How to run an EXE file in PowerShell with parameters with spaces and quotes

There are quite a few methods you can use to do it.
>There are other methods like using the Call Operator (**&**), **Invoke-Expression** cmdlet etc. But they are considered unsafe. Microsoft recommends using **Start-Process**.

**Method 1**

A simple example

Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\wamp64\bin\mysql\mysql5.7.19\bin\mysql" -ArgumentList "-u root","-proot","-h localhost"

In your case

Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy\msdeploy.exe" -ArgumentList "-verb:sync","-source:dbfullsql=`"Data Source=mysource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;`"","-dest:dbfullsql=`"Data Source=.\mydestsource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;`"","computername=10.10.10.10","username=administrator","password=adminpass"

In this method you separate each and every parameter in the ArgumentList using commas.

**Method 2**

Simple Example

Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\wamp64\bin\mysql\mysql5.7.19\bin\mysql" -ArgumentList "-u root -proot -h localhost"

In your case

Start-Process -NoNewWindow -FilePath "C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy\msdeploy.exe" -ArgumentList "-verb:sync -source:dbfullsql=`"Data Source=mysource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;`" -dest:dbfullsql=`"Data Source=.\mydestsource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;`",computername=10.10.10.10,username=administrator,password=adminpass"

This method is easier as it allows to type your parameters in one go.

> 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).
>
>**-NoNewWindow**
parameter is used to display the new process in the current console window. By default Windows PowerShell opens a new window.

References : [Powershell/Scripting/Start-Process][1]


[1]:

[To see links please register here]

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.

PS> new-alias msdeploy "C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy\msdeploy.exe"
PS> msdeploy ...

To list or modify PS aliases also see

PS> get-alias
PS> set-alias

From [Jeffery Hicks Aarticle](

[To see links please register here]

)

Other answers address the arguments.

See this page:

[To see links please register here]

Summary using vshadow as the external executable:

$exe = "H:\backup\scripts\vshadow.exe"
&$exe -p -script=H:\backup\scripts\vss.cmd E: M: P:

I had the following code working perfect on my laptop:

& $msdeploy `
-source:package="$publishFile" `
-dest:auto,computerName="$server",includeAcls="False",UserName="$username",Password="$password",AuthType="$auth" `
-allowUntrusted `
-verb:sync `
-enableRule:DoNotDeleteRule `
-disableLink:AppPoolExtension `
-disableLink:ContentExtension `
-disableLink:CertificateExtension `
-skip:objectName=filePath,absolutePath="^(.*Web\.config|.*Environment\.config)$" `
-setParam:name=`"IIS Web Application Name`",value="$appName"

Then when I tried to run that directly on one server I started getting those errors `"Unrecognized argument ...etc.... All arguments must begin with "-". "`

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 use "$PSVersionTable" to see version).

After [upgrading Powershell](

[To see links please register here]

) to latest version it started working again.

You can use:

```
Start-Process -FilePath "C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy\msdeploy.exe" -ArgumentList "-verb:sync -source:dbfullsql="Data Source=mysource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;" -dest:dbfullsql="Data Source=.\mydestsource;Integrated Security=false;User ID=sa;Pwd=sapass!;Database=mydb;",computername=10.10.10.10,username=administrator,password=adminpass"
```

The key thing to note here is that FilePath must be in position 0, according to the Help Guide. To invoke the Help guide for a commandlet, just type in ```Get-Help <Commandlet-name> -Detailed``` . In this case, it is ```Get-Help Start-Process -Detailed```.

Cmd can handle running a quoted exe, but Powershell can't. I'm just going to deal with running the exe itself, since I don't have it. If you literally need to send doublequotes to an argument of an external command, that's another issue that's been covered elsewhere.

1) add the exe folder to your path, maybe in your $profile

$env:path += ';C:\Program Files\IIS\Microsoft Web Deploy\'
msdeploy

2) backquote the spaces:

C:\Program` Files\IIS\Microsoft` Web` Deploy\msdeploy.exe

I use this simple, clean and effective method.

