Download the executable. It's only 20 KB, so it should take only seconds even if you're using dial-up access. Save it wherever you want it to reside on your system.

2. Create a Shortcut in "Go To"

   1. Go to the "Send To" folder under your name in \Windows\Profiles in Windows Explorer (or maybe XP Home puts that directory under the Settings folder, I can't remember).
   2. Right-click in the right-hand pane, where the filenames are. Select "New|Shortcut".
   3. The "Create Shortcut" wizard will appear. On the first page, type in the path to the executable, or use the "Browse..." button to find it. Click ""Next".
   4. On the second page, type in a name for your new menu option. I used "File Names to Clipboard", but pick whatever will be meaningful to you. Click "Finish"

That's it; you've got it installed. Now select one or more files, right-click, and move your mouse pointer to "Send To". A submenu will appear which will include your new command. Choose that command, and a list of the files you've selected, sorted in ascending order, will be on the clipboard.

Source: http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/FNtoClip.html

Answer 2

Beginning with Vista you can just Shift+Right click on the file in Explorer and select "Copy as path":

        

This even works for multiple files, which are put into the clipboard one per line.

In Windows 8 this is exposed in the Explorer ribbon:

        

Answer 3

I use the MS 'Send to X' PowerToy available as part of the Windows 95 PowerToys set (MS download link).
This adds 'Clipboard as Name' (as well as 'Clipboard as Contents' and a few other options) to the right-click 'Send To' menu.
The easiest way to install is to extract the downloaded W95powertoy.exe with a Zip utility, rightclick 'SENDTOX.INF' and select 'Install'. You can remove any unwanted items from the 'Send To' menu by opening it in Explorer.

Works fine on Windows XP - not on Windows 7, but as noted by Johannes, you can use 'Shift + right-click' instead.

Answer 4

I use Ninotech Path Copy. Their website is dead, but it can be found here.

There's 14 different possibilities for copying file names, 5 of which you can fully customize.

Answer 5

Here is my open source solution and also free, if you consider Windows free :)

Create a batch file, say, listfiles.bat. Put either of the following into the file:

FILENAMES

set mylist=myfilelist.txt
set tempfile=tmp.txt
set diroptions=/a /b

set fullpath=%1
for %%i in (%fullpath%) do set path=%%~dpi
cd %path%

if exist %mylist% del %mylist%
if exist %tempfile% del %tempfile%

dir %diroptions% > "%path%%mylist%"

for /f "usebackq delims=" %%a in ("%mylist%") do (
if not "%%a"=="%mylist%" (
echo %%a >> %tempfile%
)
)

del %mylist%
ren %tempfile% %mylist%

PATH AND FILENAMES

set mylist=myfileandpathlist.txt
set tempfile=tmp.txt
set diroptions=/a /b /s

set fullpath=%1
for %%i in (%fullpath%) do set path=%%~dpi
cd %path%

if exist %mylist% del %mylist%
if exist %tempfile% del %tempfile%

dir %diroptions% > "%path%%mylist%"

for /f "usebackq delims=" %%a in ("%mylist%") do (
if not "%%a"=="%path%%mylist%" (
echo %%a >> %tempfile%
)
)

del %mylist%
ren %tempfile% %mylist%

Now create a shortcut to that file in C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\SendTo directory. Go to the directory you want to get a list of files from. Right click on any file and choose Send To -> Shortcut to listfiles.bat. The list of files will be written to myfilelist.txt or myfileandpathlist.txt depending on your choice. Obviously there is nothing stopping you from having shortcuts to both batch files in the SendTo directory.

For the full list of dir switches type dir /? on the command line or visit this website.

