How do I resolve a canonical filename in Windows?

Question

If I have a string that resolves to a file path in Windows, is there an accepted way to get a canonical form of the file name?

For example, I\'d like to know whether

Answer 1

Roger is correct, there is no simple way. If the volume supports file a unique file index, you can open the file and call GetFileInformationByHandle, but this will not work on all volumes.

The Windows API call GetFullPathName may be the best simple approach.