# Solved! Questions regarding media path **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Tags:** media-records, data-recovery\ **Created:** [February 18, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922 "2024-02-18T16:16:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Connie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@Connie](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/Connie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/1 "2024-02-18T16:16:28Z")
Once again I put myself out there ashamed that I didn’t have a complete back up when my hard drive went to the computer afterworld. 🤫 🙄 While continuing my quest to replace all my lost media files I’m noticing that some have \ and some have / when I am looking at the media preview window. After a bit of research, it seems that `\` is used in a Windows file path and `/` is used in a URI or in a linux based system. I’ve always had Windows. So, my 2 questions are, Why are there both slash and backslash and does it matter? I’ve only used Windows OS. Is there a way to mass edit so I could find \ and replace with /, such as using the Media Manager to find all \ in the string and replace them with /? Or should it be ? ---
**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/2 "2024-02-18T16:42:03Z")
The filepath handler is pretty tolerant of slash vs. backslash. (except for the `file:///` used for local paths in URLs instead of `https://`. A backslash variant of that immediately following the URI scheme would not be tolerated. But backslashes _can_ be used after the host and in the path.) ---
**Author:** ![DaveSch](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/davesch/32/40_2.png) [@DaveSch](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/DaveSch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/3 "2024-02-18T16:44:33Z")
> [@Connie](#): > > Why are there both slash and backslash and does it matter? I’ve only used Windows OS. For some reason the backup files store the paths using the forward slash “`/`” so when importing from the backup this is what Gramps uses. When adding new or editing media records the back slash "`\`"is used. Does it make a difference? Gramps finds the files either way so no. I have my Media view set to use the Path field as the first displayed field and thus the default sort. The sort displays the two slashes differently giving an incorrect or different sort order. I use the [Media Manager](https://gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gramps_5.1_Wiki_Manual_-_Tools#Media_Manager) to globally search and replace to all back slashes. EDIT: @ennoborg pointed out that I confused slashes backward and forward, coming and going. The text of the post NOW reflects their correct usage. ---
**Author:** ![Connie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@Connie](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/Connie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/4 "2024-02-18T20:47:35Z")
Thank you @emyoulation and @DaveSch. I will follow your lead Dave, and change them all to forward slashes. Even if it doesn’t matter, it irritates my wanting perfection nature. Have a great day. ---
**Author:** ![ennoborg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/ennoborg/32/4659_2.png) [@ennoborg](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/ennoborg)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/5 "2024-02-18T20:55:56Z")
Note that / is forward, and \ is back. ---
**Author:** ![DaveSch](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/davesch/32/40_2.png) [@DaveSch](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/DaveSch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/6 "2024-02-18T21:31:41Z")
> [@ennoborg](#): > > / is forward, and \ is back 😮 It’s been a long while since DOS 3.0 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/gramps/original/1X/2ac1e712b7adf612e31ca08a55419f4cf37c0158.png) [@system](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/solved-questions-regarding-media-path/4922/7 "2024-03-19T21:31:47Z")
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