3 Ways to Find a File’s Path on Windows
Introduction:
Navigating through multiple folders to find the exact file path in Windows can be quite a tedious task. However, knowing the file’s path is crucial for many purposes such as file management or for referencing a file in various applications. In this article, we will discuss three easy ways to find a file’s path on Windows.
1.Using File Explorer:
Finding a file’s path through Windows File Explorer is simple and straightforward. Follow these steps:
1.Open the File Explorer by pressing the Windows key + E or by clicking on the folder icon on your taskbar.
2.Navigate to the location where the desired file is stored.
3.Click on the file once to highlight it.
4.Press and hold the ‘Shift’ key and then right-click on the selected file.
5.From the context menu that appears, click on ‘Copy as path.’
The full file path will now be copied to your clipboard, and you can paste it anywhere you need it by pressing Ctrl + V.
2.Using Command Prompt:
If you prefer using commands instead of navigating through folders, Command Prompt can be an efficient way to find a file path. Here are the steps:
1.Press Windows Key + R to open the ‘Run’ dialog box.
2.Type ‘cmd’ and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
3.Navigate to the folder containing your desired file using CD (Change Directory) command followed by the folder path. For example: ‘cd C:\Users\UserName\Documents’.
4.Type ‘dir /b /s | findstr FileName.extension’. Replace FileName.extension with the actual name and extension of your desired file, then press Enter.
The entire path of your searched file will be displayed in the Command Prompt window.
3.Using PowerShell:
Another powerful method to find a file’s path is using PowerShell. Follow these steps:
1.Press the Windows key + X and then choose ‘Windows PowerShell’ from the context menu.
2.Navigate to the folder containing your desired file using CD (Change Directory) command, just like in Command Prompt.
3.Type ‘Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq “FileName.extension” }’ and replace FileName.extension with your actual file name and extension, then hit Enter.
PowerShell will display the full path of the desired file in its window.
Conclusion:
Knowing how to locate a file’s path on Windows can make it easier for you to organize and manage your files or reference them in various applications. These three methods – using File Explorer, Command Prompt, and PowerShell – offer different ways to obtain a file’s path according to your preference or comfort level with command-based navigation.