When extracting file paths, not all but a few results are returned that contain special characters ~$ at the start of the file name. I am looking to compare these file paths with another list, thus the special characters prevent the ability to find a proper match.

The current code:

import os

for path, sub_dirs, files in os.walk(root): 
    for name in files:
        # For each file we find, we need to ensure it is a .docx file before adding
        #  it to our list
        if os.path.splitext(os.path.join(path, name))[1] == ".docx":
            document_list.append(os.path.join(path, name))

The majority of results are satisfactory, for example:

X:/Serial Numbers/6200Test Company6275 Documents6275rA_Order_TEST_120221.docx

however there are occasional results of special characters that do not exist in file name:

X:/Serial Numbers/6200Test Company6275 Documents~$75rA_Order_MERZ_120221.docx

Preferably seeking an solution that does not rely on a string replace method.

Thanks!