# Copy and Paste PC question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117 "2012-02-07T20:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/1 "2012-02-07T20:52:25Z")
I am making a list, in MS Word, of existing documents involved in a project I’m working on. Because of naming conventions etc the document names, as listed in Windows Explorer are the same as the generally used title and the same as would be used in normal conversation. What would make my life much easier would be if I could copy, from Windows Explorer, the list and then paste it as a list in the Word doc where I could use and manipulate it as text. On the two attempts all I succeeded in doing was actually opening the listed documents. Is this action possible and, if so, how is it done? Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/2 "2012-02-07T21:01:49Z")
Not directly through Windows Explorer, no. There are programs out there, some that are free, which allow you to print and/or create text files from your directory listings. I used to use one called – creatively enough – Directory Printer. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/3 "2012-02-07T21:02:29Z")
Kind of… You can select a list of files, **shift** -right-click, and select “Copy As Path”. The problem is that it copies the entire path of the files, not merely the name, like this: “R: est\file1.txt” “R: est\file2.txt” From there you could set up a quick&dirty Excel sheet with a few formulas to remove all of the path except the file name? Edit: Contrary to what Asimovian said, the shift-right-click shortcut is built-in to Explorer, it doesn’t require any plug-ins or downloads. If you were worried about that. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/4 "2012-02-07T21:05:16Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Edit: Contrary to what Asimovian said, the shift-right-click shortcut is built-in to Explorer, it doesn’t require any plug-ins or downloads. If you were worried about that. I love this board. Ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/5 "2012-02-07T21:22:06Z")
You can shift+right-click on the directory and select ‘Open command window here’ At the prompt type dir /S \> filelist.txt and enter, the file will be in that directory. You can also try adding /N or /W. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/6 "2012-02-07T21:41:55Z")
It works! Thanks everyone for the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/7 "2012-02-07T23:09:07Z")
Use the old DOS directory command: In a DOS box (Command Prompt) type: > [@](#): > > dir c:\mydirectory\* /b \>mylist.txt That will put a list of the files in mydirectory into the file mylist.txt, which you can then put into your Word document. If you don’t want all of the files, you could limit them, like using f\* to get only filenames starting with the letter f, for example. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/8 "2012-02-08T15:20:34Z")
You could try and find a program called[FileGrab by PC Magazine](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,5752,00.asp). It is a utility once available for free on the PC Mag website but a fee is now charged for PC Mag utilities. It may still be available for free on other downloadable sites And yes, even if it’s from 1997 or so, it does run windows 7. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/9 "2012-02-08T20:24:34Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Kind of… > > You can select a list of files, **shift** -right-click, and select “Copy As Path”. The problem is that it copies the entire path of the files, not merely the name, like this: > > “R: est\file1.txt” > “R: est\file2.txt” > > From there you could set up a quick&dirty Excel sheet with a few formulas to remove all of the path except the file name? > > Edit: Contrary to what Asimovian said, the shift-right-click shortcut is built-in to Explorer, it doesn’t require any plug-ins or downloads. If you were worried about that. This. Although an easier way to clean up your list so that you only have the file names is to copy the file names in the way described by **Blakeyrat** , then paste that into your Word document. You’ll have your list, but with the whole path. Then copy the path (everything but the file name) from one of the items on the list. Press CTRL-H (for find and replace), paste the path into the “find what” box, and leave the “replace with” box empty. Then click on “Replace All,” and there you are – you’ll have a list of nothing but file names, with no messing around with Excel formulas. You’ll have quotation marks around the file names, but you can delete them using Find and Replace just like you deleted the path. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/10 "2012-02-08T21:30:32Z")
Reboot in MacOS X. Copy files. Paste into text document. Save. Done. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/11 "2012-02-08T21:46:14Z")
What version of Windows does the command work in? I have Win XP SP3 and shift-right-click does just the same as normal right-click. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/12 "2012-02-08T22:25:01Z")
> [@Kiwi\_Fruit](#): > > What version of Windows does the command work in? I have Win XP SP3 and shift-right-click does just the same as normal right-click. Vista and 7. You can get the open command window feature (unshifted) with this [powertoy](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211471), amd copy as path by following [these instructions](http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/add-copy-as-path-right-click-menu-in-xp/). ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/13 "2012-02-08T22:26:25Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Vista and 7. You can get the open command window feature (unshifted) with this [powertoy](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211471), amd copy as path by following [these instructions](http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/add-copy-as-path-right-click-menu-in-xp/). Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/14 "2012-02-08T22:40:21Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Vista and 7. You can get the open command window feature (unshifted) with this [powertoy](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211471), amd copy as path by following [these instructions](http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/add-copy-as-path-right-click-menu-in-xp/). Oh, thank God I’m not crazy. I read that earlier and was like, “but I’ve been installing a powertoy for that function for years, and all I had to do was … ?” I only have the one Vista box, y’see. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/15 "2012-02-08T23:34:51Z")
Coolio! I’ve never gotten powertoys for W7 for some reason. And I miss them. Now I have that one, at least! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/16 "2012-02-08T23:44:42Z")
It saddens me to learn there are so many people still on XP… The reason I didn’t know whether or not it worked on XP is simply that I haven’t \*used \*XP in 5 years, and I no longer remember what features it did or did not have. Anyway, sorry for any confusion. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/copy-and-paste-pc-question/612117/17 "2012-02-08T23:54:51Z")
> [@redtail23](#): > > Coolio! I’ve never gotten powertoys for W7 for some reason. And I miss them. Now I have that one, at least! Thanks. But you don’t need it for W7, it’s built-in!