file_path_space.R

# documenting some file.path quirks on windows
# gdal translate is used below to copy a file. its on the system PATH, enabling easy access via system2

infile <- 'C:/Data/test.tif'
> setwd('C:/Data/space\\ test')
Error in setwd("C:/Data/space\\ test") : cannot change working directory
> setwd('"C:/Data/space test"')
Error in setwd("\"C:/Data/space test\"") : 
  cannot change working directory
> setwd('C:/Data/space test')
> outfile <- file.path(getwd(), 'test2.tif')
> system2('gdal_translate', args = c(infile, outfile))
ERROR 6: Too many command options 'test/test2.tif'
Usage: gdal_translate [--help-general] [--long-usage]
       [-ot {Byte/Int16/UInt16/UInt32/Int32/Float32/Float64/
             CInt16/CInt32/CFloat32/CFloat64}] [-strict]
       [-of format] [-b band] [-mask band] [-expand {gray|rgb|rgba}]
       [-outsize xsize[%]|0 ysize[%]|0] [-tr xres yres]
       [-r {nearest,bilinear,cubic,cubicspline,lanczos,average,mode}]
       [-unscale] [-scale[_bn] [src_min src_max [dst_min dst_max]]]* [-exponent[_bn] exp_val]*
       [-srcwin xoff yoff xsize ysize] [-epo] [-eco]
       [-projwin ulx uly lrx lry] [-projwin_srs srs_def]
       [-a_srs srs_def] [-a_ullr ulx uly lrx lry] [-a_nodata value]
       [-gcp pixel line easting northing [elevation]]*
       [-mo "META-TAG=VALUE"]* [-q] [-sds]
       [-co "NAME=VALUE"]* [-stats] [-norat]
       [-oo NAME=VALUE]*
       src_dataset dst_dataset
Warning message:
running command '"gdal_translate" C:/Data/test.tif C:/Data/space test/test2.tif' had status 1 
> system2('gdal_translate', args = c(infile, paste0('"', outfile, '"')))
Input file size is 789, 861
0...10...20...30...40...50...60...70...80...90...100 - done.

I don't have access to a windows box right now. Does the following work ?

setwd('C:/Data/"space test"')

sadly no, 'cannot change wd' again