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music2myear
Asked: 2020-11-04 16:02:52 +0800 CST

PsExec running PowerShell cmdlets with spaces in the arguments

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I'm attempting to use PsExec to run Expand-Archive on a remote computer, extracting to a folder inside Program Files, but Expand-Archive keeps returning the error:

Expand-Archive : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'Files\Folder'

I take this to mean that Expand-Archive gets to the space in "Program Files" and thinks one argument is done and starts trying to interpret the next.

I have used the following variants of the command, all with the same outcome:

Double-quotes around entire Powershell portion, using %programfiles% environment variable:

.\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c "C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath %programfiles%\Folder"

Single-quotes just around the destination folder path, using %programfiles% environment variable:

.\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath '%programfiles%\Folder'

Double-quotes just around the destination folder path, using %programfiles% environment variable:

.\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath "%programfiles%\Folder"

No quotes, using %programfiles% environment variable:

.\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath %programfiles%\Folder

Double-quotes around fully typed folder path:

.\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath "C:\Program Files\Folder"
powershell

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I have tried doing the same with psexec, and i'm facing all kinds of errors.

    I would personally use powershell's invoke command. Would this also work for you? If not i will try to fiddle with psexec some more if you would like.

    Example :

    $PATH = "EnterPath"

    $COMPUTERNAME = "EnterComputerName"

    Invoke-Command -ComputerName $COMPUTERNAME -ScriptBlock {

        $DESTINATIONPATH = $env:ProgramFiles
    Expand-Archive -Path $using:PATH -DestinationPath $DESTINATIONPATH

    }

    The script will run on given computer, $env:ProgramFiles translates to the variable on the remote computer, equivalent of %programfiles% in cmd.

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  2. I wouldn't say that the accepted answer is not correct, but rather it's not targeting the actual issue in my opinion.

    Here there's not any issue with PSExec, but issue with how the PowerShell command is called.

    When calling Powershell command many a times we cannot just pass commands without quotes, especially those commands that need quoted arguments like spaced-paths of OS directory structure. So we have to apply ampersand & before command when calling the command and escape the command's inner quotes for arguments, which pretty much looks like this:

    powershell "& Expand-Archive \"<filepathwithspaces>\" \"<targetfolderpathwithspaces>\""

    OR

    .\PsExec.exe \\computername /s cmd /c C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -executionpolicy bypass -command "& expand-archive c:\temp\bc.zip -destinationpath \"C:\Program Files\Folder\""

    You can also ignore the -command switch in the above one-liner as long as you provide & properly before actual command :)

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