Batch file - IF EXISTS statement "The system cannot open the device or file specified." - windows

Question

I have written a batch file to uninstall a faulty WiFi driver (Intel ProSet Wireless) and set up the appropriate wireless profile on a laptop. This script is intended to be run remotely through Symantec Management Agent.
The code starts by running a group policy update to pull down appropriate
network certificates from the server. Then the code checks to see if the WiFi driver is installed. If it is, the script uninstalls it. Afterwards, in either case, it will wipe the current wireless profiles and call another batch file to install the appropriate wireless profile.
My issue is, when I run the script, the console will report "The system cannot open the device or file specified." after the software is uninstalled and it will terminate. The IF EXIST statement checks to see if one of the software files is there.
Typically, I can just run the same script a second time, and the IF EXIST case will not be met, so the rest of the batch file will work properly.
I am attaching my code below -- am I using IF EXIST correctly?
gpupdate /force
IF EXIST "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\setup.exe" (
cd "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\"
start /wait setup.exe /uninstall
)
TIMEOUT /T 3 /nobreak >nul
netsh wlan delete profile name=*
cd "C:\Wireless_Settings\"
Mobile_Devices_profile.bat
I have researched other posts, and I do believe I am using the condition correctly. I don't see any other post that matches my case. It always correctly checks to see if the condition is met, however I don't understand why the program terminates after the software is uninstalled. All that I believe should happen is the case is no longer met, so the script continues on.

Answer 1

Possible solution : (your if statement appears to be correct)
Insert a pushd statement before the cd and a popd after the start.
This will ensure you return to your original directory after the if statement invokes setup.exe
IF EXIST "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\setup.exe" (
PUSHD
cd "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\"
start /wait setup.exe /uninstall
POPD
)
If it works, fine and good. If it doesn't, It's easy to undo.
Sure - in theory, you could change the cd to a PUSHD instead. There are many paths.
IF EXIST "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\setup.exe" (
PUSHD "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\"
start /wait setup.exe /uninstall
POPD
)
This should work.
Now that's interesting. I'm sure I've use pushd without arguments before. The documentation reads
Stores the current directory for use by the POPD command, then
changes to the specified directory.
PUSHD [path | ..]
which is not explicit when the option argument is missing.
I've also noticed that a dir list on my batch-development directory now lists a unicode-named file with spaces between the squares whereas it used to not contain those spaces. Maybe something has been silently changed... cmd version is dated 20170929

Answer 2

Setup.exe is trying to remove the directory from the Package Cache which happens to be your current working directory. Not a good way for a script to live.
#setlocal ENABLEEXTENSIONS
#rem #set prompt=$G
#set "_setupExe=C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{552523b2-40ad-46b3-94f6-2b99d0860d5c}\setup.exe"
#gpupdate /force
#if exist "%_setupExe%" call %_setupExe% /uninstall
#TIMEOUT /T 3 /nobreak >nul
#netsh wlan delete profile name=*
#cd "C:\Wireless_Settings\"
#Mobile_Devices_profile.bat
I would add that debugging your script was complicated by the fact that you had a multi-line code block. You should avoid those at all costs. It's better to call a subroutine if you can fit it all on a single line.