Path considerations

These considerations apply to path-based rules.

Paths must be absolute when specifying rules to read-protect or write-protect files and directories.
Paths don't need to be absolute when specifying rules to add a trusted program or updater. For example, you can specify the partial path, such as AcroRd32.exe or Reader\AcroRd32.exe or fully qualified path, such as C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe. If you specify the partial path, all programs with names that match the specified string are added as trusted programs. If you specify the fully qualified path, only the specified program is added as a trusted program.
Paths can contain white spaces.
Paths can include the wildcard characters to specify file paths and file names. When using wildcards, make sure that specified string matches a limited set of file paths or file names. If the specified string matches many files, we recommend you revise the string.
- Paths can include the * and ? wildcard characters.
  When specifying a file path, C:\Test1\*\*\Test.txt, C:\Test\????*?, and C:\?Test*\Test1\Test.txt are allowed while *:\Test1\*\*\Test.txt, *\Test1\Test2\Test.txt, and *:\Test1\Test2\Test.txt are not.
Paths used in registry key-based rules can include the wildcard character (*). But, the wildcard character can only represent one path component in the registry path. Make sure that you don't use the character for the component at the end of the complete registry path (if used at the end, the rule is not effective).