When working with network resources in Windows, you'll often encounter UNC (Universal Naming Convention) paths like \\server\share\folder. While many Windows applications handle these paths fine, the Command Prompt (CMD.EXE) has a well-known restriction:

C:\> cd \\fileserver\projects
CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories

The Windows command processor was originally designed before UNC paths became prevalent in enterprise environments. Its current directory tracking mechanism wasn't built to handle network paths directly.

1. Using Pushd Instead of Cd

The most elegant solution is to use pushd instead of cd:

pushd \\fileserver\projects
REM This automatically creates a temporary drive mapping
popd  // Returns to previous directory when done

2. Creating Persistent Drive Mappings

For frequently accessed locations:

net use P: \\fileserver\projects /persistent:yes
cd /d P:\

3. PowerShell Alternative

If you can use PowerShell instead:

Set-Location -Path "\\fileserver\projects"
# Or simply:
cd \\fileserver\projects

Batch File Solution

Create a reusable batch script:

@echo off
if "%~1"=="" (
    echo Usage: %~nx0 \\server\share
    exit /b 1
)
pushd "%~1" || exit /b
cmd /k
popd

Registry Hack (Not Recommended)

For technical completeness, there's an undocumented registry modification that can enable UNC support, but this isn't officially supported by Microsoft:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]
"DisableUNCCheck"=dword:00000001

• Standardize on drive letters for common network shares
• Document the pushd approach in team guidelines
• Consider migrating to PowerShell for better UNC support
• For scripts, always include error handling for UNC paths

---

When working with network resources in Windows Command Prompt, you might encounter this frustrating limitation. The standard cd command fails when attempting to navigate directly to UNC paths like:

C:\> cd \\server\share\folder
CMD does not support UNC paths as current directories

Here are several effective methods to work with UNC paths in CMD:

1. Map the UNC Path to a Drive Letter

net use Z: \\server\share\folder
cd /d Z:\subdirectory

This creates a temporary drive mapping that persists until you log off or explicitly remove it with:

net use Z: /delete

2. Use Pushd Instead of cd

The pushd command automatically creates a temporary drive mapping:

pushd \\server\share\folder

When finished, use popd to return to the previous directory and remove the mapping.

3. Run CMD from the UNC Path

You can start CMD already at the UNC location:

start "" "cmd.exe" /k "pushd \\server\share\folder"

For batch scripting scenarios, consider these approaches:

@echo off
set UNC_PATH=\\server\share\folder

:: Method 1 - Using pushd
pushd %UNC_PATH%
:: Your commands here
popd

:: Method 2 - Temporary drive mapping
net use T: %UNC_PATH%
cd /d T:
:: Your commands here
net use T: /delete

This restriction exists because CMD maintains the current directory as a process environment variable, which doesn't support UNC path format. The workarounds essentially convert the UNC path to a format CMD can handle.

For frequent UNC path work, consider using PowerShell instead:

Set-Location -Path "\\server\share\folder"

PowerShell handles UNC paths natively without requiring drive mappings.