# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Windows file path normalization bug and fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

Multiple bug reports and fix attempts addressing file read tools failing on Windows due to improper handling of native Windows paths, particularly drive-letter paths like D:, in bash/MSYS environments.

## TL;DR

- 6 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 3 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #63113. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #63113 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.25`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #17753: \[Bug\]: cannot read local file in windows system( no WSL)
- #17999: \[Bug\]: \[Windows\] read_file tool cannot access local files - "File not found" for valid D: drive paths
- #35819: read_file tool returns "File not found" for valid absolute paths on Windows

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#63113: fix(windows): normalize native paths before bash file ops (supersedes #55481)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_file_operations.py`, `tools/file_operations.py`
- **#35991: fix(file): normalize Windows read_file paths**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
- **#55481: fix(windows): normalize native paths before bash file ops**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#63113`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #63113 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-07-12`.
- Subsystem: `environments`