Powershell Start-Process with variable FilePath

Question

Hi I need to run a variable process as elevated using powershell. The following code don't work because for some reason Powershell don't expand the variable:

$exe = "C:\$var.exe"
Start-Process $exe -Verb runas

But I get this error

Start-Process : This command cannot be run due to the error: The system cannot find the file specified

+Start-Process $exe -Verb runas;

If you output $var and $exe before running Start-Process do they have the expected values? — Jonathan Leech-Pepin
– Jonathan Leech-Pepin, Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 14:01
@Vittorio Vaselli Some code is missing, just paste all the code related to the different variables otherwise it's not understandable — Manu
– Manu, Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 14:14

Frode F. · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-30 14:17:41Z

The $var-variable expanded when you declared $exe-string as long as you use double-quotes like you have in the question. Single quotes however $exe = 'c:\$var.exe' would not work as single quotes makes a literal string.

Output $exe to verify the path. Your $var value is probably wrong.

The error just says which line it ran, not which path it actually used except for that it's stored in the $exe-variable.

$var = "nonexistingfile"
$exe = "c:\$var.exe"
$exe
c:\nonexistingfile.exe

Start-Process $exe
Start-Process : This command cannot be run due to the error: The system cannot find the file specified.
At line:1 char:1
+ Start-Process $exe
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Start-Process], InvalidOperationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartProcessCommand

However with a valid path:

$var = "windows\system32\notepad"
$exe = "c:\$var.exe"
$exe
c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe

Start-Process $exe
#Starts notepad

Guenther Schmitz · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-30 14:03:54Z

-1

I like to combine strings using arrays and -join:

$exe = 'C:\',$var,'.exe' -join ''

next I would test if the executable exists and run it or write an error

if(Test-Path -LiteralPath $exe) {
    Start-Process $exe -Verb runas
} else {
    Write-Error "the executable could not be found"
}

answered Mar 30, 2018 at 14:03

Guenther Schmitz

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