Self-deleting batch file to delete a directory not fully deleting and not exiting on Windows 7 - windows

Question

At uninstall time I run an executable to create a self-deleting batch file to do some directory cleanup. It always works great and has been for years.
I have run into a case where I need to do something similar to do some cleanup at install time. I have a different .Net console app that creates and runs a batch file that I am launching from setup.exe generated by InstallShield 2013. Here is the sequence of events:
Installer creates a directory and extracts some files, one of which is setup.exe.
An exe is run that ultimately runs setup.exe.
Setup.exe does the installation and just before exit I call LaunchApp to run my console app, DirectoryDelete.exe, with the directory to delete as an argument.
DirectoryDelete.exe creates a batch file in the parent directory of the directory to delete and runs it.
For example the resulting command line is:
DirectoryDelete.exe -dir "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp"
The resulting batch file is:
#echo off
:repeatExe
del "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe"
if exist "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe" goto repeatExe
:repeatDir
rmdir "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp" /s /q
if exist C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\nul goto repeatDir
del %~F0&exit
So, basically the batch file waits on setup.exe to finish, then quietly deletes the directory, then itself.
However, what is happening is the contents of the directory get deleted, but neither the directory nor the batch file get deleted. It looks like the batch file is stuck in a loop - likely blocking itself. When I try to delete the directory myself (command line or explorer), it says another process is using it (the cmd.exe of the batch file). If I try to re-run the batch file, it is busy. If I kill the cmd.exe, then I can manually clean up.
Since this technique works so well at uninstall time, I am pretty confused about why it is not working during my cleanup at install time. Everything is running with elevated privileges. My best guess is it has to do with the context - the console application being launched from setup.exe.
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT:
I got the batch file to exit and delete itself, but the directory still did not get deleted. I modified the batch file by adding a few of lines:
#echo off
:repeatExe
del "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe"
if exist "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe" goto repeatExe
:repeatDir
if not exist "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\DeleteDirectory.exe" goto cleaned
rmdir "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp" /s /q
if exist C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\nul goto repeatDir
:cleaned
rmdir "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp" /s /q
del %~F0&exit
My idea was to look for another file I knew was there. If it had been deleted, then I know the rmdir did part of its work. That way I could at least break the loop and take another shot at removing the directory, then clean up and get out.
What I learned there is that the rmdir is failing, thus creating an infinite loop in the original bat file. Now, if I run the batch file myself, even on a directory created by the install process, everything works fine....
For rmdir /s to not work would mean a file is in use, a file is locked or a permissions problem. Could there also be confusion about working directory?

Answer 1

I figured out what the problem was: The rmdir /s was failing because the current directory was set to the directory I was trying to delete. Apparently that is not the case during the uninstall operation.
I changed my batch file to move up to the directory DeleteDirectory.exe is launched from:
#echo off
pushd "%~dp0"
:repeatExe
del "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe"
if exist "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\setup.exe" goto repeatExe
:repeatDir
rmdir "C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp" /s /q
if exist C:\Users\AUser\AppData\Local\Temp\STD1234.tmp\nul goto repeatDir
del %~F0&exit
Works fine now.