Generating a script through CMD

Question

I've been trying to find an answer to this peculiar question but haven't had any luck. For work, I've been creating a tiny little script that would help my colleagues and I with the repetitive tasks of preconfiguring new laptops for our clients.

I'm aware that what I'm going to ask is probably not the most efficient method, but I am curious regardless!

I'm at the point in my little script where I want it to write the lines for a temporary second script, run it and then remove it afterwards. However, I fail to have this work correctly. I'm assuming this is because of special characters but I could be wrong.

The method I'm trying to use is to have it echo the actual commands to a file. In the end, I'm hoping to have it create a working .PS1 script, execute it and then delete it.

The commands I want it to write to a file:

$OfficeUninstallStrings = (Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Where {$_.DisplayName -like "*Microsoft Office 365*"} | Select UninstallString).UninstallString
ForEach ($UninstallString in $OfficeUninstallStrings) {
    $UninstallEXE = ($UninstallString -split '"')[1]
    $UninstallArg = ($UninstallString -split '"')[2] + " DisplayLevel=False"
    Start-Process -FilePath $UninstallEXE -ArgumentList $UninstallArg -Wait
}    

Would anyone be able to help me figure out what I'm overlooking?

Thank you!

Answer 1

This whole concept seems a little wonkie. Why not just use the script and run that? .. ok .. whatever .. you do you. :)

The script below creates your file in the temp directory in a folder using a random folder name under that.

If you want it cleaned up, you need to remove the echo command in front of the rd /s /q command. I am not going to do that for you.

Have you thought about powershell's execution-policy?

If you need to set the execution policy, run the batch as an admin and change the PowerShell command (in the batch) to:
PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "%wholePS1Path%"

If that doesn't work, here are some other methods.

  @echo off
  setlocal

  set outputFile=uninstall_office.PS1
  set outputFilePath=%TEMP%\%RANDOM%
  set wholePS1Path="%outputFilePath%\%outputFile%"

  echo $OfficeUninstallStrings = (Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* ^| Where {$_.DisplayName -like "*Microsoft Office 365*"} ^| Select UninstallString).UninstallString >%outputFile%
  echo ForEach ($UninstallString in $OfficeUninstallStrings) { >>%outputFile%
  echo     $UninstallEXE = ($UninstallString -split ^'^"^')[1] >>%outputFile%
  echo     $UninstallArg = ($UninstallString -split ^'^"^')[2] + " DisplayLevel=False" >>%outputFile%
  echo     Start-Process -FilePath $UninstallEXE -ArgumentList $UninstallArg -Wait >>%outputFile%
  echo } >>%outputFile%

  :: Run the powershell command
  powershell -File "%wholePS1Path%"
  set powershell_error=%ERRORLEVEL%

  :: Remove this line to clean up once you are SURE it is working.
  :: Of course, rd can be brutal.
  echo rd /s /q "%outputFilePath%"

  endlocal && exit /b %powershell_error%