run exe from powershell with arguments

Nimesha is a Full-stack Software Engineer for more than five years, he loves technology, as technology has the power to solve our many problems within just a minute. The batch file is calling powershell.exe, which runs Start-Process to run powershell.exe to run a script file. This allows your list of arguments to be cleaner and can be re-written as: $params = @ ( '/t:21600' '/m:360' '/r' '/f' ) This is usually my favorite way to address the problem. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. That's what I wrote, if there's a better way to do it? hope that gives context. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The Add arguments box translates to the -Argument parameter. cmd.exe /C C:\DriverBU\DrvBK.exe MODE="BACKUP" BKPATH="C:\TempDrivers" BKDESC="Drivers" BKFILE="Backup %NOW% %COMPUTERNAME%.bki" BKPATHFTM="%COMPUTERNAME%" BKDEVFMT="%DEVNAME%" BKDATEFMT="" What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? I'm just going to deal with running the exe itself, since I don't have it. For instance, lets imagine I have a command-line tool named whizbang.exe that fails spectacularly when I send arguments like so: The following solution is a bit hacky, but its the best we have, even as of PowerShell v5. Powershell: Installing MSI files. You can use PSExec for this. Thank you!! Start-Process is a more advanced and powerful cmdlet where you can specify multiple parameters. PSnativeCommandErrorActionPreference. A user will add content to the root directory, and then need to execute the exe. What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? And yes, some powershell special characters are transvered into the archuments. This doesn't work. Last of the methods I know, using the Process .NET class directly. This answer isn't 100% relevant to the original poster, because they are trying to run PowerShell from within PowerShell. How can I explain to my manager that a project he wishes to undertake cannot be performed by the team? scenarios: The following example runs the native command sort.exe with redirected input and output streams. Using it, you can run powerful commands and even build applications with efficient scripts. Not the answer you're looking for? You can browse to the file location or provide the full address path in the command. Manage Settings After you run that from the WIN10 machine, what's in the file??? checked powershell logs and see nothing in particular. How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. If anybody knows now to use "mini-Markdown" to fix the problem, I'll repost in a more readable form. This is by far the best article Ive found on this with some truly unique solutions. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. but that's expected based on the script. Along with the above parameter, some of the commonly used parameters with syntax are listed below. Many of my Windows systems administrator friends know that they can run commands such as the following successfully from a PowerShell console session: On the other hand, Im somewhat surprised at how few of these sysadmins understand why and how PowerShell allows these commands run an exe in the first place. But I use the Run dialog box to see if I have my command working . This is because the parentheses in PowerShell denote code that should be executed and the result inserted in place of the parentheses. Just change the two "Out-File" cmdlets in the script block to use a directory on the SERVERNAME machine. The above command launches PowerShell as administrator. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. There is another way of passing parameters/arguments to a command as a unit, and it is called splatting. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. For more information, see the following articles: PowerShell 7.2 introduced a new experimental feature PSnativeCommandArgumentPassing that improved The first script goes on running while the second one runs in parallel. I need to be able to at least move the -ArgumentList outside the command, like: $abc = powershell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden -NonInteractive -Command {Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { param ($a1,$a2) $a1*6 $a2*5} -Argumentlist @ ($args [0],$args [1])} -args @ (8,'abc') and even better have: Meanwhile, the exe file path is not in the Windows PATH in the second scenario. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. modules that can be loaded on demand. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. PowerShell 7.3 added a new experimental feature PSnativeCommandErrorActionPreference that allows These commands lines work often enough in PowerShell, but when they include certain characters, for example, a semicolon (;), a dollar sign ($), or curly braces, you have to make some changes, probably adding some quotes. Then you can execute the command. I have the executable installed with i's dependancies on a server. powershell 1 answer Answers P jordan chris Posted on 4th February 2023 With the help of "Invoke-Command", we can execute the ".exe" file with arguments. Here is a command to install SQL Server Express in silence mode: There are quite a few methods you can use to do it. powershell -command "Get-AppxPackage . Did you have the same problem and actually try it? The Start-Process cmdlet can be used to run native commands, but should only be used when you need If you call an MSI, it will pop up and start the install. Please try this, after everything else this actually worked. We deploy many different devices and needed Calling an executable from PowerShell is easy - most of the time, you just put an & in front. Note that in powershell to represent the quotation mark ( " ) in