General Copy Path of Drive, File, or Folder in Windows 11

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brink
  • Start date Published: Start date Updated Updated:

Copy_as_path_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to copy the full path of drives, files, and folders to paste where you like in Windows 11.

Copy path or Copy as path will copy the full path of selected items (files and folders) wrapped in quotes to the Clipboard so you can paste (Ctrl+V) the full path(s) of the item(s) where you like.

Copy address or Copy address as text will copy the full path of selected items (drives and folders) without quotes to the Clipboard so you can paste (Ctrl+V) the full path(s) of the item(s) where you like.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26220.7271 (Dev and Beta 25H2), Microsoft is making a few refinements to the context menu aimed at reducing the space taken by less commonly used actions, while keeping them easy to access. Microsoft is also updated the ordering of actions to group similar tasks. Microsoft moved Compress to ZIP file, Copy as Path, Set as Desktop Background, and Rotate Right, and Rotate Left into a new Manage file flyout.



Contents

  • Option One: "Copy as path" using Keyboard Shortcut
  • Option Two: "Copy as path" from Context Menu
  • Option Three: "Copy path" from File Explorer Command Bar
  • Option Four: "Copy address" or "Copy address at text" from File Explorer Address Bar




Option One

"Copy as path" using Keyboard Shortcut


1 Select the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to copy the full path of.

2 Press the Ctrl + Shift + C keys.




Option Two

"Copy as path" from Context Menu


1 Select the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to copy the full path of.

2 Right click or press and hold on the selected items, and click/tap on Copy as path.

Copy_as_path_context_menu.png





Option Three

"Copy path" from File Explorer Command Bar


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Select the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to copy the full path of.

3 Click/tap on the See more (3 dots) button on the command bar.

4 Click/tap on Copy path.

Copy_path_File_Explorer_command_bar.png





Option Four

"Copy address" or "Copy address at text" from File Explorer Address Bar


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Navigate to and open the drive or folder you want to copy the full path of.

3 Perform either action below:
  • Right click or press and hold on an empty area of the address bar, and click/tap on Copy address or Copy address as text.
Copy_address_File_Explorer-1.png

OR​
  • Click/tap on an empty area of the address bar, and Copy (Ctrl+C) the full path.
Copy_address_File_Explorer-2.png
Copy_address_File_Explorer-3.png


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
" Copy path or Copy as path will copy the full path of selected items (files and folders) wrapped in quotes to the Clipboard so you can paste (Ctrl+V) the full path(s) of the item(s) where you like " sounds simple but when I try to "copy as path" the downloads directory, nothing happens and I cannot paste the directory and files where I want to. What am I doing wrong? I'm running Win 11, version 21H2, Build 22000.975
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptopy GPU
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo DisplayHDR and Acer H230
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD - Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-000L2
    Case
    Laptop
    Keyboard
    Standard built-in keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Eddo51eleven said:
" Copy path or Copy as path will copy the full path of selected items (files and folders) wrapped in quotes to the Clipboard so you can paste (Ctrl+V) the full path(s) of the item(s) where you like " sounds simple but when I try to "copy as path" the downloads directory, nothing happens and I cannot paste the directory and files where I want to. What am I doing wrong? I'm running Win 11, version 21H2, Build 22000.975
Click to expand...

Hello Ed, :-)

Is this only happening in the Downloads directory, or all locations?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Thanks for your help, Shawn. It is happening for all locations. I appears that the "copy path" is not working. The reason I think that is because when I click "copy as path", there is no delay at all. The system gives me back control immediately. I would expect there to be a bit of a delay while it copies the path.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptopy GPU
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo DisplayHDR and Acer H230
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD - Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-000L2
    Case
    Laptop
    Keyboard
    Standard built-in keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Eddo51eleven said:
Thanks for your help, Shawn. It is happening for all locations. I appears that the "copy path" is not working. The reason I think that is because when I click "copy as path", there is no delay at all. The system gives me back control immediately. I would expect there to be a bit of a delay while it copies the path.
Click to expand...
Usually, it shouldn't take any time at all to copy the path to the clipboard.

Do you have any software installed or running that could be messing with the clipboard?

As a test, are you able to copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) anything else (ex: text or files).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
One other thing I should say is that the Source is a folder on my SSD, the Dest is my 64GB USB thumb drive.
Copy / paste files works fine from my SSD to the thumb drive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptopy GPU
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo DisplayHDR and Acer H230
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD - Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-000L2
    Case
    Laptop
    Keyboard
    Standard built-in keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
I don't think I have anything running that messes with the clipboard.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptopy GPU
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo DisplayHDR and Acer H230
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD - Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-000L2
    Case
    Laptop
    Keyboard
    Standard built-in keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
Eddo51eleven said:
I don't think I have anything running that messes with the clipboard.
Click to expand...
As a test, boot into Safe Mode to see if Copy Path works while in Safe mode.

www.elevenforum.com

Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to boot Windows 11 into normal mode, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

If it does work while in Safe Mode, then something running while in normal mode is causing the issue. You could try performing a Clean Boot below to troubleshoot and see if the culprit may be found.

www.elevenforum.com

Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 11 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts

This tutorial will show you how to perform a clean boot to start Windows 10 or Windows 11 using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs for troubleshooting application conflicts. Troubleshooting Windows can be a complex process due to the many different drivers, settings, and programs...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
I'll do this tomorrow, and report here.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptopy GPU
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo DisplayHDR and Acer H230
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD - Samsung MZVLB512HBJQ-000L2
    Case
    Laptop
    Keyboard
    Standard built-in keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
The reg. didn't work for me. Path Copy Copy free software added it back to the context menu.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Education For 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook G2
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7 5500u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Audio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Zbook G4
    CPU
    Xeon 1535m v6
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Sound Card
    Bang and Olufson Audio
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
NormanF said:
The reg. didn't work for me. Path Copy Copy free software added it back to the context menu.
Click to expand...

Hello mate, :alien:

I assume you meant the REG file in the tutorial below instead. It depends on how the context menu was originally removed since it's there by default.

www.elevenforum.com

Add or Remove "Copy as path" Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show how to add or remove the "Copy as path" context menu and "Copy path" from the File Explorer command bar menu for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Copy path or Copy as path will copy the full path of selected items (files and folders) wrapped in quotes to the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
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