An absolute path, also known as a full path, on Windows systems represents the complete details needed to locate a file or folder, starting from a drive letter (e.g. C:\), including all sub-folders and ending with the file or folder name.
Once you have located the desired file or folder in a File Explorer, there is a simple way to get the full path and copy it to a clipboard.
This short note shows how to unlock a “Copy as path” Windows feature to get the full path to the file or folder quickly and easily.
Copy as Path: Get Full Path of File on Windows
Open the File Explorer by clicking on the corresponding icon 📁 or by pressing the ⊞ Win + E keyboard shortcut.
Navigate to a folder with the file which full path you are looking for.
Hold down the Shift key + right-click on the file and select the “Copy as path”:
The full path of the file will be copied to a clipboard.
Now it can be pasted wherever you want, using a right-click context menu or by using the Ctrl + V keyboard shortcut.
The same way, by selecting the “Copy as path”, you can get the full path to a folder.