# Cannot listen file in logstash with absolute path in windows

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [November 24, 2015, 11:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444 "2015-11-24T11:57:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![djvidov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/djvidov/32/6135_2.png) [@djvidov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/djvidov)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2015, 11:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444/1 "2015-11-24T11:57:04Z")

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I have logstash installed on path: D:\WORK\ElasticSearch\logstash-2.0.0\bin and my apps write logs on path: D:\Logs

When I use logstash path to read files from "D:\WORK\ElasticSearch\logstash-2.0.0\bin" with this script i'm able to read it.  
`input { file { path => ["\PlatformTest_*"] discover_interval => 20 start_position => "beginning" stat_interval => 2 } }`

But when I use the real path of logs with this log, it don't work:  
`input { file { path => ["D:\Logs\PlatformTest_*"] discover_interval => 20 start_position => "beginning" stat_interval => 2 } }`

Any idea why absolute path doesn't work?

Thank you!

P.S. In output I create a file with this code:  
`file { path => "D:\logs\output.txt" }`  
and absolute path works.

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### Author: ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444/2 "2015-11-24T12:31:08Z")

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Try using forward slashes instead of backslashes.

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### Author: ![djvidov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/djvidov/32/6135_2.png) [@djvidov](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/djvidov)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2015, 12:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444/3 "2015-11-24T12:36:47Z")

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you're right! thank you!  
but is strange why in output it works with backslash.

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cannot-listen-file-in-logstash-with-absolute-path-in-windows/35444/4 "2017-07-06T05:21:31Z")

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