diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/win_copy.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/win_copy.py
index 71601fdfd7..55b61c2526 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/win_copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/win_copy.py
@@ -473,6 +473,8 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                 symlinks=source_files['symlinks']
             )
         )
+        # src is not required for query, will fail path validation is src has unix allowed chars
+        query_args.pop('src', None)
 
         query_args.pop('content', None)
         query_return = self._execute_module(module_args=query_args, task_vars=task_vars)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/folder/nested-vault-file b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/folder/nested-vault-file
similarity index 100%
rename from test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/folder/nested-vault-file
rename to test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/folder/nested-vault-file
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/readme.txt b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/readme.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/readme.txt
rename to test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/readme.txt
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/vault-file b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/vault-file
similarity index 100%
rename from test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-vault/vault-file
rename to test/integration/targets/win_copy/files-different/vault/vault-file
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
index 04e2ca5829..a061e97412 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/win_copy/tasks/tests.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 - name: fail to copy an encrypted file without the password set
   win_copy:
-    src: '{{role_path}}/files-vault/vault-file'
+    src: '{{role_path}}/files-different/vault/vault-file'
     dest: '{{test_win_copy_path}}\file'
   register: fail_copy_encrypted_file
   ignore_errors: yes # weird failed_when doesn't work in this case
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@
   assert:
     that:
     - fail_copy_encrypted_file|failed
-    - fail_copy_encrypted_file.msg == 'A vault password or secret must be specified to decrypt {{role_path}}/files-vault/vault-file'
+    - fail_copy_encrypted_file.msg == 'A vault password or secret must be specified to decrypt {{role_path}}/files-different/vault/vault-file'
 
 - name: fail to copy a directory with an encrypted file without the password
   win_copy:
-    src: '{{role_path}}/files-vault'
+    src: '{{role_path}}/files-different/vault'
     dest: '{{test_win_copy_path}}'
   register: fail_copy_directory_with_enc_file
   ignore_errors: yes
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
   assert:
     that:
     - fail_copy_directory_with_enc_file|failed
-    - fail_copy_directory_with_enc_file.msg == 'A vault password or secret must be specified to decrypt {{role_path}}/files-vault/vault-file'
+    - fail_copy_directory_with_enc_file.msg == 'A vault password or secret must be specified to decrypt {{role_path}}/files-different/vault/vault-file'
 
 - name: copy with content (check mode)
   win_copy:
@@ -412,6 +412,37 @@
   register: fail_folder_to_file
   failed_when: "'object at parent directory path is already a file' not in fail_folder_to_file.msg"
 
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/31336
+- name: create file with colon in the name
+  copy:
+    dest: '{{role_path}}/files-different/colon:file'
+    content: test
+  delegate_to: localhost
+
+- name: copy a file with colon as a source
+  win_copy:
+    src: '{{role_path}}/files-different/colon:file'
+    dest: '{{test_win_copy_path}}\colon.file'
+  register: copy_file_with_colon
+
+- name: get result of file with colon as a source
+  win_stat:
+    path: '{{test_win_copy_path}}\colon.file'
+  register: copy_file_with_colon_result
+
+- name: assert results of copy a file with colon as a source
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - copy_file_with_colon|changed
+    - copy_file_with_colon_result.stat.exists == True
+    - copy_file_with_colon_result.stat.checksum == "a94a8fe5ccb19ba61c4c0873d391e987982fbbd3" 
+
+- name: remove file with colon in the name
+  file:
+    path: '{{role_path}}/files-different/colon:file'
+    state: absent
+  delegate_to: localhost
+
 - name: remove test folder after local to remote tests
   win_file:
     path: '{{test_win_copy_path}}'