PowerShell PSScriptRoot is null

Question

When I run $PSScriptRoot it returns null. I am using PS version 4.

$val  = Join-Path -Path $PSScriptRoot WebPlatformInstaller_amd64_en-US.msi

Error

Join-Path : Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string.

Do you execute this in PowerShell ISE? – k7s5a Jun 10 '17 at 13:54 — k7s5a, Jun 10 '17 at 13:54

Xopher · Answer 1 · 2018-08-23T12:45:26.293

23

If using ISE use:

$psISE.CurrentFile.FullPath

When ISE is launched, $psISE is created and can be used to determine the current path of the ISE instance. This was introduced in version 3.0.

See ISE Object Model Hierarchy

If you wanted to get the path in either shell or ISE you could use something like this:

if ($psISE)
{
    Split-Path -Path $psISE.CurrentFile.FullPath        
}
else
{
    $global:PSScriptRoot
}

edited Aug 23 '18 at 12:45

answered Aug 22 '18 at 20:22

Xopher

339
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$psISE.CurrentFile.FullPath does not show the file path if the file is called from another powershell script – OrigamiEye Jan 24 '22 at 13:52

score 13 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 28 '19 at 07:37

13

You have to make sure that this expression is in a saved .ps1 script.

This can happened in following cases:

You use this statement in PowerShell ISE console
You use this statement in PowerShell console without a script file
You marked only this expression for execution in PowerShell ISE

edited Jan 28 '19 at 07:37

Emmanuel DURIN

4,803
2
28
53

answered Jun 10 '17 at 14:14

k7s5a

1,287
10
18

7

Then how to debug the script in ISE...? – Koder101 Aug 06 '18 at 21:01
I guess it can't be set while debugging either as the value is ignored, then heads up if you change the script it will be forcefully saved in order to debug. – person27 Dec 05 '19 at 07:56

OrigamiEye · Answer 3 · 2022-01-24T15:16:28.597

3

You can use

$PWD.Path

It works in PowerShell ISE and Powershell Console. It returns the Present Working Directory.

$PSScriptRoot is the Root Path of where the current script is saved. When used in a command it will return blank as there is no script who's current path you are looking for.

edited Jan 24 '22 at 15:16

answered Oct 07 '21 at 12:25

OrigamiEye

864
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Works in Windows PowerShell and PowerShell Core. – Brian McMahon Oct 14 '21 at 14:51

PowerShell PSScriptRoot is null

3 Answers3

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