Browse an UNC path using Windows CMD without mapping it to a network drive

Question

C:\> cd \\somewhere
'\\somewhere'
CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories.

What I usually do to get around this is to map that directory to a network drive and then I could easily access it from the command prompt.

But is there an easier way on how to get around this?

Solution 1

If you use pushd and popd instead of cd you won't get that UNC error.

pushd <UNC path> will create a temporary virtual drive and get into it.
popd will delete the temporary drive and get you back to the path you were when you entered pushd.

Example:

C:\a\local\path> pushd \\network_host\a\network\path

U:\a\network\path> REM a temporary U: virtual drive has been created

U:\a\network\path> popd

C:\a\local\path> REM the U: drive has been deleted

C:\a\local\path>

Solution 2

I use Git Bash to do this, since I already have it installed. As an added bonus, it also has better colors, lets me use ls, rm, etc., and uses the correct slash for paths.

Solution 3

Kliu's "ContextConsole Shell Extension" (aka Open Command Prompt) says it, "can even open directories from network paths (UNC paths)" (from an Explorer window).

http://code.kliu.org/cmdopen/

Solution 4

I also hit the UNC problem with C:\> cd \\somewhere in a C program. Found this page and learnt about the net command: net use x: \\computer name\share name and used it successfully! Thanks to all who post their experiences for others to learn from. :-)

Solution 5

If you're using XP you can have a look at this site https://web.archive.org/web/20150518102450/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/156276

(In case the link breaks again: Under Software\Microsoft\Command Processor: add a DWORD value called DisableUNCCheck if it doesn’t already exist and set it to 1.)

There is a registry value that you need to add, log out, log in again ... and now your cmd.exe does support UNC-Paths. It seems to me that you still can't cd to the path, but you can use it in other commands like dir, copy ...

An alternative might be using the pushd command, that will let you switch to the share (i guess by assigning it a temporary drive letter) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/pushd

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Comments

[wullxz]

which windows do you use? If it's Windows 7, you've powershell preinstalled on your system. Powershell supports unc-paths and cmd-commands (with few exceptions).

[Supercereal]

You can always browse to the unc path through run.

[Andreas Grech]

@wullxz: cheers, I didn't know you could browse UNC paths with PowerShell. @kyle: That's actually a valid answer according to my question :) But I want to access it from a command line environment. Will modify my question to make this more clear.

[Rachit_Goyal]

If your problem is that you need to work just from the command line, you can map the network drive with the 'net' command: net use x: \\computer name\share name

[Andreas Grech]

@Aleister Crowley: Yes I know, but I'm asking if there's an easier way that doesn't involve mapping a network drive.

[Rachit_Goyal]

@Andreas Grech: I thought that was likely the case, that's why I put it as a comment rather than an answer.

[Kellen Stuart]

Use powershell and it works

[Cristian Ciupitu]

Related: How do you handle “CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories”? from Server Fault

[Franklin Yu]

@wullxz That deserves to be an answer. Look at the answers below; "ContextConsole Shell Extension" and "Git Bash" get several upvotes. I think PowerShell is better than third-party solutions.

[wullxz]

@FranklinYu added the answer

[Steve Rindsberg]

If you mean to browse in Windows explorer you can start an Explorer instance pointed at the desired drive with: start \\servername\sharedpath

[afrazier]

This program is most awesome!

[LiuYan 刘研]

i'm shocked by the screenshot, it exist!

[Dov]

Using pushd creates a drive mapping to the network share and then changes into a path relative to the share it creates. popd disconnects the share.

[Isaac Rabinovitch]

Not very useful to a command line user.

[Andreas Grech]

Yes, but using net use will map that location to a network drive and that is not what I wanted.

[Pacerier]

@AndreasGrech, Actually pushd does that too.

[Pacerier]

The pages you linked seem like empty pages......

[BigBlackDog]

The links work here. Have you tried using https?

[Dzmitry Lahoda]

This works well in Far+ConEmu, unlike pushd.

[user121391]

You can also use backslashes if you escape them with backslashes: cd \\\\server\\share\\subdirectory

[user121391]

Also, if you try to use tab completion with computer names, the shell might lock up for some time until the names are resolved.

[kayleeFrye_onDeck]

This didn't work for me on Windows 10. C:\WINDOWS\system32>pushd \\some\network\path ' ' CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories.

[GreXLin85]

remember to open the //drive and not a mapped version. It will fail on mapped.

[Diziet]

It's just worked for me in Windows 10, how odd. I did pushd \\ServerName\home\dir\dir2.

[WesternGun]

Native and elegant, just a wonder. Works for Windows 10.

[Jay Elston]

I agree that this is an amazing piece of software, but how can it be used to get around the fact that the CMD window app does not handler UNC?

[Perkins]

Is there any trick to make it work when the share credentials don't match the machine's user credentials?

[Shicheng Guo]

works perfect. and I need check how to put these kind of directory into perl script.

[Jacob Krall]

@Perkins: I was able to use runas.exe to run PowerShell as the other user

[Perkins]

@JacobKrall That would work if another user has the proper credentials. If it's a totally different set of credentials, use cmdkey.

[KansaiRobot]

it does not work for me

[Martin]

@Pacerier But pushd automatically selects a drive letter and disconnects the network drive when it’s no longer needed (after popd or exit).

[Kimmi]

Works perfect. I was using the sshfs, if it will automatically create a virtual drive (Z, in my case). And access normally to Z like the ones did in C or D.

[G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica']

The most elegant way to change directories (a read-only operation) is to modify the filesystem?  And where do you create the link?  \Temp?  You might not have write access to the current directory.  And what do you call the link?  What if there’s already a \Temp\somewhere that isn’t already a link to \\somewhere?  What if it’s a file that’s in use?  Etc…  How is this more elegant than pushd?

[T S]

Seems to still work under windows 10 20H2

[jackhab]

I also noticed that if you pushd to the same location it will map a new network drive again and again and if you close the shell and open a new one calling popd will not, of course, be able to unmap them so one could end up having a bunch of unused network drives.

[Engineer Toast]

@kayleeFrye_onDeck I receive that same error once every available drive letter has been reserved. I used PUSHD on the same folder several times and filled "This PC" with letters B & D-Z. (C was my local drive but I don't know what A was. Possibly, it's a hidden partition but I couldn't find it.) The next time I tried to exact command that had just worked 15 times in a row, I got the same error you posted: ' ' CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories.

[kayleeFrye_onDeck]

@EngineerToast thanks for the heads up! Very possible that was the problem for me.