a string you should insert the grave accent ( ` ) (This is the key above the Tab key in the US keyboard). yourexecutable.exe /parameter1 /parameter2, 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe', C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe. PS> cd C:\Temp\. The nature of simulating nature: A Q&A with IBM Quantum researcher Dr. Jamie We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Go back to Windows command prompt and run powershell.exe. This article only focuses on running exe files with parameters because the normal exe file execution (without parameters) is quite straightforward if it is already in the Windows PATH. I am getting error while executing an exe file for sQL server patch on remote computer using invoke-command. Therefore, you should explicitly give the full path to the exe file/command. $Servicepack = Location of service pack, $PatchCMD = $Servicepack /action=patch /InstanceName=$Instance /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms $Server = $GetPatchFile.servernames invoke-command -ComputerName $Server scriptblock{$PatchCMD}. i tried separating "-env" from "local" by placing each of them between single quotes, but that made powershell thing i was trying to set his parameters. This method will essentially join your array as arguments to the executable. if using as second example, i get this error: Error: Unrecognized argument '"-source:dbfullsql="""Data'. Command is: $A = $Servicepack /action=patch /InstanceName=$Instance /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms $Server = $GetPatchFile.servernames invoke-command -ComputerName $Server scriptblock{$PatchCMD}. Just run directly in PowerShell. PowerShell provides an efficient way to pass command-line arguments by using parameters inside a PowerShell script. If this is not using environment variables then using CMD will be of no help. I want to have a powershell script that can look at a text file and pass the results as parameters to the exe. This method is easier as it allows to type your parameters in one go. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? I have a system with me which has dual boot os installed. When you check the Windows Command Processor in Task Manager, it will now have an instance PowerShell. How to match a specific column position till the end of line? PowerShell also has several more output streams than other shells. other shells to work properly. Is there a way i can do that please help. Any other messages are welcome. If we want to run the same silent installation of VLC EXE as above, we can use the Invoke-Expression cmdlet or Start-Process. Thanks for the concise guide; using external executables in PoSH is kind of tricky, so this is rather helpful. How is an ETF fee calculated in a trade that ends in less than a year? Comparable with the \ (back stroke) on unix/linux/perl. So, first interaction here, so if more is needed, or if I am doing something wrong, I am open to suggestions or guidance with forum ettiquette. Start-Process -FilePath "powershell" -Verb RunAs. . This is unrelated to the ops question, he specifically asked how to run the long command in his post in powershell. Tried CMD batch to change directory and run it no joy. Just put paths or connection strings in one array item and split the other things in one array item each. The second script is started with powershell.exe not powershell_ISE. This directive is specifically designed to convert a string to runnable command. However, to supply the argument to the executable I need to call it in a command line. Then, use the cd command to change the directory. native commands in PowerShell that expect strings to be quoted in a specific way, you may need Methods to Run exe File in PowerShell the Call Operator ( &) in PowerShell The exe file type contains a program/application that can be executed in a Windows environment. The syntax looks like the following. I have tried this as my last effort: $User = As this is done on the server it executes no issue. This includes script files that may require other shells to work properly. If you use a magic parameter --%, we stop our normal parsing of your command line and switch to something much simpler. In cmd.exe, most parameters use a slash (/) character. What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07? Sorry, in PowerShell we write $ENV:COMPUTERNAME, not %COMPUTERNAME%, $command='cmd.exe /C C:\DriverBU\DrvBK.exe MODE=BACKUP"BKPATH=C:\TempDrivers BKDESC=Drivers BKFILE="Backup %NOW% %COMPUTERNAME%.bki" BKPATHFTM="%COMPUTERNAME%" BKDEVFMT=%DEVNAME% BKDATEFMT="" OPT=HW'. It is called echoargs. You can, if you'd like, use PsExec or WIMIC to run a command on another machine, but parameter passing (if there are double-quotes involved) can sometimes present a problem because of how the Windows shell handles quoting. What are the things you've tried???? Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? Has 90% of ice around Antarctica disappeared in less than a decade? Instead of the RunAs verb, you can also use Open and RunAsUser verbs for the .exe files. I am experiencing some difficulty in running an exe file with PowerShell using the "Start-Process", Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Temp\Installer.exe" -ArgumentList '$DBServer = "Localhost\SQL2017" $Database = "DB1" $USERNAME = "sa" $Password = "sa"' -PassThru -Wait. Cmdlets can be written in any compiled .NET language or using Also if the command (or the path) contains a space then this will fail. Run the script using a dot (.) Can you post the callDatafileUploader1.ps1 containing the script you're attempting to have the user run? about_Redirection and about_Output_Streams. Furthermore, you can use the cd command to change the directory and the Get-ChildItem command to view the list of all the files/directories inside it. The following example shows running the grep command in It is quite straightforward to call the exe file with parameters/arguments for the first scenario. Was Invoke-Command one of them? After LastPass's breaches, my boss is looking into trying an on-prem password manager. