Filed under: Text, Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Freeware
ClipPath - grab a file's path from context menu
by Jason Clarke Aug 17th 2006 at 9:00AM
It seems like references to ClipPath have shown up all over the place, and I'm not sure where I first saw of it. I bookmarked the link, and finally came back to check it out, and I've got to say it's a simple, and great idea. (Doesn't it seem like most great ideas are simple?) Anyway, ClipPath gives you a context menu option to grab the full path to a file from within Windows Explorer. The most obvious use of this is for users of web-based email services, who have to use the awkward "file open" dialog box to navigate to a file on their system to attach it to an email. This little utility allows the user to simply right-click on the file (however they navigated to it), copy the path, then paste the path into the appropriate field in their web-based email program, and voila. Simple as that. And for those of us that bounce around between different browsers, it's nice to have a little hack that enhances a web service that works on any browser.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian said 9:48AM on 8-17-2006
That feature has been available for years with the "Send To X " in the Microsoft PowerToys pack (which is one of the first things I add ot a new Windows install).
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/default.asp
Brian
Reply
Yan said 10:56AM on 8-17-2006
IS THIS ANOTHER TROJAN LIKE "Frets On Fire"? Ya know, that program you posted on your blog.
IF you don't believe me, just click on my link.
Reply
Qwfwq said 11:41AM on 8-17-2006
There's another similar utility, called PathCopyEx, from Mike Lin's freeware collection (www.mlin.net). Check Mike Lin's page, which has a fine collection of very useful small freeware utilities, and also KarenWare (www.karenware.com) and Sysinternals (www.sysinternals.com) - they make working with Windows almost bearable... almost.
Reply
Jordan Running said 11:48AM on 8-17-2006
Yan, antivirus programs have false positives all the time, as in the case of Frets On Fire. There's no virus in Frets On Fire, nor in any program we blog here.
Reply
Ganesh said 2:03PM on 8-17-2006
If I have to navigate to the file anyway, then I would rather use the explorer and copy the path from the address bar
Reply
sis said 6:39PM on 8-17-2006
cool wallpaper where can i get it from?
Reply
Jason Clarke said 6:54PM on 8-17-2006
Hi Sis - that wallpaper is from interfacelift.com:
http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper/details.php?id=678
Reply
Qwfwq said 7:54PM on 8-17-2006
Ganesh,
Yes, you have to navigate to the file and it's true that you could just copy the path from the adress bar. However the ClipPath or PathCopyEx shell extensions will also copy the file name to the clipboard so that you won't need to type it in front of the path - see, that'll save you a couple of seconds each time.
Reply
hazard said 10:55PM on 8-17-2006
Great post .. think I prefer PathCopyEx as you can grab the path with fewer clicks.
Reply
Nicole Simon said 6:22AM on 8-20-2006
It is one of those applications which after some while you think "how could I have lived without it??"
This one has the benefit of the options, as well as the problem of having those. Why? If you just want to copy the path to the clipboard (like 90% of the time) it gets annoying to click twice to do it.
I have another tool which I do not remember where I have it from :( but I carry this with me since several years from computer to computer.
For the ones not wanting to install a whole programm or double clicking: Make sure the address bar is displayed in your explorer. You then can click on it and press ctrl-c and have the same effect.
Downside: You "only" can copy the path of the current directory and not a different one. Short solution to that: Go into the dir you need, copy the path and hit alt-left and you'll be back in your last directory in no time.
Reply
Martin said 2:49PM on 8-20-2006
Ninotech Pathcopy is very good also - you can form your own paths (Unix style, web-style, etc)
http://home.worldonline.dk/ninotech/download.htm#pathcopy
Reply