Answer 6

I've looked for a hotkey solution. For me these are works:

Windows 7:

1. Ctrl-C the file
2. Now you are able to paste (Ctrl-V) directly the clipboard contents to the Windows Open dialog to the Path field, if you just want to open the file by the full path OR You can paste (Ctrl-V) the clipboard contents to the address bar and after that Ctrl-A, after Ctrl-C, and in the clipboard will be clear full path

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP:

AutoHotkey script, a little bit modified from here for Ctrl + Shift + C

^+c::
Clipboard := gst()

if !IsClipEmpty

ClipWait, 0.5, 1


gst() {   ; GetSelectedText or FilePath in Windows Explorer  by Learning one 

IsClipEmpty := (Clipboard = "") ? 1 : 0

if !IsClipEmpty {

    ClipboardBackup := ClipboardAll

    While !(Clipboard = "") {

        Clipboard =

        Sleep, 10

    }

}

Send, ^c

ClipWait, 0.1

ToReturn := Clipboard, Clipboard := ClipboardBackup

if !IsClipEmpty

ClipWait, 0.5, 1

Return ToReturn

}

Answer 7

Send To toys

Answer 8

Filemenu tools can do this plus a bunch of other useful stuff.

Answer 9

Some of us don't have the liberty to download/install/compile C++ at work so here's a download-free, install-free, code-free solution. I only tested this with Windows XP SP3:

• Open the command prompt.
• Dir the directory where the files you want to list are situated.
• Right-click anywhere on the command prompt's window and chose "select all".
• Hit the [enter] key (this will effectively copy the output of the command prompt to your clipboard).
• Paste your clipboard's content where you want (I recommend Excel so that you can "text to columns" and make it a proper table).

Answer 10

StExBar gives you some flexibility and customizability in copying filenames, paths, etc. plus various additional features.

Answer 11

For anyone still using Windows XP (like me, forced to at work), the following procedure works to copy a single filename without any additional software:

1. Right click desired file in Windows Explorer list

2. Click "Properties" in drop-down menu

3. Highlight filename in box at top of "General" tab

4. CTRL-C to copy filename then close "Properties" window

5. CTRL-V to paste filename where you want it.

Answer 12

FreeCommander provides following 3 options after highlighting files:

1. Copy full name as text
2. Copy name as text
3. Copy full path as text

Answer 13

Here is simple AutoHotkey script, which copies all command line arguments to clipboard (separated by newlines). As with other solutions, it works via Send To menu, so put shortcut for it to "%USERPROFILE%\SendTo" (or it will do this for you if launched w/o arguments).

To run it, paste to notepad, and save to "%USERPROFILE%\SendTo\CopyToClipboard.ahk". Also you will need AutoHotkey 1.1 (direct dl) installed, it's FOSS.

#NoEnv
#NoTrayIcon
#SingleInstance force

If %0%
{
    Loop %0%  ; For each parameter:
        AllArguments .= ( A_Index > 0 ? "`r`n" : "") . %A_Index%
    ;MsgBox %AllArguments%
    Clipboard = %AllArguments%
    ToolTip Copied paths: %0%
} Else {
    MsgBox 68, %A_ScriptName%, This script copies command line arguments to clipboard. Intended to be used as Send To target`, so shourtcut to one should be in Send To.`n`nCreate the shourtcut?
    IfMsgBox Yes
    {
        EnvGet UserProfile, UserProfile
        FileCreateShortcut %A_AhkPath%, %UserProfile%\SendTo\Names to Clipboard.lnk,, %A_ScriptFullPath%, Copies file names (with paths) to clipboard.
    }
}

Sleep 1500

Answer 14

Worked correctly in Windows 7.

Copy Entire List of Files

Step 1 Hold the "Shift" key, right-click the folder containing a list of files and select "Open Command Window Here."

Step 2 Type "dir /b > filenames.txt" (without quotation marks) in the Command Prompt window. Press "Enter."

Step 3 Double-click the "filenames.txt" file from the previously selected folder to see a list of file names in that folder.

Step 4 Press "Ctrl-A" and then "Ctrl-C" to copy the list of file names to your clipboard.

Tip When you're ready to paste the file names, click your paste location in the appropriate program and press "Ctrl-V."

Answer 15

I like ClipboardPath by Stefan Bertels. Most of the other tools hide this away in the Send To submenu, which I rarely use; ClipboardPath positions it near the top of the context menu, and if you want the complete network path (very useful), just hold down Control before you select Copy path..

Answer 16

I wrote a little free/opensource .NET App called fnamecopy to do this very thing. It's very simple and doesn't have right click integration, you just drag the file(s)/folders you want the path for to a small window and then you choose which ones you want the path for. It's very bare bones, but it gets the job done for me.