# PatternSyntaxException: Illegal/unsupported escape sequence near index 3

**URL:** <https://community.wowza.com/t/patternsyntaxexception-illegal-unsupported-escape-sequence-near-index-3/37858>\
**Category:** Wowza Streaming Engine\
**Created:** [December 19, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/patternsyntaxexception-illegal-unsupported-escape-sequence-near-index-3/37858 "2011-12-19T03:46:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Agustin\_Lopez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Agustin\_Lopez](https://community.wowza.com/u/Agustin_Lopez)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/patternsyntaxexception-illegal-unsupported-escape-sequence-near-index-3/37858/1 "2011-12-19T03:46:01Z")

</div>

Hello everyone,

I have to migrate wowza from linux to windows. The problem is that when I write windows paths I am getting this exception whenever I try to play a movie. What is the correct syntax for paths under windows? Anyone knows?

```auto
Caused by: java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Illegal/unsupported escape sequence near index 3
C:\Users\Administrator\Environment\storage\content\
   ^
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.error(Pattern.java:1713)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.escape(Pattern.java:2177)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.atom(Pattern.java:1952)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.sequence(Pattern.java:1885)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.expr(Pattern.java:1752)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:1460)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.<init>(Pattern.java:1133)
        at java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(Pattern.java:823)
        at java.lang.String.replaceFirst(String.java:2146)
        at com.indieplaya.wms.application.AbstractPlayModule.trimRoot(AbstractPlayModule.java:269)
        at com.indieplaya.wms.application.PreviewModule.play(PreviewModule.java:168)
        at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor50.invoke(Unknown Source)
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
        at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:307)
        at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:182)
        at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:149)
        at org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.HibernateInterceptor.invoke(HibernateInterceptor.java:111)
        at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:171)
        at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:204)
        at $Proxy60.play(Unknown Source)

```

Thanks in advance.

Agustin

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jason\_Hilton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.wowza.com/jason_hilton/32/437_2.png) [@Jason\_Hilton](https://community.wowza.com/u/Jason_Hilton)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/patternsyntaxexception-illegal-unsupported-escape-sequence-near-index-3/37858/2 "2011-12-19T12:03:41Z")

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Hi

Try this:

C:\Users\Administrator\Environment\storage\content\

Please let me know if it works,

Jason

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Agustin\_Lopez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@Agustin\_Lopez](https://community.wowza.com/u/Agustin_Lopez)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/patternsyntaxexception-illegal-unsupported-escape-sequence-near-index-3/37858/3 "2011-12-19T05:09:41Z")

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Hi Jason,

Thanks for your reply. I found out that my main problem was that I was changing the paths in a different file so I couldn’t see if my changes were working or not (I thought I was).

I ended up using C:/Users/Administrator/Environment/storage/content/

Two slashes didn’t work for me.

Thanks,

Agustin