*edit: figured it out. the file must not exist. i tried this on a different replicated folder that does have this file, and this is the right way to do it. apologies for wasting your time!

i've done this before, but i can't figure it out at the moment.

in trying to follow this

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/filecab/2013/08/23/dfs-replication-in-windows-server-2012-r2-restoring-conflicted-deleted-and-preexisting-files-with-windows-powershell/

i have replicated folder c:\rf01

and this hidden shortcut exists

c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate

and in the properties of dfs management for this folder, conflict and deleted says this is the path

c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeleted

but when i do this

get-dfsrpreservedfiles -path c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeletedmanifest.xml

i get this error

Get-DfsrPreservedFiles : Could not find the specified manifest file:
"c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeletedmanifest.xml"
At line:1 char:1
  Get-DfsrPreservedFiles c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeletedmanifest.xml
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (:) [Get-DfsrPreservedFiles], DfsrException
      FullyQualifiedErrorId : Get-DfsrPreservedFiles.ManifestNotFound,Microsoft.DistributedFileSystemReplication.Comma
   nds.GetDfsrPreservedFilesCommand

Get-DfsrPreservedFiles : Could not find file 'c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeletedmanifest.xml'.
At line:1 char:1
  Get-DfsrPreservedFiles c:\rf01\DfsrPrivate\ConflictAndDeletedmanifest.xml
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-DfsrPreservedFiles], FileNotFoundException
      FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.IO.FileNotFoundException,Microsoft.DistributedFileSystemReplication.Commands.GetD
   fsrPreservedFilesCommand

FYI I'm running powershell with admin rights

any advice appreciated