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Author Topic: Finding the path of a file on your computer  (Read 11415 times)

spectrekitty

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Finding the path of a file on your computer
« on: August 30, 2014, 05:53 PM »
The utility I need may seem silly, but sometimes I have a file up - say, a Word doc - & I know it's been saved, because is has a title other than Document (#). But I'm not sure where I saved it! I want to be sure I can find it again before I feel I can close it. So I'd like a utility I could run that would tell me the complete path for that file. Please don't laugh - I know it's simplistic...

Also, the way the directories are set up - I'm using Windows 7 - when you open a directory, the full pathname is not always specified. I mean, I want it all the way back to the drive letter!!

I even have a name for my dream program: PathFinder. Not very original, & it's probably already been used. Anyway, I don't know of any similar programs, though some such must exist...

Thank you for anything you can do to help me out. I love DonationCoder - I thoroughly depend on Screenshot Captor, and if not for the fact that I live on SS Disability, I would have donated by now.

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

mouser

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2014, 06:00 PM »
A tray utility that showed RECENT files and RECENT folders when clicked would solve this and be a nice coding snack..

tomos

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2014, 10:52 AM »
A tray utility that showed RECENT files and RECENT folders when clicked would solve this and be a nice coding snack..

aka FARR from your good self ;-)

I'm pretty sure this works out of the box:
  • Launch FARR (Pause button is default)
  • type mru to show options related to recent files - I usally use mrua (once the files show, hit pagedown button if you want to see a longer list)
  • select relevant entry (with mouse, or use the down arrow) and hit Ctrl+C to copy the filepath

Screenshot - 2014-08-31 , 17_48_09.png

Screenshot - 2014-08-31 , 17_39_44.png
Tom

mouser

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2014, 12:05 PM »
Nice find, but MRU is not built into FARR, it's an excellent plugin written by dc member phitsc:
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=13899.0

IainB

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2014, 08:58 PM »
Yes, what @Tomos says re FarrMostRecentlyUsed. It seems to work OK - at least for Recently Used documents - after installing it. However, I'm not sure it's being updated any more (current version seesm to be v1.0.1 as at 2009-05-14)  and the website http://farrmru.objecttechnology.com/  seems to be blank(?).

As for getting a full path name in Windows Explorer in Win7, just go to Windows Explorer Folder Options (settings) and select the View tab and tick "Display the full path in the title bar". I am using xplorer² with Win8.1-64 now, but from memory I think Win7 Windows Explorer shows the full path in the address bar, though I don't recall whether you have to select (tick) that in the Options somewhere. There are quite a lot of options to choose from

mwb1100

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2014, 03:43 AM »
Many applications will show you the full path of an opened file with the "File/Properties" menu or similar.  In Word 2010 I get the full path under File/Info.

MilesAhead

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2014, 05:20 AM »
Use File SaveAs.  It should open the dialog to the same folder.  If you want the entire path in the clipboard select the file then press Shift-richt click and click Copy As Path.  It wraps the entire path in double quotes even if it doesn't contain any spaces though.

At least I think that would work.  I don't use office software.  I just tried it in EditPad Lite7 text editor and it worked as described.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 05:33 AM by MilesAhead »

mouser

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2014, 08:35 AM »
I still like the idea of the original poster's request -- a (tray) utility (or FARR plugin) that showed a menu of the most recently used PATHS, and would open the folder on click.  It's slightly different functionality than being able to open the file itself.

MilesAhead

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2014, 09:47 AM »
It sounds like it would require a shell hook.  Last time I looked into hooking ShellExecute it didn't seem like it was much fun.  Perhaps if there was an already written library routine out there it could take the sting out of it.  But I don't know of any.

cyberdiva

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2014, 09:52 AM »
I rarely run across this problem.  As long as I know at least a partial file name, I can simply search using Everything Search, and it tells me the full path.  Everything Search is a marvel. 

skwire

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2014, 11:58 AM »
So I'd like a utility I could run that would tell me the complete path for that file. Please don't laugh - I know it's simplistic...

A tray utility that showed RECENT files and RECENT folders when clicked would solve this and be a nice coding snack..

Give this a try:  http://skwire.dcmemb...nacks/Pathfinder.zip

Unpack the archive and run Pathfinder.exe.  The program adds an icon to your tray that you can right click and it will display a menu of the ten most recent entries (full paths) in your Windows Recent folder.  Selecting one of the menu items copies that path to the clipboard.  However, this can easily be changed to open said menu item (or give a choice of the two).  If you want to display more or fewer than ten menu items, choose Options from the menu, adjust the value in the INI file and save it, and then choose Reload from the tray menu.  I've tested this in W7/64 adn XP/32 (VM) and it seems to work okay.

