Windows shell command to get the full path to the current directory?

Question

Is there a Windows command line command that I can use to get the full path to the current working directory?

Also, how can I store this path inside a variable used in a batch file?

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-10 21:37:37Z

585

Use cd with no arguments if you're using the shell directly, or %cd% if you want to use it in a batch file (it behaves like an environment variable).

edited Sep 10, 2018 at 21:37

Peter Mortensen

31.4k22 gold badges110 silver badges134 bronze badges

answered Mar 3, 2009 at 19:05

Trevor Bramble

8,8536 gold badges33 silver badges29 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

gmaran23 · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-03 03:11:29Z

You can set a batch/environment variable as follows:

SET var=%cd% ECHO %var%

sample screenshot from a Windows 7 x64 cmd.exe.

enter image description here

Update: if you do a SET var = %cd% instead of SET var=%cd% , below is what happens. Thanks to jeb.

enter image description here

Capturing the current directory from a batch file

Patrick Cuff · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-03 03:10:00Z

Quote the Windows help for the set command (set /?):

 If Command Extensions are enabled, then there are several dynamic environment variables that can be expanded but which don't show up in the list of variables displayed by SET. These variable values are computed dynamically each time the value of the variable is expanded. If the user explicitly defines a variable with one of these names, then that definition will override the dynamic one described below: %CD% - expands to the current directory string. %DATE% - expands to current date using same format as DATE command. %TIME% - expands to current time using same format as TIME command. %RANDOM% - expands to a random decimal number between 0 and 32767. %ERRORLEVEL% - expands to the current ERRORLEVEL value %CMDEXTVERSION% - expands to the current Command Processor Extensions version number. %CMDCMDLINE% - expands to the original command line that invoked the Command Processor.

Note the %CD% - expands to the current directory string. part.

Danny Beckett · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-03 00:48:16Z

39

This has always worked for me:

SET CurrentDir="%~dp0" ECHO The current file path this bat file is executing in is the following: ECHO %CurrentDir% Pause

edited Mar 3, 2013 at 0:48

Danny Beckett

21k27 gold badges114 silver badges144 bronze badges

answered Mar 3, 2013 at 0:29

Fred Scales

4074 silver badges2 bronze badges

3 Comments

Harry Johnston Over a year ago

That does the wrong thing - finds the path of the batch script, not the current directory.

Tam Le Over a year ago

Nice catch. Current directory could refer to the command that call the file instead of the file's location itself.

Aaron Reed Over a year ago

%cd% is the wrong answer. If launching a CMD window with admin access, the directory shows as %windir%\system32\. %~dp0% shows the appropriate directory, even if in an admin launched CMD window.

Stephen Curial · Accepted Answer · 2009-03-03 19:06:11Z

33

On Unix?

pwd

answered Mar 3, 2009 at 19:06

Stephen Curial

1,16015 silver badges14 bronze badges

1 Comment

Tisch Over a year ago

OP originally asked for a "command" and didn't specify OS. OS has now been specified so this answer is no longer relevant.

Nikunj K. · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-03 03:10:36Z

28

For Windows we can use

cd

and for Linux

pwd

command is there.

edited Jun 3, 2016 at 3:10

user719662

answered Oct 1, 2013 at 13:46

Nikunj K.

9,2574 gold badges46 silver badges54 bronze badges

1 Comment

101is5 Over a year ago

cd in PowerShell moves back to c:\users\[me] regardless of the current path

Vishrant · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-14 00:16:40Z

Create a .bat file under System32, let us name it copypath.bat the command to copy current path could be:

echo %cd% | clip

Explanation:

%cd% will give you current path

CLIP Description: Redirects output of command line tools to the Windows clipboard. This text output can then be pasted into other programs. Parameter List: /? Displays this help message. Examples: DIR | CLIP Places a copy of the current directory listing into the Windows clipboard. CLIP < README.TXT Places a copy of the text from readme.txt on to the Windows clipboard.

Now copypath is available from everywhere.

You can just "cd | clip" to copy current path to the clipboard

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-10 21:38:44Z

10

On Windows:

CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory.

In Linux:

PWD Displays the name of current directory.

edited Sep 10, 2018 at 21:38

Peter Mortensen

31.4k22 gold badges110 silver badges134 bronze badges

answered Aug 17, 2015 at 17:01

Ajay Jayavarapu

4791 gold badge7 silver badges16 bronze badges

Comments

Michael Trausch · Accepted Answer · 2009-03-03 19:10:20Z

8

For Windows, cd by itself will show you the current working directory.

For UNIX and workalike systems, pwd will perform the same task. You can also use the $PWD shell variable under some shells. I am not sure if Windows supports getting the current working directory via a shell variable or not.

answered Mar 3, 2009 at 19:10

Michael Trausch

3,1851 gold badge23 silver badges29 bronze badges

4 Comments

Rook Over a year ago

I can't however understand why he needs "cd" to see his current dir. By default, it is visible as day. And if he's changed it, than he certainly knows what "cd" does.

Stephan Over a year ago

very old, but just for completeness: yes, windows does have a varible for this. It's named (guess...) %cd%

Pacjonek Nov 13 at 17:39

It finds the path of the batch script/executable caller, not the current WORKING directory. When you run cmd with admin privileges from a regular user account, you will get `C:\Windows\system32`

Stephan Nov 13 at 20:36

yes, you will. Because C:\Windows\system32 is the current working folder for the newly opened administrator cmd instance. The path to the batch script itself is %~dp0 (or %~f0 including the script file name)

Mark · Accepted Answer · 2009-03-03 19:23:37Z

Based on the follow up question (store the data in a variable) in the comments to the chdir post I'm betting he wants to store the current path to restore it after changeing directories.

The original user should look at "pushd", which changes directory and pushes the current one onto a stack that can be restored with a "popd". On any modern Windows cmd shell that is the way to go when making batch files.

If you really need to grab the current path then modern cmd shells also have a %CD% variable that you can easily stuff away in another variable for reference.

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-10 21:39:06Z

In a Windows command prompt, chdir or cd will print the full path of the current working directory in the console.

If we want to copy the path then we can use: cd | clip.

René Nyffenegger · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-24 15:06:02Z

2

@echo off for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%x in (`chdir`) do set var=%%x echo The currenct directory is: %var%

But, of course, gmaran23's answer is the much easier one.

edited May 24, 2020 at 15:06

answered Jul 4, 2013 at 8:30

René Nyffenegger

40.9k34 gold badges180 silver badges321 bronze badges

2 Comments

Garric Over a year ago

His answer is better by definition because your answer is wrong. It does not work for paths with spaces.

René Nyffenegger Over a year ago

Adding tokens=* fixes that.

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-10 21:39:41Z

-1

On Windows, type cd for the working current path.

On Linux, pwd for the current working path.

edited Sep 10, 2018 at 21:39

Peter Mortensen

31.4k22 gold badges110 silver badges134 bronze badges

answered Sep 29, 2016 at 11:04

Shafeer khan

5025 silver badges8 bronze badges

Comments

Garric · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-24 10:17:50Z

As one of the possible codes

 echo off for /f "usebackq tokens=* delims= " %%x in (`chdir`) do set var=%var% %%x echo The current directory is: "%var:~1%"

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Windows shell command to get the full path to the current directory?

14 Answers 14

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

3 Comments

1 Comment

1 Comment

1 Comment

Comments

4 Comments

Comments

Comments

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

14 Answers 14

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

3 Comments

1 Comment

1 Comment

1 Comment

Comments

4 Comments

Comments

Comments

2 Comments

Comments

Comments

Linked

Related