Having problems when there is an & in file name

[scJohn]

I am having problems passing the file:

"D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

as a parameter from a batch file to a powershell script. The character & is a command in both cmd and powershell.

Is there something is the config file that will change & to and?

Found <FileNameReplaceSpaceWithPeriod>false</FileNameReplaceSpaceWithPeriod> but that seems to leave the & alone.

Also found <StrippedEPGPrefixes>Movie:~MOVIE:~New:~All New</StrippedEPGPrefixes>. Could I add :& to the list.

I'm already using """ to wrap the file name and I am still having problems.

Thanks

[mvallevand]

Why not consider improving your script?

Martin

[Maverick]

I am having problems passing the file:

"D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

as a parameter from a batch file to a powershell script. The character & is a command in both cmd and powershell.

Is there something is the config file that will change & to and?

Found <FileNameReplaceSpaceWithPeriod>false</FileNameReplaceSpaceWithPeriod> but that seems to leave the & alone.

Also found <StrippedEPGPrefixes>Movie:~MOVIE:~New:~All New</StrippedEPGPrefixes>. Could I add :& to the list.

I'm already using """ to wrap the file name and I am still having problems.

Thanks

Found this that might help and would remove the need to rename the file. This should only be done in PowerShell.

To help address this scenario, we added a new way to “escape” the parsing of command lines. If you use a magic parameter --%, we stop our normal parsing of your command line and switch to something much simpler. We don’t match quotes. We don’t stop at semicolon. We don’t expand PowerShell variables. We do expand environment variables if you use Cmd.exe syntax (e.g. %TEMP%). Other than that, the arguments up to the end of the line (or pipe, if you are piping) are passed as is. Here is an example:

echoargs.exe --% %USERNAME%,this=$something{weird}
Arg 0 is <jason,this=$something{weird}>

[scJohn]

I tried that but could not get to work. Maybe not doing it right. Here is the powershell command:

Code:

PowerShell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "& {Start-Process PowerShell -ArgumentList '-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File """"%DIRLOC%Scheduler.ps1"""" """"%ARG1%""""  """"%Run%"""" ' -Verb RunAs}"

This works for all cases except when there is an & in the file name or folder name.

I can get it to work but I have to edit the file name from

"D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

to

"D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike `& Molly\Mike `& Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

[mvallevand]

If you run a ps1 file directly without creating a shell in PowerShell does it solve the problem?

Martin

[JavaWiz]

Not sure if I am emulating your scenario, but I created a batch (cmd) script and a powershell script and it seems to pass the filename correctly. Here is the code:

test.cmd

Code:

@Echo off
set fn="D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

Echo The test filename: %fn%
Echo.
Echo List current powershell policies...
powershell Get-ExecutionPolicy -list
pause
Echo.
Echo Set the powershell execution policy...
powershell Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser
powershell Get-ExecutionPolicy -list
pause

Echo Run the test powershell script...
powershell -file test.ps1 %fn%
pause

Echo.
Echo Reset the powershell execution policy...
powershell Set-ExecutionPolicy Undefined -Scope CurrentUser
powershell Get-ExecutionPolicy -list

test.ps1

Code:

write-host "You are in the powershell script"

write-host "The passed argument(s) are:"
write-host $args[0]

write-host "You are leaving the powershell script"

The output:

Code:

C:\temp>test
The test filename: "D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts"

List current powershell policies...

        Scope ExecutionPolicy
        ----- ---------------
MachinePolicy       Undefined
   UserPolicy       Undefined
      Process       Undefined
  CurrentUser       Undefined
LocalMachine       Undefined


Press any key to continue . . .

Set the powershell execution policy...

        Scope ExecutionPolicy
        ----- ---------------
MachinePolicy       Undefined
   UserPolicy       Undefined
      Process       Undefined
  CurrentUser    Unrestricted
LocalMachine       Undefined


Press any key to continue . . .
Run the test powershell script...
You are in the powershell script
The passed argument(s) are:
D:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Mike & Molly\Mike & Molly.S06E05.Joyces Will Be Done.ts
You are leaving the powershell script
Press any key to continue . . .

Reset the powershell execution policy...

        Scope ExecutionPolicy
        ----- ---------------
MachinePolicy       Undefined
   UserPolicy       Undefined
      Process       Undefined
  CurrentUser       Undefined
LocalMachine       Undefined



C:\temp>