Syntax for running executables?

Question

I am trying to run this from the PowerShell 3 ISE:

&"C:\inetpub\htpasswd.exe -bc C:\inetpub\wwwroot\xyz\password\passMD5.txt sm88555 sm88999"

but get this error:

is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

I think PowerShell stops evaluating this correctly after the first space?

iex - Invoke-Expression [-Command] [] – lloyd Nov 29 '15 at 05:50 — lloyd, Nov 29 '15 at 05:50

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

2

iex - Invoke-Expression I use when & fails

$htPassword = "C:\inetpub\htpasswd.exe"
$htParams = "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\xyz\password\passMD5.txt sm88555 sm88999"
Invoke-Expression -Command "$htPassword $htParams"

myeval handles both quite well by joel-b-fant

edited May 23 '17 at 12:15

Community

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answered Nov 29 '15 at 05:57

lloyd

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score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 29 '15 at 13:38

The call operator doesn't interpret entire commandlines/expressions. That is what Invoke-Expression is for. Separate the arguments from the command (and from each other) if you want to use the call operator:

& "C:\inetpub\htpasswd.exe" -bc "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\xyz\password\passMD5.txt" "sm88555" "sm88999"

Syntax for running executables?

2 Answers2