When I use vs_buildTools.exe to install the vctools workload in a container and specify "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools" as the installation path, why does it end up installing to C:\Program automatically? How can I resolve th

Thank you for reaching out.

The issue happens because PowerShell does not expand %ProgramFiles(x86)% that syntax works in CMD, not in PowerShell. When you pass it as-is, the installer sees an invalid path and truncates at the first space, creating C:\Program instead of the full folder.

To fix this:

Use PowerShell environment variable syntax: Replace %ProgramFiles(x86)% with $env:ProgramFiles(x86) so it expands correctly.

Quote the full path: Wrap the entire path in quotes so spaces are preserved when passed to Start-Process.

Example adjustment:

--installPath "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools"

Compute the path first using Join-Path and store it in a variable, then pass that variable to --installPath. This avoids escaping issues.

Reference:

Use command-line parameters to install, update, and manage Visual Studio

Let me know if you need any further help with this. We'll be happy to assist.

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