According to the latest reports, sometimes, you need to copy the full path of a file or folder in the Windows 11 or Windows 10 operating system. This is especially necessary when you want to paste the path on the command line or in tools such as Windows Run. Or you just want to copy the location to your clipboard.
On Windows 10, if you hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and right-click a file or folder, you can copy its full path. When you hold down Shift, the context menu will have a new option called Copy as path. You have to click on this option to copy the complete path to the clipboard. This function works most of the time.
Starting from Windows 11, it has become easier to copy the path of a file or folder. The context menu now includes the Copy as path option by default. In this way, you only need to right-click a file or folder, and then click Copy as Path to paste it into another application or dialog box without manually browsing the location.
In future operating system versions, Microsoft will also introduce support for new keyboard shortcuts. In the preview version, when you select a file or folder in File Explorer, you can now use CTRL + Shift + C to copy the path.
Like the copy as path option in the context menu, this keyboard shortcut will also be copied to your Windows clipboard. If you use Windows Cloud Clipboard, you will be able to sync content on your device, including Android phones, when you have SwiftKey or your phone app (Samsung only).
Keep in mind that the location of the copy as a path depends on the system configuration, and the copy path will still include quotation marks. If you want to paste the path in the Explorer address to directly enter the file/folder, please make sure to remove the quotes before pressing the Enter key.
File Explorer’s new context menu issue
Like previous versions of the operating system, the context menu of Windows 11 provides you with a bunch of operations. You can use it to access the native shared user interface or the classic context menu. If you have a touch screen, or you like a new design language, the context menu of modern design may be a great advantage, but slow performance is the number one reason why Explorer is unpopular.
According to reports, users may experience a noticeable delay when using the context menu. Some people claim that there will be a 1/2 second delay when the menu attempts to resize before reflecting the options.
This is especially noticeable on low-end computers. Thankfully, Microsoft is investigating these reports and recently implemented a fix in the preview version. Microsoft is also working hard to repair the file explorer, so hope that these minor issues can be resolved before Windows 11 22H2 is released.