Stoic Joker

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2014, 12:37 PM »
There seems to be one rather critically salient point that is getting missed here. In that all of the recent file activity/MRU lists deal with sessions that have already been closed. The OP appears to be more interested in verifying what the target(s) of file I/O sessions that are currently active is/are...before the relevant application is closed. Which is when it would be committed to historical MRU style lists.

I want to be sure I can find it again before I feel I can close it.

skwire

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2014, 01:06 PM »
The OP appears to be more interested in verifying what the target(s) of file I/O sessions that are currently active is/are...before the relevant application is closed.

I ran the following test:

  • Started up Pathfinder.
  • Started up Word.  Entered some text.  Saved the file as test.docx.  Did not close Word at this time.
  • Right-clicked the Pathfinder icon in my tray.  Verified that test.docx appeared in the menu.  Word is still open at this time.

Now, I do agree that not all opened folders or files get added to the Recent folder.  However, it seems that most do and that might be good enough for spectrekitty.

rjbull

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2014, 03:20 PM »
I suggest you investigate Listary Pro, but you would indeed need the Pro version ($19.95, life-time updates for free for all future versions).  Left-click on my Listary Pro tray icon, click Recent:
listary.pngFinding the path of a file on your computer
Take a look at the plethora of detailed screenshots and videos on their web site.  Listary Pro has a built-in file search that works with Windows Explorer.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 03:52 PM by rjbull »

IainB

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2014, 10:04 PM »
I'm just supposing and thinking about this here:
The utility I need may seem silly, but sometimes I have a file up - say, a Word doc - & I know it's been saved, because is has a title other than Document (#). But I'm not sure where I saved it! I want to be sure I can find it again before I feel I can close it. So I'd like a utility I could run that would tell me the complete path for that file. Please don't laugh - I know it's simplistic...
_______________________________________
I initially ignored this part of the OP as I felt that it was simplistic/infeasible, but after following this thread I belatedly realised that it seems to be based on a requirement that I have often had under conditions and in a process where:
(a) it relates to a file that has already been saved at least once (but at an indeterminate date/time) by an (MS Office?) application;
(b) it relates to a  file that is currently open in said application and which might be about to be closed unchanged, or saved with some new changes;
(c) the user requires feedback/confirmation as to where (path) the file that is about to be closed will be saved;

If the file has not been opened for some time, then it might not be in the MRU list until after it has been closed/saved. (Is that true?) That might be too late for the user's purposes.
Why would a user want to know the path at that point in time?

One real-life example I could give as an answer here would be that I didn't want MS Office or other application to do it's usual thing and just close/save the document without telling me in some memorable way where it has put it, because, as we all know, MS Office and other applications often leave you with the subsequent need to know where the blasted document has been put so you can satisfy yourself that it is where you want it to be put.
Left to its own, the application will generally save the document in a default location (e.g., a special folder such as My Documents, or wherever it opened the file from).
What could be really useful to many users would be:
(i) to press a hotkey and be told immediately where (destination path) that file will be closed/saved to by default when you close/save it;
(ii) to then be given an opportunity to change that destination path, or add a new file Tag or something (i.e., take some action or other);
(iii) to then close/save and move the file to a specific, required path (default or otherwise) accordingly.

This could imply some kind of memory-resident application that monitors application windows for certain types of file-closing activity and which communicates with the user (as above) appropriately, immediately and intuitively, prior to closing a file. It would probably be helpful if it maintained a pop-up history (log) of file paths that it had reported on.

To avoid developing a specialised app, there are some general purpose applications (I think "Beaumont" might have been one that I came across) which monitor certain folders and move files of specified types out of those folders and into a different one, when they detect a new file being closed in a watched folder. You could also consider using something such as (say) FreeFileSynce (RealTime sync module). The MS Labs Colletta project could be worth looking at for this also.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 10:10 PM by IainB »

MilesAhead

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2014, 05:36 AM »
If the file was loaded on program start via command line using the appropriate 32 bit or 64 bit version of ReRun may show the command line.

http://milesaheadsoftware.tk/

I don't know if that helps.

Channing

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Re: Finding the path of a file on your computer
« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2014, 09:48 AM »
Hi, I'm the developer of Listary, and I think Listary would be very helpful in your case (in a totally different way though).

You don't even need to find out where the file is saved. Listary will find it instantly and open it in the current application directly whenever you need it (as long as you can remember part of the file name).

2014-09-02_22-44-58.png
(Listary just helped me upload this screenshot!)

Check out the latest version of Listary here: http://discussion.li...-beta-4-22-1679/1955