Executing a batch file in a remote machine through PsExec

Question

I am trying to run a batch file (in the batch file I have just written 'notepad') on a remote PC through PSExec. The psexec command below runs in my laptop but fails to do anything on the remote PC. I don't even see 'notepad' running on the list of processes in the remote machine.

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c:\Program Files (x86)\PSTools>psexec -u administrator -p force \\135.20.230.160 -s -d cmd.exe /c -c "C:\Amtra\bogus.bat"

PsExec v2.11 - Execute processes remotely
Copyright (C) 2001-2014 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com


cmd.exe started on 135.24.237.167 with process ID 1520.

---

Anyone can help me where I am going wrong here?

Thanks,

Solution 1

You have an extra -c you need to get rid of:

psexec -u administrator -p force \\135.20.230.160 -s -d cmd.exe /c "C:\Amitra\bogus.bat"

Solution 2

Here's my current solution to run any code remotely on a given machine or list of machines asynchronously with logging, too!

@echo off
:: by Ralph Buchfelder, thanks to Mark Russinovich and Rob van der Woude for their work!
:: requires PsExec.exe to be in the same directory (download from http://technet.microsoft.com/de-de/sysinternals/bb897553.aspx)
:: troubleshoot remote commands with PsExec arguments -i or -s if neccessary (see http://forum.sysinternals.com/pstools_forum8.html)
:: will run *in parallel* on a list of remote pcs (if given); to run serially please remove 'START "" CMD.EXE /C' from the psexec call


:: help
if '%1' =='-h' (
 echo.
 echo %~n0
 echo.
 echo Runs a command on one or many remote machines. If no input parameters
 echo are given you will be asked for a target remote machine.
 echo.
 echo You will be prompted for remote credentials with elevated privileges.
 echo.
 echo UNC paths and local paths can be supplied.
 echo Commands will be executed on the remote side just the way you typed
 echo them, so be sure to mind extensions and the path variable!
 echo.
 echo Please note that PsExec.exe must be allowed on remote machines, i.e.
 echo not blocked by firewall or antivirus solutions.
 echo.
 echo Syntax: %~n0 [^<inputfile^>]
 echo.
 echo     inputfile      = a plain text file ^(one hostname or ip address per line^)
 echo.
 echo.
 echo Example:
 echo %~n0 mylist.txt
 exit /b 0
)


:checkAdmin
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\config\system"
if '%errorlevel%' neq '0' (
 echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
 echo UAC.ShellExecute "%~s0", "", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
 "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
 del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
 exit /B
)
set ADMINTESTDIR=%WINDIR%\System32\Test_%RANDOM%
mkdir "%ADMINTESTDIR%" 2>NUL
if errorlevel 1 (
 cls
 echo ERROR: This script requires elevated privileges!
 echo.
 echo Launch by Right-Click / Run as Administrator ...
 pause
 exit /b 1
) else (
 rd /s /q "%ADMINTESTDIR%"
 echo Running with elevated privileges...
)
echo.


:checkRequirements
if not exist "%~dp0PsExec.exe" (
 echo PsExec.exe from Sysinternals/Microsoft not found 
 echo in %~dp0
 echo.
 echo Download from http://technet.microsoft.com/de-de/sysinternals/bb897553.aspx
 echo.
 pause
 exit /B
)


:environment
setlocal
echo.
echo %~n0
echo _____________________________
echo.
echo Working directory:  %cd%\
echo Script directory:   %~dp0
echo.
SET /P REMOTE_USER=Domain\Administrator : 
SET "psCommand=powershell -Command "$pword = read-host 'Kennwort' -AsSecureString ; ^
    $BSTR=[System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($pword); ^
        [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto($BSTR)""
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%p in (`%psCommand%`) do set REMOTE_PASS=%%p
if NOT DEFINED REMOTE_PASS SET /P REMOTE_PASS=Password             : 
echo.
if '%1' =='' goto menu
SET REMOTE_LIST=%1


:inputMultipleTargets
if not exist %REMOTE_LIST% (
 echo File %REMOTE_LIST% not found
 goto menu
)
type %REMOTE_LIST% >nul
if '%errorlevel%' neq '0' (
 echo Access denied %REMOTE_LIST%
 goto menu
)
set batchProcessing=true
echo Batch processing:   %REMOTE_LIST%   ...
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1 >nul
goto runOnce