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. shells, like bash on Linux or the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), PowerShell lets you to run Output sent to stderr by an native command is sent to the Error stream in Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. If the exit code is zero, Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. When you run this command, it initiates an asynchronous background download of advertising manifests for workloads. What are some of the best ones? It clearly shows what is grouped as a single parameter and what ends up as the next parameter. I'm trying to build a script that will cycle through all my flac format music files and check their integrity using the executable program flac.exe. In my opinion this is the best way for executing external commands from PowerShell with arguments in a safe manner - via the use of an array to hold the arguments. Quoting the arguments is usually sufficient but not always. vegan) just to try it, does this inconvenience the caterers and staff? 3. Do new devs get fired if they can't solve a certain bug? Try that and let me know if it works. In case somebody is wondering how to just run an executable file: See this page: New escape string in PowerShell V3, quoted from New V3 Language Features: Easier Reuse of Command Lines From Cmd.exe. Thus, it can run several executable files at once. When constructing a hash table to pass to the executable itd need to be a name other than $args, [0] https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Hh847768.aspx, Hi AceyMan. This seemed to be the source of many minor headaches. PowerShell Pass Arguments to EXE with Powershell Posted by ericb08132 on Jul 24th, 2015 at 10:56 AM PowerShell So I have an EXE that needs some arguments an examble is myexe.exe - hostname testserver. On the other hand, if we were in a different directory and wanted to run the above file, we wouldnt need to append .\ in front of the file. Well, Im here to teach you both the theory and the practice. However, you have to consider a few things. Your daily dose of tech news, in brief. For more information, see I'd add that, it looks like the installer is forcing the use of UAC a silent install option might be the only way to do it. How to use powershell.exe with -Command using a scriptblock and parameters, How to run a Powershell script from the command line and pass a directory as a parameter. These are not arguments to pass to script, use parameters for that purpose. Thanks for providing this alternative path. is set to $false. If that's all the callDatafileUploader.ps1 script contains then you don't need it. If the download is still running when this command finishes, the download is stopped. The cmdlet has parameters to support the following I was able to get my similar command working using the following approach: For your command (not that it helps much now), things would look something like this: I didn't try adding the "computername" part at the end of the command line, but hopefully this info will help others reading this now get closer to their desired result. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor, Identify those arcade games from a 1983 Brazilian music video. The nature of simulating nature: A Q&A with IBM Quantum researcher Dr. Jamie We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. I wanted to know if i can remote access this machine and switch between os or while rebooting the system I can select the specific os. be specially compiled modules that add commands to the shell runtime. example, it runs an executable file or opens a document file using the application associated with The exe file type contains a program/application that can be executed in a Windows environment. When you double click on a .exe file, it will run some program/application. Cmd can handle running a quoted exe, but Powershell can't. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. You can use PowerShell to run an executable (exe). Do not read from StandardOutput with ReadToEnd(). Posted on October 21, 2016. Has your question been solved? After trying all possible workarounds (no success), I found out that Powershell on the server (Windows 2008 R2) was version 3.0, while my laptop has 5.0. You can contact him at jabin@technewstoday.com. I hae gone into more details in the comments on youngyang-msft post below. Sometimes, one must find a workaround to make it work properly, which can require some further effort and pain :) depending on the way the .exe has been compiled or made by its creators. Here, we define variables for each external command element, and then plug the variables into our call: That last statement reminds me of Perl. On Windows, the Invoke-Item cmdlet performs the default action for the specified item. There is no Otherwise, PowerShell will treat the command as a string and wont invoke the .exe file. and was challenged. The default action depends on the type of item and is resolved by the PowerShell. This way it is very easy to read and edit. preference variable $ErrorActionPreference doesn't affect the redirected output. I place arguments in an array, 1 per line. cmd.exe /C C:\DriverBU\DrvBK.exe MODE="BACKUP" BKPATH="C:\TempDrivers" BKDESC="Drivers" BKFILE="Backup %NOW% %COMPUTERNAME%.bki" BKPATHFTM="%COMPUTERNAME%" BKDEVFMT="%DEVNAME%" BKDATEFMT="" OPT="HW" If this is an area of pain for you, then please vote up this PowerShell bug submission. The param statement must be the first executable line in the script with the only comment or empty lines preceding it. Summary using vshadow as the external executable: The key thing to note here is that FilePath must be in position 0, according to the Help Guide. