The primary reason for this error is the presence of special characters in the destination path. In this case, the '$' symbol is causing the issue because it is not a valid character in the Windows file system.An alternative reason could be incorrect escaping or encoding of special characters in the

How do I fix: Breaking Down the Destination Path?

Step 1: If cleaning the destination path with regex does not work, try breaking down the path into its constituent parts. In this case, manually constructing the destination path using string concatenation or formatting.Step 2: Use double quotes around the server name and the remotepath to ensure th

Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-19

How to Fix: Powershell - Copy-Item to a remote share path error illegal characters in path

Q: How do I fix: 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue Cleaning the Destination Path with Regex?

Step 1: First, identify and clean any invalid characters from the destination path using regular expressions. In this case, the '$' symbol needs to be removed.Step 2: Use the Out-String cmdlet to convert the registry entry output into a string, then use the -replace operator with a regex pattern to

Powershell error fixing guide for illegal characters in remote share path. Learn how to fix the issue and copy files successfully.

Quick Answer: Use string formatting or concatenation to avoid special characters in destination path.

📋 Table of Contents

⚠️ Common Causes
🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
🎯 Final Words

The error 'Illegal characters in path' occurs when PowerShell encounters an invalid character in the destination path of a Copy-Item command. This issue can affect anyone using PowerShell to copy files to a remote share, including administrators and IT professionals.

This error is frustrating because it can occur unexpectedly, making it difficult to diagnose and resolve. However, by following the steps outlined below, users can identify and fix the root cause of this issue.

⚠️ Common Causes

The primary reason for this error is the presence of special characters in the destination path. In this case, the '$' symbol is causing the issue because it is not a valid character in the Windows file system.
An alternative reason could be incorrect escaping or encoding of special characters in the registry entry or other source data.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Cleaning the Destination Path with Regex

Step 1: First, identify and clean any invalid characters from the destination path using regular expressions. In this case, the '$' symbol needs to be removed.
Step 2: Use the Out-String cmdlet to convert the registry entry output into a string, then use the -replace operator with a regex pattern to remove any spaces or other special characters at the beginning of the path.
Step 3: Assign the cleaned destination path to a variable and use it in the Copy-Item command.

Breaking Down the Destination Path

Step 1: If cleaning the destination path with regex does not work, try breaking down the path into its constituent parts. In this case, manually constructing the destination path using string concatenation or formatting.
Step 2: Use double quotes around the server name and the remotepath to ensure that special characters are properly escaped.
Step 3: Assign the resulting destination path to a variable and use it in the Copy-Item command.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve the 'Illegal characters in path' error, users can try cleaning the destination path with regex or breaking down the path into its constituent parts. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully copy files to a remote share using PowerShell.

Did this fix your problem?

If not, try searching for specific error codes.

🔍 Search Error Database

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🛠️ Related Fixes

How to Fix: Pc crashes shortly after launching game (rainbow

Fix Pc crashes shortly after launching game (rainbow six siege). Compl

How to Fix: Installing an APK on a locked down phone

Installing an APK on a locked down phone: Try using a rooted device, e

How to Fix: New PC build- no signal and no clue

Fix New PC build- no signal and no clue. Complete troubleshooting guid