:menu
if exist "%~dp0last.computer"  set /p LAST_COMPUTER=<"%~dp0last.computer"
if exist "%~dp0last.listing"   set /p LAST_LISTING=<"%~dp0last.listing"
if exist "%~dp0last.directory" set /p LAST_DIRECTORY=<"%~dp0last.directory"
if exist "%~dp0last.command"   set /p LAST_COMMAND=<"%~dp0last.command"
if exist "%~dp0last.timestamp" set /p LAST_TIMESTAMP=<"%~dp0last.timestamp"
echo.
echo.
echo                (1)  select target computer [default]
echo                (2)  select multiple computers
echo                     -----------------------------------
echo                     last target : %LAST_COMPUTER%
echo                     last listing: %LAST_LISTING%
echo                     last path   : %LAST_DIRECTORY%
echo                     last command: %LAST_COMMAND%
echo                     last run    : %LAST_TIMESTAMP%
echo                     -----------------------------------
echo                (0)  exit
echo.
echo ENTER your choice.
echo.
echo.
:mychoice
SET /P mychoice=(0, 1, ...): 
if NOT DEFINED mychoice  goto promptSingleTarget
if "%mychoice%"=="1"     goto promptSingleTarget
if "%mychoice%"=="2"     goto promptMultipleTargets
if "%mychoice%"=="0"     goto end
goto mychoice


:promptMultipleTargets
echo.
echo Please provide an input file
echo [one IP address or hostname per line]
SET /P REMOTE_LIST=Filename             : 
goto inputMultipleTargets


:promptSingleTarget
SET batchProcessing=
echo.
echo Please provide a hostname
SET /P REMOTE_COMPUTER=Target computer      : 
goto runOnce


:runOnce
cls
echo Note: Paths are mandatory for CMD-commands (e.g. dir,copy) to work!
echo       Paths are provided on the remote machine via PUSHD.
echo.
SET /P REMOTE_PATH=UNC-Path or folder : 
SET /P REMOTE_CMD=Command with params: 
SET REMOTE_TIMESTAMP=%DATE% %TIME:~0,8%
echo.
echo Remote command starting (%REMOTE_PATH%\%REMOTE_CMD%) on %REMOTE_TIMESTAMP%...
if not defined batchProcessing goto runOnceSingle


:runOnceMulti
REM do for each line; this circumvents PsExec's @file to have stdouts separately
SET REMOTE_LOG=%~dp0\log\%REMOTE_LIST%
if not exist %REMOTE_LOG% md %REMOTE_LOG%
for /F "tokens=*" %%A in (%REMOTE_LIST%) do (
 if "%REMOTE_PATH%" =="" START "" CMD.EXE /C ^(%~dp0PSEXEC -u %REMOTE_USER% -p %REMOTE_PASS% -h -accepteula \\%%A cmd /c "%REMOTE_CMD%" ^>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%%A.log" 2^>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%%A_debug.log" ^)
 if not "%REMOTE_PATH%" =="" START "" CMD.EXE /C ^(%~dp0PSEXEC -u %REMOTE_USER% -p %REMOTE_PASS% -h -accepteula \\%%A cmd /c "pushd %REMOTE_PATH% && %REMOTE_CMD% & popd" ^>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%%A.log" 2^>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%%A_debug.log" ^)
)
goto restart


:runOnceSingle
SET REMOTE_LOG=%~dp0\log
if not exist %REMOTE_LOG% md %REMOTE_LOG%
if "%REMOTE_PATH%" =="" %~dp0PSEXEC -u %REMOTE_USER% -p %REMOTE_PASS% -h -accepteula \\%REMOTE_COMPUTER% cmd /c "%REMOTE_CMD%" >"%REMOTE_LOG%\%REMOTE_COMPUTER%.log" 2>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%REMOTE_COMPUTER%_debug.log"
if not "%REMOTE_PATH%" =="" %~dp0PSEXEC -u %REMOTE_USER% -p %REMOTE_PASS% -h -accepteula \\%REMOTE_COMPUTER% cmd /c "pushd %REMOTE_PATH% && %REMOTE_CMD% & popd" >"%REMOTE_LOG%\%REMOTE_COMPUTER%.log" 2>"%REMOTE_LOG%\%REMOTE_COMPUTER%_debug.log"
goto restart


:restart
echo.
echo.
echo Batch completed. Finished with last errorlevel %errorlevel% .
echo All outputs have been saved to %~dp0log\%REMOTE_TIMESTAMP%\.
echo %REMOTE_PATH% >"%~dp0last.directory"
echo %REMOTE_CMD% >"%~dp0last.command"
echo %REMOTE_LIST% >"%~dp0last.listing"
echo %REMOTE_COMPUTER% >"%~dp0last.computer"
echo %REMOTE_TIMESTAMP% >"%~dp0last.timestamp"
SET REMOTE_PATH=
SET REMOTE_CMD=
SET REMOTE_LIST=
SET REMOTE_COMPUTER=
SET REMOTE_LOG=
SET REMOTE_TIMESTAMP=
ping -n 2 127.0.0.1 >nul
goto menu


:end
SET REMOTE_USER=
SET REMOTE_PASS=

Comments

[bakalolo]

Unrelated question but why is psexec needed? Can't you just put the full path into command prompt?

[pgr]

@bakalolo do you mean just entering something like \\somePC\cmd.exe ? I'm not even sure this works, but if it did, it would pull in the remote exe and execute it locally, which is a different thing from executing it on a remote computer.