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To copy the full path of a file or folder on Windows 10, hold Shift and right-click the file or folder, then select "Copy as Path" from the context menu. Press Ctrl+V (or use the context menu) to paste the path to the file.

Sometimes, it’s handy to copy the full path of a file or folder in Windows 10 to the clipboard. That way, you can paste the path into an open or upload dialog quickly without having to browse for it the file. Luckily, there’s an easy way to do it. Here’s how.

Find the file or folder whose path you’d like to copy in File Explorer. Hold down Shift on your keyboard and right-click on it. In the context menu that pops up, select “Copy As Path.”

(The location of “Copy As Path” in the context menu list will vary, depending on your system setup and the type of file you are right-clicking on.)

Select Copy as Path in Windows 10

This will copy the full path of the file’s location onto the Windows clipboard. For example, the path may look something like this: “C:\Users\redwolf\Desktop\Example Images\Picture.jpg.”

You can then paste the path wherever you like, such as a file upload dialog in a web browser.

Upload window in Mozilla Firefox for Windows 10

This tip also helps when you’re hacking the registry to add any application your desktop context menu, running commands in the Command Prompt or PowerShell, and doing anything else that requires the full path of a file. There’s no need to type it out.

RELATED: How to Add Any Application to the Windows Desktop Right-Click Menu

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Benj Edwards is a former Associate Editor for How-To Geek. Now, he is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 15 years, he has written about technology and tech history for sites such as The Atlantic, Fast Company, PCMag, PCWorld, Macworld, Ars Technica, and Wired. In 2005, he created Vintage Computing and Gaming, a blog devoted to tech history. He also created The Culture of Tech podcast and regularly contributes to the Retronauts retrogaming podcast.
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