diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/win_copy-dest-quote.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/win_copy-dest-quote.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..655a9d20932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/win_copy-dest-quote.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- win_copy - Fix issue where the dest return value would be enclosed in single quote when dest is a folder - https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/45281
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
index 454784fe472..8490cb5b145 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/shell/powershell.py
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ class ShellModule(ShellBase):
         path = '\\'.join(parts)
         if path.startswith('~'):
             return path
-        return '\'%s\'' % path
+        return path
 
     def get_remote_filename(self, pathname):
         # powershell requires that script files end with .ps1
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
index 45fd24c4b23..5e6726af443 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@
     that:
     - copy_file_check is changed
     - copy_file_check.checksum == 'c79a6506c1c948be0d456ab5104d5e753ab2f3e6'
+    - copy_file_check.dest == test_win_copy_path + '\\foo-target.txt'
     - copy_file_check.operation == 'file_copy'
     - copy_file_check.size == 8
     - copy_file_actual_check.stat.exists == False
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@
     that:
     - copy_file is changed
     - copy_file.checksum == 'c79a6506c1c948be0d456ab5104d5e753ab2f3e6'
+    - copy_file.dest == test_win_copy_path + '\\foo-target.txt'
     - copy_file.operation == 'file_copy'
     - copy_file.size == 8
     - copy_file_actual.stat.exists == True
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@
     that:
     - copy_file_to_folder_check is changed
     - copy_file_to_folder_check.checksum == 'c79a6506c1c948be0d456ab5104d5e753ab2f3e6'
+    - copy_file_to_folder_check.dest == test_win_copy_path + '\\foo.txt'
     - copy_file_to_folder_check.operation == 'file_copy'
     - copy_file_to_folder_check.size == 8
     - copy_file_to_folder_actual_check.stat.exists == False
@@ -207,6 +210,7 @@
     that:
     - copy_file_to_folder is changed
     - copy_file_to_folder.checksum == 'c79a6506c1c948be0d456ab5104d5e753ab2f3e6'
+    - copy_file_to_folder.dest == test_win_copy_path + '\\foo.txt'
     - copy_file_to_folder.operation == 'file_copy'
     - copy_file_to_folder.size == 8
     - copy_file_to_folder_actual.stat.exists == True