Windows 10 - Unable to launch exiftool from command line

[jacques]

Hello,

The message I get from windows 10 as I gave my first command is:
"'Exiftool' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."


I have another issue but under windows 7!
In response to my first command: exiftool a.jpeg
The system response is "File not found"
However when I run in tandem with "ExifToolGUI" the system behaves very well under windows 7.

Thank you for your assistance.

[Phil Harvey]

Did you follow the install instructions for using exiftool from the command line?

- Phil

[jacques]

Hello Phil,
Yes! Download/extract/Rename/Move.
Jacques

[Phil Harvey]

OK then.  What happens if you type in the path to exiftool?:

c:\windows\exiftool.exe

And if this doesn't work, perhaps try disabling Windows Defender.

- Phil

[jacques]

I already tried with the path to exiftool.exe.

OK phil I will disable windows defender...tomorrow... and I will send feedback to the forum.

Tomorrow because it's getting late (and dark) in Europe at this moment.
Good night to all of you.

Jacques

[jacques]

Disabling "windows Defender" did not work.
Is there is something I can try?
Else, no problem, I will use ExifToolGUI.
Thank you Phil.

[Phil Harvey]

OK, another idea: What happens if you drag and drop the executable onto the cmd window, then press RETURN.  This should avoid problems with any typing errors or hidden characters in the file name.

If this doesn't work, then the only thing I can think of is that "exiftool.exe" is corrupted somehow.  Try re-downloading it.

- Phil

[jacques]

What happens if you drag and drop the executable onto the cmd window, then press RETURN.

Well this works the same as typing "exiftool.exe" manually.
The problem happens when adding paramaters to the command e.g.:
exiftool -common dir

Try re-downloading it.
This did not help either.

To conclude my experience:
Exiftool works fine for me under Windows 7 but is not reckognized as a valid command by Windows 10.

Thank you for your assistance Phil.

[Phil Harvey]

What happens if you drag and drop the executable onto the cmd window, then press RETURN.

Well this works the same as typing "exiftool.exe" manually.
The problem happens when adding paramaters to the command e.g.:
exiftool -common dir

So you can run exiftool.  It must be some file name or path problem.  You should be able to drag and drop the executable, then add parameters to the command before pressing RETURN.

- Phil

[jacques]

I pasted one more time the executable in the windows directory then I lounched Cmd.

I then entered: exiftool -common c:\a

And ... to my surprise the command was accepted and worked!

....Perseverare diabolicum

Phil, I had given up if it was not for your last and unexpected reply.

Thank for your perserverance too in helping me.

Jacques

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Jacques,

I'm glad you got it working.

I just had a thought.  I wonder if the problem could have been that Windows was adding an invisible ".exe" to the file name, in which case you maybe could have got it working by typing "exiftool.exe" instead of "exiftool".  If this was the case, then you should see two versions of exiftool ("exiftool.exe" and "exiftool.exe.exe") with this command: dir c:\windows\exiftool*.*

- Phil

[jacques]

... It must be some file name or path problem.

Indeed and I found the culprit.

I wanted to be tidy with the windows directory and I stored exiftool like this:

" c:\windows\EXIFTOOL\exiftool.exe "

I was so wrong in assuming windows would be able to locate the executable.

I started wit a preconceive idea and persevered. How wrong!

« Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum »

Thank you much Phil.

[Phil Harvey]

Great!  I hate lingering mysteries, so it is nice to have this one solved.

- Phil