diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/Utils.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/Utils.scala
index a0d5f748108d3..660fc41dcd98d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/Utils.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/Utils.scala
@@ -1766,27 +1766,15 @@ private[spark] object Utils extends Logging {
    * converted into an absolute path with a file:// scheme.
    */
   def resolveURI(path: String, testWindows: Boolean = false): URI = {
-
-    val windows = isWindows || testWindows
-    val formattedPath = formatPath(path, windows)
-
-    val uri = new URI(formattedPath)
-    if (uri.getPath == null) {
-      throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Given path is malformed: $uri")
-    }
-
-    Option(uri.getScheme) match {
-      case Some(windowsDrive(d)) if windows =>
-        new URI("file:/" + uri.toString.stripPrefix("/"))
-      case None =>
-        // Preserve fragments for HDFS file name substitution (denoted by "#")
-        // For instance, in "abc.py#xyz.py", "xyz.py" is the name observed by the application
-        val fragment = uri.getFragment
-        val part = new File(uri.getPath).toURI
-        new URI(part.getScheme, part.getPath, fragment)
-      case Some(other) =>
-        uri
+    try {
+      val uri = new URI(path)
+      if (uri.getScheme() != null) {
+        return uri
+      }
+    } catch {
+      case e: URISyntaxException =>
     }
+    new File(path).getAbsoluteFile().toURI()
   }
 
   /** Resolve a comma-separated list of paths. */
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/util/UtilsSuite.scala b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/util/UtilsSuite.scala
index 0a78189f2fb0a..2c9e914af8a5a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/util/UtilsSuite.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/util/UtilsSuite.scala
@@ -239,16 +239,15 @@ class UtilsSuite extends FunSuite with ResetSystemProperties {
     assertResolves("hdfs:/root/spark.jar", "hdfs:/root/spark.jar")
     assertResolves("hdfs:///root/spark.jar#app.jar", "hdfs:/root/spark.jar#app.jar")
     assertResolves("spark.jar", s"file:$cwd/spark.jar")
-    assertResolves("spark.jar#app.jar", s"file:$cwd/spark.jar#app.jar")
+    assertResolves("spark.jar#app.jar", s"file:$cwd/spark.jar%23app.jar")
     assertResolves("path to/file.txt", s"file:$cwd/path%20to/file.txt")
-    assertResolves("C:/path/to/file.txt", "file:/C:/path/to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
     assertResolves("C:\\path\\to\\file.txt", "file:/C:/path/to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
-    assertResolves("C:/path to/file.txt", "file:/C:/path%20to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
+    assertResolves("C:\\path to\\file.txt", "file:/C:/path%20to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
     assertResolves("file:/C:/path/to/file.txt", "file:/C:/path/to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
     assertResolves("file:///C:/path/to/file.txt", "file:/C:/path/to/file.txt", testWindows = true)
     assertResolves("file:/C:/file.txt#alias.txt", "file:/C:/file.txt#alias.txt", testWindows = true)
-    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] { Utils.resolveURI("file:foo") }
-    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] { Utils.resolveURI("file:foo:baby") }
+    assertResolves("file:foo", s"file:foo")
+    assertResolves("file:foo:baby", s"file:foo:baby")
   }
 
   test("resolveURIs with multiple paths") {
@@ -268,9 +267,9 @@ class UtilsSuite extends FunSuite with ResetSystemProperties {
     assertResolves("file:/jar1,file:/jar2", "file:/jar1,file:/jar2")
     assertResolves("hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,jar3", s"hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,file:$cwd/jar3")
     assertResolves("hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,jar3,jar4#jar5,path to/jar6",
-      s"hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,file:$cwd/jar3,file:$cwd/jar4#jar5,file:$cwd/path%20to/jar6")
+      s"hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,file:$cwd/jar3,file:$cwd/jar4%23jar5,file:$cwd/path%20to/jar6")
     assertResolves("""hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,jar3,C:\pi.py#py.pi,C:\path to\jar4""",
-      s"hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,file:$cwd/jar3,file:/C:/pi.py#py.pi,file:/C:/path%20to/jar4",
+      s"hdfs:/jar1,file:/jar2,file:$cwd/jar3,file:/C:/pi.py%23py.pi,file:/C:/path%20to/jar4",
       testWindows = true)
   }