# print directory question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121 "2013-11-05T03:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/1 "2013-11-05T03:45:54Z")
I am running windows 7 and I would like to know if there is a way to print the contents of a directory. The keyboard still has a print screen button, but not sure what that actually does any more. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/2 "2013-11-05T04:20:39Z")
the Print Screen button sends a picture of the screen to the clipboard. Then you can go into your word processor, paste the picture, and print it. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/3 "2013-11-05T04:23:03Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > the Print Screen button sends a picture of the screen to the clipboard. Then you can go into your word processor, paste the picture, and print it. Thanks Keeve, i will try that now. Declan ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/4 "2013-11-05T04:33:40Z")
Or open a DOS box (start - type CMD) In the DOS command box type CD \. i.e. CD C:\USERS\myname\DOCUMENTS you can copy this from the top box in windows explorer… then type DIR To create a copy of what your command outputs, type for example DIR \> C:\DIRLIST.TXT Then go to C:. and click on the DIRLIST file, and there’s your directory in text. DIR has lots of options. Use /? to see them all. For example, DIR /W gives a list of only filenames, no dates etc. > [@](#): > > C:\Users\MainUser\Documents\>dir /? > Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. > > DIR [drive:][path][filename] [/A[[:]attributes]] \*\* [/C] [/D] [/L] [/N] > [/O[[:]sortorder]] [/P] [/Q] [/R] [/S] [/T[[:]timefield]] [/W] [/X] [/4] > > [drive:][path][filename] > Specifies drive, directory, and/or files to list. > > /A Displays files with specified attributes. > attributes D Directories R Read-only files > H Hidden files A Files ready for archiving > S System files I Not content indexed files > L Reparse Points - Prefix meaning not > /B Uses bare format (no heading information or summary). > /C Display the thousand separator in file sizes. This is the > default. Use /-C to disable display of separator. > /D Same as wide but files are list sorted by column. > /L Uses lowercase. > /N New long list format where filenames are on the far right. > /O List by files in sorted order. > sortorder N By name (alphabetic) S By size (smallest first) > E By extension (alphabetic) D By date/time (oldest first) > G Group directories first - Prefix to reverse order > /P Pauses after each screenful of information. > /Q Display the owner of the file. > /R Display alternate data streams of the file. > /S Displays files in specified directory and all subdirectories. > /T Controls which time field displayed or used for sorting > timefield C Creation > A Last Access > W Last Written > /W Uses wide list format. > /X This displays the short names generated for non-8dot3 file > names. The format is that of /N with the short name inserted > before the long name. If no short name is present, blanks are > displayed in its place. > /4 Displays four-digit years > > Switches may be preset in the DIRCMD environment variable. Override > reset switches by prefixing any switch with - (hyphen)–for example, /-W. You can do really useful things with the DOS commands and the “\>” pipe to file command. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/5 "2013-11-05T04:46:20Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Or open a DOS box (start - type CMD) > In the DOS command box type CD \. i.e. > CD C:\USERS\myname\DOCUMENTS > you can copy this from the top box in windows explorer… then type > DIR > To create a copy of what your command outputs, type for example > DIR \> C:\DIRLIST.TXT > Then go to C:. and click on the DIRLIST file, and there’s your directory in text. > > DIR has lots of options. Use /? to see them all. > For example, DIR /W gives a list of only filenames, no dates etc. > You can do really useful things with the DOS commands and the “\>” pipe to file command. That did exactly what I wanted, just had to run cmd as admin Declan ---
**Author:** ![Chickenwrangler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chickenwrangler/32/91_2.png) [@Chickenwrangler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenwrangler)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/6 "2013-11-06T09:30:56Z")
As “Keve” said the Print Screen button sends a picture of the screen to the clipboard you can then paste it into Paint or Word or any graphic program. Win7 also has a “Snipping Tool” (under accessories) which is useful for capturing part of the screen. [http://www.infonautics.ch/directorylistprint/index.htm](http://www.infonautics.ch/directorylistprint/index.htm) Has an easy to use free version of a directory printer that gives many options and various outputs including notepad and Word. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/7 "2013-11-06T12:22:28Z")
Another method (Windows Vista and later versions): - highlight the files in any window - shift-right-click - select Copy as Path - paste file list into any document This does give you the entire path, though, not just the file/folder name. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/8 "2013-11-07T04:30:22Z")
Thank you for all your replies. Declan ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/9 "2013-11-16T03:53:49Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > I am running windows 7 and I would like to know if there is a way to print the contents of a directory. > > The keyboard still has a print screen button, but not sure what that actually does any more. > > Declan open powershell Get-ChildItem \ | Out-Printer ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/10 "2013-11-16T14:38:58Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > the Print Screen button sends a picture of the screen to the clipboard. Then you can go into your word processor, paste the picture, and print it. Just for completeness, If you hold down \ and press PrintScreen, it sends a picture of only the current window to the clipboard. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/print-directory-question/673121/11 "2013-11-17T00:25:02Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Another method (Windows Vista and later versions): > > - highlight the files in any window > - shift-right-click > - select Copy as Path > - paste file list into any document > > This does give you the entire path, though, not just the file/folder name. Son of a GUN! I asked a similar question here a few days ago, and didn’t get this answer. Exactly what I wanted! Thanks!