The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect, c#

Question

i've written a console application deploy.exe which runs a batch script.

Process p1 = new Process();
p1.StartInfo.FileName = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + "installer.bat";
p1.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal;
p1.Start();
p1.WaitForExit();
p1.Close();

the installer.bat conatins the following command. \shared1\lists\list1.cmd

If i run the executable byitself it runs successfully.

However i needed it to run in a windows installer project. So i made a setup and deployment project and added the deploy.exe successfully as custom action upon install.

It runs fine but when it starts to execute the command i get this error "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect". any help?

Answer 1

Just guessing here, but maybe BaseDirectory doesn't have a trailing backslash. Try:

 System.IO.Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "installer.bat");

instead.

Answer 2

Try printing out what the value of AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory is. It may not be where installer.bat is when you are installing it.

Also, you tried adding the bat file to a custom action (if that is even possible)?

And, would it possible to move what is in the bat to the exe?

Answer 3

Is it a problem in your batch file?

Check this:

\\shared1\\lists\\list1.cmd

should probably be

\\shared1\lists\list1.cmd

Note the extra \ chars in your original command. That would cause the batch file to give that error.

Answer 4

the error seems to be inside the script which was being executed. It contained environment variables %kind%, which were not acceptable by the installer for some reason. So it was working properly outside the installer and not properly when the installer was calling it.