my $sourcefile = 'c:/appl/process/attr_name.txt'; my $destination = '//System1/ShareDir'; $sourcefile = slashtobackslash($sourcefile); $destination = slashtobackslash($destination); system("copy $sourcefile $destination"); } sub slashtobackslash { my $value = $_[0]; $value =~ s-/-\\-g; return $value; }