windowsbatch-filecmdpathworking-directory

Removing the current working directory from the path

I'm working in Windows and would like to know if there is a way to remove the current working directory from the path? I understand that this is the default behavior in PowerShell, but I need it to work in batch or at the Windows command-line.

In UNIX, I would just make sure that my $PATH variable not contain .. Is there any way to accomplish this in batch? This is the current behavior:

H:\tmp>dir
 Volume in drive H has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is E29C-7B61

 Directory of H:\tmp

04/27/2018  10:39 AM    <DIR>          .
04/27/2018  10:39 AM    <DIR>          ..
04/27/2018  10:40 AM                37 dwk.bat
               1 File(s)             37 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  987,995,770,880 bytes free

H:\tmp>dwk.bat
dwk.bat has been run.

H:\tmp>

This is the desired behavior:

H:\tmp>dwk.bat
'dwk.bat' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

H:\tmp>.\dwk.bat
dwk.bat has been run.

H:\tmp>

Thanks.

Solution

  • I recommend first reading the answers on Stack Overflow questions:

    Many thanks to eryksun because of this answer would not exist without his comment on above referenced answer.

    Next I recommend reading the Microsoft documentation pages:

    The question can be answered with: Yes, it is possible for desktop applications and batch files on

    An environment variable with name NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath must be defined with any value to prevent execution of a script (.bat, .cmd, .vbs, …) or an application (.com, .exe) stored in current directory without explicitly using .\ as required on Unix/Linux or in a PowerShell console.

    The environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath can be defined as system variable to turn off searching in current directory for a script or application for all accounts on this machine. But this is surely no good idea as it will result definitely in many applications including installers and uninstallers won't work anymore correct.

    The environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath can be defined as user variable to turn off searching in current directory for a script or application for processes using this account. But this is surely also no good idea.

    But it can make sense to set the environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath as local variable in some use cases to turn off searching in current directory for a script or application without explicitly using .\ on Windows versions with kernel function NeedCurrentDirectoryForExePath which cmd.exe calls before searching for a script file or application not containing a backslash \ (or a forward slash /) in file name string.

    Example:

    @echo off
pushd "%TEMP%"
set "NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath=0"

echo @echo %%0 executed successfully.>Test1.bat

echo Calling Test1.bat ...
call Test1.bat

echo Calling .\Test1.bat ...
call .\Test1.bat

echo Starting Test1.bat ...
start /wait Test1.bat ^& timeout 5

set "NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath="

echo Calling again Test1.bat ...
call Test1.bat

del Test1.bat
popd
pause

    This batch file executed from within a command prompt window results in output of current console window:

    Calling Test1.bat ...
'Test1.bat' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
Calling .\Test1.bat ...
.\Test1.bat executed successfully.
Starting Test1.bat ...
Calling again Test1.bat ...
Test1.bat executed successfully.
Press any key to continue . . .

    And during execution of this batch file a second console window is opened with output:

    "%TEMP%\Test1.bat" executed successfully.

    This second console window is closed automatically after 5 seconds.

    The environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath is defined with value 0 after setting the directory for temporary files as current directory with pushing before the current directory path on stack. The variable value does not matter because of evaluated is only the existence of the environment variable and not its value.

    Next another batch file with name Test1.bat is created in directory for temporary files which is usually not write-protected for current user as this would cause lots of troubles.

    The first approach to call Test1.bat without any path fails because of environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath is defined in the local environment.

    The second call of Test1.bat with the relative path .\ is successful despite the existence of the environment variable.

    The command START ignores NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath as proven by this batch file.

    Then the environment variable NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath is deleted to restore original Windows behavior.

    The second approach to call Test1.bat without any path is successful now.

    Finally the created Test1.bat is deleted and the initial current directory is restored as current working directory.

    It is of course not possible to prevent the execution of command DIR which is not a script file or an executable. It is an internal command of cmd.exe – Windows Command Processor – respectively of powershell.exe – Windows PowerShell.