Copy full file path in Windows XP

Question

I've often the need to copy the full file path of a file or directory from the file explorer in Windows - is there any easy way of doing this ?

Answer 1

In explorer go to tools - folder options and on the view tab choose display full path in the address bar. You can then copy and paste from the address bar.

Answer 2

You can drag and drop the file on the run dialog, or on a command prompt, this will put the full path at the cursor position.

Alternatively, you can install something like Ninotech Path Copy so you have it in your default explorer context menu:

Ninotech Path Copy is a shell extension for Windows 95, 98, NT4, 2000, and XP that enables to copy the path of a file or directory to the Clipboard. You can then paste the path in to your document, e-mail, etc. You copy the path of a file or directory by right-clicking it in the Windows Explorer and choosing Copy Path from the context menu. The context menu then offers nine standard ways of copying the path, in addition to the user defined copying methods that you create yourself:

Of course, what Col suggests is maybe even easier?

Answer 3

Copy and paste this text into Notepad and save with a .reg extension:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Allfilesystemobjects\shell\CopyPath]
@="Copy as Path"
"Extended"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Allfilesystemobjects\shell\CopyPath\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,63,00,6f,00,6d,00,73,00,70,00,65,00,63,00,25,00,20,00,2f,00,63,\
  00,20,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,7c,00,63,00,\
  6c,00,69,00,70,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00

Double click the .reg file, add to the registry, then log off and back on again. Download Clip.exe from Microsoft's FTP site, and copy it to C:\Windows\System32. Now if you hold SHIFT and right-click on a file, you'll see the Copy as Path submenu item.

Answer 4

You might want to check out FileMenuTools from Lopesoft.

Answer 5

You can install this small explorer extension. It adds a context menu entry that does what you want. Pretty much the same thing as the Ninotech Path Copy, but it comes with an installer.

Answer 6

Create a file named filepath.bat in the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\your_user_name\SendTo

Add the following to the .bat file:

@dir %1 /b /s

@pause

To obtain the full file path, right click on a file and select 'Send to' from the context menu. filepath.bat will show up as an option. Select it, and a Command Prompt showing the full path of the file will appear.

Click on the [C:] icon in the upper left of the Command Prompt titlebar and select 'Properties'. Under the 'Options' tab, check the 'Quick Edit Mode'. Then check "Modify shortcut that started this window" (it is only necessary to do this one time). Now, any time you need to know the full path of a file, right click it, select 'Send to', then filepath.bat. To copy the path, drag with the left mouse button over the link then right click. The full path can then be Ctrl + V pasted anywhere.

It seems like a burden, but once it's set up it's reasonably quick to use.

Answer 7

Use Copy Path. It allows you to right-click on a drive or file system object and copy the path of the file to the clipboard.

This extension is intended to make the task of finding and sharing the UNC path for a mapped drive easier as I often need to find this information from colleagues or pass this information to colleagues. I created this utility to make it simpler.

This is a Windows Explorer shell extension that will allow you to right click on a drive or file system object and copy the path of the file to the clipbpoard. If the drive is a mapped drive or the file system object exits on a mapped drive it will resolve the full UNC path.

Answer 8

You could right click the file or folder and go to Properties. There, you have both location and file or folder name.

Answer 9

Grab Path in the Synesis Shell Extensions is excellent, full of useful options like copy in 8.3 format or in Unix format (great to paste in a string in C or Java program, for example).

Alas, it doesn't work in Win7 and seems abandoned (last update in 2006!). But still great on XP, I keep it along with the FileMenu Tools recommended above (which works on Win7), because of the options.

For the record, even if the question is explicitly for WinXP, I thought it can be interesting to share a trick I just discovered today: in Win7, just Shift+right-click to get a copy path option (why it is hidden is beyond me...).

Answer 10

Full path including filename. (xp at least)

In xp file browser place "\" at the end of the folder name and a drop list will appear with all the files in that folder. Use arrow up & down keys to navigate to file of choice, highlighted file is placed in address bar, user left arrow key to swipe and copy path.

Folder tools must be checked that "display full path in the address bar".

Answer 11

in XP, just right click, choose "open with", and just open it with whatever browser you use (internet explorer, firefox, opera, etc)

Answer 12

Here's a variation on previous solutions. Probably the simplest way for XP, and useful if you're in a locked down corporate environment as no registry entries required.

1. Download clip.exe from the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit FTP site and save it your System32 folder (usually C:\WINDOWS\System32), or somewhere in your PATH.

2. Copy and paste the line below into a text editor, and save the file as Copy path to clipboard.bat in C:\Documents and Settings\[user_name]\SendTo

   @echo %~dpnx1|clip.exe

3. To copy the full file path, right click on a file and select 'Send to' from the context menu. Copy path to clipboard.bat will show up as an option. Left-click it and paste away.