windowsbatch-filefilenamesdouble-quotes

Enclosing filename in quotes affects batch input

Let's say I have a batch file C:\MyFile.bat as follows:

echo This is my batch file
pause

I invoke it like this, because I need a new console window to open:

start /wait C:\MyFile.bat

I get the expected result... a new console window opens, displays the echo and waits on the pause.

However, if I instead name the batch file C:\My File.bat (space in the file's name), I must now enclose the filename in doublequotes, as follows:

start /wait "C:\My File.bat"

However doing so does not result as expected. A new console window is opened, but the specified batch file does not execute.

  1. What's going on?
  2. How can I achieve my desired result when the target file location requires doublequoting?
Solution

  • start considers the first set of quotes that it finds to be the title of the new window.

    To get around this, add a throwaway set of quotes to the command:

    start "" /wait "C:\My File.bat"