Tip: Get the Full Path of a Folder or File in Windows 7

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If you recently moved from Windows XP to Windows 7, you probably noticed that the address bar no longer shows the full path of the current folder in the traditional way – you’re probably used to seeing backslash characters separating folder names. If you need to see the full path displayed that way, click anywhere to the right of the path in the address bar or right-click any part of the address bar and choose Edit Address.

The right-click shortcut menu includes additional options that allow you to copy the current address to the Clipboard. Click Copy Address to save the location in a format that is optimized for copying and pasting folders in Windows Explorer or use Copy Address As Text if you plan to paste the folder path into a document.

To copy the full path for an individual file, hold down the Shift key as you right-click the file, and then choose Copy As Path. This option is especially useful if you’ve found a file in Windows Explorer and you want to upload it to a Web site or open it in another program without browsing to the same location in an Open dialog box. Copy the full path for the file, then paste it into the File Name box in the target program.

From the Microsoft Press book Windows 7 Inside Out by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson.

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