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. I'm sorry, I don't understand. the argument list has a bunch of quotes and backslashes in it. a way to automate. Read the title of the question, spaces are the issue not length. Welcome to the Snap! If you mean you want to start program ABC.exe from within your own program and pass arguments to ABC, then the simplest way is via Process.Start: Process.Start ("ABC.EXE", "MyUsername MyPassword OnPort"); If the arguments may have embedded spaces then they will usually need to be enclosed in quotes. Invoke-expression -command ".\ExeFolder\GoogleDriveSetup.exe". Start-Process -FilePath ".exe" -Wait. You can also subscribe without commenting. I can't use winrm because it requires user input. Not how to run a powershell script with spaces in the file path. I get files but no folders listed (1 file and 4 folders in there). Other than that, the arguments up to the end of the line (or pipe, if you are piping) are passed as is. I had spaces in both command and parameters, and this is what worked for me: It's basically the same as Akira's answer, but this works if you dynamically build your command parameters and put them in a variable. Opens a new window. How can I convert my Java program to an .exe file? the escape character is ` (the back-quote). This topic has been locked by an administrator and is no longer open for commenting. It uses both " and ' delimited strings to have som ${}-s filled out by powershell and some for exiftool. How to follow the signal when reading the schematic? Now we can launch Powershell.exe and pass the encoded commands: powershell.exe -NoProfile -EncodedCommand $encoded Exit Codes In PowerShell the exitcode is stored in the automatic variable $LASTEXITCODE. Call operator - Run - PowerShell - SS64.com & The call operator (&) allows you to execute a command, script or function. My first issue is that when I run the installer.exe I get a pop up window asking do I want to run the installer.exe, this is by design when using the gui after double clicking on the exe file. And what are the pros and cons vs cloud based? Does the installer support cmd line switches/arguments? It does not control whether a window is visible initially. 1) add the exe folder to your path, maybe in your $profile. Thanks. Create a Task by clicking "Create Task" on the Action menu Fill out the Name That is a common way to install things. I just need a way for a user to trigger it. Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. ;Database=mydb;`",computername=10.10.10.10,username=administrator,password=adminpass`"" }. Thats fine. Find and Replace Inside a Text File from a Bash Command. This method gives you control over that. As previously noted, PowerShell commands are known as cmdlets. From a PowerShell console on a remote machine, try this: Do you get back a list of files from the server? Hence the command becomes: Jabin is an IT Graduate. and to be clear, the Invoke-command powershell does call the exe, but I need to .exe to launch wiht a folder path as a variable appended. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. command. Note, I have not checked this in relation to the quotationsspecifically how the single quote plays with the internal variables and double quotes. Nice answer. Spaced arguments are to be placed after the quotes. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor, Surly Straggler vs. other types of steel frames, Trying to understand how to get this basic Fourier Series, Redoing the align environment with a specific formatting. The following example opens the PowerShell source code repository in your default web browser. Forgive me, My head is pickled. How to pass empty argument to msdeploy powershell deploy command. The script runs but nothing happens on teh remote server. If it does, then the next thing to accomplish is how the remote user will be able to run it, and from where they'll run it. Other command-line tools may Find centralized, trusted content and collaborate around the technologies you use most. Reduce Complexity & Optimise IT Capabilities. The PowerShell script will run on the local machine, but the application will run on the remote server. I added a "LocalAdmin" -- but didn't set the type to admin. Just add the & operator before the .exe name. The same .exe file can be executed via Windows PowerShell too. Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? Syntax:Invoke-Expression -Command .\filepath\.exe. For Therefore, only use it if you are sure whats going to happen, and be careful, especially in cases where a user can enter an unsafe command. As you can see, dot slashing the call to 7z.exe fails unless we first navigate to the proper directory: PowerShell can execute an exe, but you need to be explicit in your instructions. Press Esc to cancel. The executable runs, MSIEXEC reports success, but the setup returns an exit code of -3 and the software is not installed. Bonus Flashback: March 3, 1969: Apollo 9 launched (Read more HERE.) Get a Live FREE Demo Why does Mister Mxyzptlk need to have a weakness in the comics? Make you batch file look like this. $Credential = New-Object -TypeName System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList $User, $PWord, $s = New-PSSession -ComputerName "SERVERNAME" -Credential $credential, Invoke-Command -Session $s -Command {"D:\incomingdatafiles\datafileloader\datafileloader\callDatafileUploader1.ps1"}, The "callDataFileUploader1.ps1" script then executes the actual .exe with path appended, For clarity the application I need to run lives in a file structure liek this: D:\incomingdatafiles\datafileloader\datafileloader\ though it is shared to the users as somethign different: Staging Ground Beta 1 Recap, and Reviewers needed for Beta 2, Running script-block command with param using Start-Process. You need to hear this. Just run directly in PowerShell. (you can use "$PSVersionTable" to see version). Receive news updates via email from this site. This will open Notepad in a new window with the same privileges as the PowerShell session. This is a good point, another would be if that is an an InstallShield packaged exe, you'd need to create a response file and call that rather than supply arguments (other than the ones needed to reference the response file). rev2023.3.3.43278. Steps required to run a PowerShell script with arguments in task scheduler To run successfully this script under the task scheduler we should follow the following steps: Go to Task Scheduler (Win key and type: task Scheduler). PowerShell. If you are wondering whats happening here, well, by typing the ampersand (&) symbol, PowerShell understands that it needs to run the program. What does ** (double star/asterisk) and * (star/asterisk) do for parameters? We dont expand PowerShell variables. In the above image, we are already in the D directory that contains the GoogleDriveSetup.exe file we want to run. If you want to improve it submit an edit which includes the actual command in the question and I will accept it. For instance, with vboxmanage.exe (a tool to manage virtualbox virtual machines) you must call the paramterers outside of the string like this, without quotes: If you want to call simply a winrar archived file as .exe files, you can also unzip it with the invoke-command cmdlet and a Silent parameter /S (Its going to extract itself in the same folder than where it has been compressed). I am using Power shell to run a few other tasks, like check the OS version and create a folder based on the system type for drivers. I try to batch it, powershell it, shortcut etc 1 of 2 things happens. Example: One reason I like to use Start-Process as it is easier to see the args. weird. imho this is the best! Peace, Tim. The PowerShell Community Extensions has such a tool. This is also completion of the only workaround to the MS connect issue that -File does not pass-back non-zero return codes and -Command is the only alternative. 4sysops - The online community for SysAdmins and DevOps. and that should be executed on the LOCAL (i.e. Most of his work includes resolving various Outlook issues and general software fixes. parameter is used to display the new process in the current console window. This will fail as soon as there are spaces in the command's name. How can I execute an external program with parameters in PowerShell? To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. I see that, currently, 6 people have upvoted the answer so I am missing something obvious, but what is the actual answer? It turns into this when encoded as Base64: For the executable name, the new-alias cmdlet can be employed to avoid dealing with spaces or needing to add the executable to the $PATH environment. The first line should be just the following: # Show any available updates to globally installed npm packages using the npm-check-updates tool, I've never known comments to be able allow different lines. Sure, PowerShell can handle switch parameters and key/value arguments on the most popular network utilities, like so: PS C:\> ping -f -n 1 -l 1 203.113..32 PS C:\> ipconfig /all However, you'll find that PowerShell gets a bit.confused.when you use lesser-known command-line tools. @SereneWizard Well, add them after .exe with a space inbetween. When PowerShell sees a command starting with a string it just evaluates the string, that is, it typically echos it to the screen, for example: If you want PowerShell to interpret the string as a command name then use the call operator (&) like so: After that you probably only need to quote parameter/argument pairs that contain spaces and/or quotation chars. Any native command can be run from the PowerShell command line. Whats cool, though, is that we can use the call operator (&) to notify PowerShell that the target resource is, in fact, executable: Thus far, you may be thinking, Tim, youre not teaching me anything new! Perhaps you already understood environment variables and even the call operator. There are other methods like using the Call Operator (&), Invoke-Expression cmdlet etc. It looks like a good option, though I now need to be sure the exe is called in the calldatafileuploader1.ps1 correctly. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! native command handling. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? The ScriptBlock type may be contained in an existing variable, returned from an expression, or parsed by the PowerShell host as a literal script block enclosed in curly braces ( {} ), before being passed to powershell.exe. I've a good idea how to do this, but I'm having problems calling flac.exe from within a powershell loop. rev2023.3.3.43278. I thought that the Wait argument would suppress this. Error records redirected from native commands, like when Mutually exclusive execution using std::atomic? Hi Team, You just replace the EXE file with echoargs - leaving all the arguments in place, and it will show you how the EXE file will receive the arguments, for example: Using echoargs you can experiment until you get it right, for example: It turns out I was trying too hard before to maintain the double quotes around the connection string. . For more information, see the call operator.