C# escape & char in arguments path when running cmd.exe /C

Question

Please could someone advise how I can escape an '&' character in a string when trying to start a process like the following:

            var arguments = $"/C \"C:\\Here & Here\\MyExe.exe\"";
            Process process = new Process
            {
                StartInfo =
                {
                    Arguments = arguments,
                    FileName = "cmd.exe",
                    CreateNoWindow = true,
                    WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden,
                    UseShellExecute = false
                }
            };
            process.Start();

I need to execute the process using cmd.exe /C I've tried replacing the string with to use a ^& like this:

var arguments = $"/C \"C:\\Here ^& Here\\MyExe.exe\"";

but it still doesn't find the path.

In a cmd window i would just do cmd.exe /C ""C:\Here ^& Here\MyExe.exe"" and it works just not via a process start

Thanks

Are you trying to breakout the & in the cmd instance or the C# instance or both? What is the literal path of the file. — Nico Nekoru
– Nico Nekoru, Commented May 22, 2020 at 15:59
No there's a & in the path to the file i just want to pass it in as part of the arguments some reason i cant seem to escape the char. In a cmd window i would just do this cmd.exe /C ""C:\Here ^& Here\MyExe.exe"" and it works just not via a process start — BillyDay
– BillyDay, Commented May 22, 2020 at 16:01
Try this instead: var arguments = @"/C ""C:\Here ^& Here\MyExe.exe"""; — Robert Harvey
– Robert Harvey, Commented May 22, 2020 at 16:25
Before the & try putting the * wildcard character and see if it works. So it would be var arguments = $"/C \"C:\\Here *\\MyExe.exe\""; — Nico Nekoru
– Nico Nekoru, Commented May 22, 2020 at 16:28

Supa · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-22 18:46:29Z

2

It works fine if the path is double-quoted:

var arguments = "/c \"\"C:\\Here & Here\\MyExe.exe\"\"";

answered May 22, 2020 at 18:46

Supa

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