FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.8.0_101"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_101-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.101-b13, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Windows 2008 R2 x64

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Windows supports network paths of format:

\\?\servername\sharename\path\filename.ext

Paths.get() doesn't support those, throws InvalidPathException.


ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
Exception in thread "main" java.nio.file.InvalidPathException: Illegal character [?] in path at index 2: \\?\ai-fas6\valekseyev$\FlipCards\Other\Flips in ASF Order_March102011.pdf
at sun.nio.fs.WindowsPathParser.nextSlash(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.fs.WindowsPathParser.parse(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.fs.WindowsPathParser.parse(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.fs.WindowsPath.parse(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.fs.WindowsFileSystem.getPath(Unknown Source)
at java.nio.file.Paths.get(Unknown Source)
at gov.nih.niaid.temp.Main.main(Main.java:62)

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class Main
{
static public void main(String [] args)
{
            Path po = Paths.get("\\\\?\\ai-fas6\\valekseyev$\\FlipCards\\Other\\Flips in ASF Order_March102011.pdf");
            //substitute your own network file
        }
}


---------- END SOURCE ----------