Copy file with square brackets [ ] in the filename and use * wildcard

I'm using PowerShell on Windows 7, and writing a script to copy a bunch of files from one folder structure to another. Kind of like compiling. The PowerShell Copy-Item cmdlet thinks that square brackets, [ ], are wildcards of some kind, and I am not able to escape them for some reason.

I can't use -LiteralPath, because I want to use an asterisk * wildcard since the filename has a date as part of the filename, and the date changes. The date is used as a version number.

This post was helpful, but no amount of ticks (2x or 4x per bracket) escapes the square brackets.

I am not receiving an error; PowerShell behaves the same as if I entered in the wrong filename.

This is the specific line I'm working on:

#to Fusion Server
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$SW\0.RoomView.Notes\starter\"[RoomView] Versions explained*.pdf" -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\"Fusion Server"\

And this is the whole thing:

# Compiles the Fusion packet for distribution

###############################
###########Variables###########
###############################

#folder structure
$FSG = "F:\FSG"
$containerFolder = "Packet.Fusion for IT and AV Professionals"
$rootFolder      = "Fusion for IT and AV pros $(Get-Date -format “MM-dd-yyyy”)"
$subRoot1        = "Fusion Server"
$subRoot2        = "Scheduling Enhancement and Panels"
$subRoot2sub1    = "Scheduling Panels"
$subRoot3        = "SQL Server"

#source folders
$HW      = "0.Hardware"
$3SMDoc  = "0.Hardware\TPMC-3SM.Documentation"
$4SMDoc  = "0.Hardware\TPMC-4SM.Documentation"
$4SMDDoc = "0.Hardware\TPMC-4SM-FD.Documentation"
$730Doc  = "0.Hardware\TSW-730.Documentation"
$730OLH  = "0.Hardware\TSW-730.OLH"
$CENRVS  = "0.Hardware\CEN-RVS.Notes"

$ProjMgmt = "0.Project Management"

$SW            = "0.Software"
$RVLicensing   = "0.Software\0.RoomView.License"
$RVNotes       = "0.Software\0.RoomView.Notes"
$SQLLicensing  = "0.Software\database.SQL.Licensing"
$SQLNotes      = "0.Software\database.SQL.Notes"
$FRVMarketing  = "0.Software\Fusion RV.Marketing"
$FRVNetworking = "0.Software\Fusion RV.Networking"
$FRVNotes      = "0.Software\Fusion RV.Notes"


###############################
#create the directory structure
###############################

md -Path $FSG\$containerFolder -Name $rootFolder

cd $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder
md "eControl and xPanels"
md "Fusion Server" #$subRoot1
md "Getting Started as a User"
md "Project Management"
md "RoomView Connected Displays"
md "Scheduling Enhancement and Panels" #$subRoot2
md "SQL Server" #$subRoot3

cd $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\$subRoot1
md "CEN-RVS"
md "Licenseing Information"
md "Networking"
md "Official Documentation"
md "Prerequisites, including powerShell script"
md "Product Info"
md "Requirements"
md "Tech Info"
md "Windows Authentication to Fusion RV"

cd $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\$subRoot2
md "Outlook Add-in"
md "Scheduling Panels" #$subRoot2sub1

cd $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\$subRoot2\$subRoot2sub1
md "TPMC-3SM"
md "TPMC-4SM"
md "TPMC-4SM-FD"
md "TSW-730"

cd $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\$subRoot3
md "Multi-database model only"
md "SQL Licensing"

cd $FSG\$containerFolder
#reset current folder


###############################
#copy the files
###############################

#Copy-Item -Path C:\fso\20110314.log -Destination c:\fsox\mylog.log

#To the root
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$ProjMgmt\starter\"Fusion Support Group Contact info*.pdf" -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$containerFolder\"Fusion for IT and AV professionals release notes.txt" -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\

#to eControl and xPanels
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$SW\xpanel.Notes\starter\*.* -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\"eControl and xPanels"\

#to Fusion Server
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$SW\0.RoomView.Notes\starter\"[RoomView] Versions explained*.pdf" -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\"Fusion Server"\

What can I do to escape the square brackets and still use a wildcard filename part of the Copy-Item cmdlet?

Solution

There's a difference between ' and `:

The first is the single quote that is the non-shift character on the " key.
The second is the backtick that I thought I was using but actually wasn't. It's the nonshift character on the ~ key.

This works:

# to Fusion Server
Copy-item -Path $FSG\$SW\0.RoomView.Notes\starter\'``[RoomView``] Versions explained*.pdf' -Destination $FSG\$containerFolder\$rootFolder\"Fusion Server"\