I place arguments in an array, 1 per line. This way it is very easy to read and edit.
Then I use a simple trick of passing all arguments inside double quotes to a function with 1 single parameter. That flattens them, including arrays, to a single string, which I then execute using PS's 'Invoke-Expression'. This directive is specifically designed to convert a string to runnable command.
Works well:

# function with one argument will flatten
# all passed-in entries into 1 single string line
Function Execute($command) {
# execute:
Invoke-Expression $command;
# if you have trouble try:
# Invoke-Expression "& $command";
# or if you need also output to a variable
# Invoke-Expression $command | Tee-Object -Variable cmdOutput;
}

# ... your main code here ...

# The name of your executable app
$app = 'my_app.exe';
# List of arguments:
# Notice the type of quotes - important !
# Those in single quotes are normal strings, like 'Peter'
$args = 'arg1',
'arg2',
$some_variable,
'arg4',
"arg5='with quotes'",
'arg6',
"arg7 \ with \ $other_variable",
'etc...';

# pass all arguments inside double quotes
Execute "$app $args";

To transfer a batch script using exiftool.exe to a powershell script I had the challange to give '-s, "-s and even ${Filename} to the command and on the other hand fill out variables in these parameters.

For a start: The replacement in using 'echochars' is brilliant. It clearly shows what is grouped as a single parameter and what ends up as the next parameter.

In powershell it is similar to perl (and unix scripting): the used quotes have their meaning.

- strings between "-s. The string will be interpreted (variables filled)
- Strings between '-s. The string will not be interpreted (or verry limited)
- the escape character is ` (the back-quote). The next character looses its special meaning. Comparable with the \ (back stroke) on unix/linux/perl.

Some examples:

${ExifArgs} += "-if `"`${FileName} !~ /desktop.ini/i`""
${ExifArgs} += '-dateFormat "%Y\%Y%m\%Y%m%d_%H%M%S"'
${ExifArgs} += ('"' + "-FileName<${NewFotos}\${SourceName}\" + '${DateTimeOriginal}_${ImageWidth}x${ImageHeight}_${Model;s/ //g}_${FileName;s/^.*([0-9]{4})[^0-9].*$/\1/}.%e' + '"')
A call to echoargs with the above, produces the next output (numbers are hacked for privacy):

Arg 11 is <-if>
Arg 12 is <${FileName} !~ /desktop.ini/i>
Arg 13 is <-dateFormat>
Arg 14 is <%Y\%Y%m\%Y%m%d_%H%M%S>
Arg 15 is <-FileName<D:\Pictures\NewFotos\${DateTimeOriginal}_${ImageWidth}x${ImageHeight}_${Model;s/ //g}_${FileName;s/^.*([0-9]{4})[^0-9].*$/\1/}.%e>

See how the first line produces arg 11 and 12: the outher "-s are removed to store the entire line in the array. The inner "-s, quoted by the `-s are there to keep the argument together (while the -if is the previous argument)

The second shows arg 13 and 14: the use of "-s between '-s. No need to escape using `-s.

In the last line (producing arg 15): the single string is constructed by using powershell ()-s and +-s to concatenate a couple of strings to a single string. It uses both " and ' delimited strings to have som ${}-s filled out by powershell and some for exiftool.
And yes, some powershell special characters are transvered into the archuments.

If you just need to run a file in the current directory and don't feel like spelling out the entire path use [Get-Location](

[To see links please register here]

):

& "$(Get-Location)\example.exe" arg1 arg2 arg3
Note the `&` at the start. Spaced arguments are to be placed **after** the quotes.

I tried all of the suggestions but was still unable to run `msiexec.exe` with parameters that contained spaces. So my solution ended up using `System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo`:

# can have spaces here, no problems
$settings = @{
CONNECTION_STRING = "... ..."
ENTITY_CONTEXT = "... ..."
URL = "..."
}

$settingsJoined = ($settings.Keys | % { "$_=""$($settings[$_])""" }) -join " "
$pinfo = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo
$pinfo.WorkingDirectory = $ScriptDirectory
$pinfo.FileName = "msiexec.exe"
$pinfo.RedirectStandardError = $true
$pinfo.RedirectStandardOutput = $true
$pinfo.UseShellExecute = $false
$pinfo.Arguments = "/l* install.log /i installer.msi $settingsJoined"
$p = New-Object System.Diagnostics.Process
$p.StartInfo = $pinfo
$p.Start() | Out-Null
$stdout = $p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()
$p.WaitForExit()