Test-Path

Module:

Microsoft.PowerShell.Management

Determines whether all elements of a path exist.

Syntax

Test-Path
    [-Path] <String[]>
    [-Filter <String>]
    [-Include <String[]>]
    [-Exclude <String[]>]
    [-PathType <TestPathType>]
    [-IsValid]
    [-Credential <PSCredential>]
    [-OlderThan <DateTime>]
    [-NewerThan <DateTime>]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Test-Path
    -LiteralPath <String[]>
    [-Filter <String>]
    [-Include <String[]>]
    [-Exclude <String[]>]
    [-PathType <TestPathType>]
    [-IsValid]
    [-Credential <PSCredential>]
    [-OlderThan <DateTime>]
    [-NewerThan <DateTime>]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Test-Path
    [-Path] <string[]>
    [-Filter <string>]
    [-Include <string[]>]
    [-Exclude <string[]>]
    [-PathType <TestPathType>]
    [-IsValid]
    [-Credential <pscredential>]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Test-Path
    -LiteralPath <string[]>
    [-Filter <string>]
    [-Include <string[]>]
    [-Exclude <string[]>]
    [-PathType <TestPathType>]
    [-IsValid]
    [-Credential <pscredential>]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Test-Path cmdlet determines whether all elements of the path exist. It returns $true if all elements exist and $false if any are missing. It can also tell whether the path syntax is valid and whether the path leads to a container or a terminal or leaf element. If the Path is a whitespace or empty string, then the cmdlet returns $false. If the Path is $null, an array of $null or an empty array, the cmdlet returns a non-terminating error.

Examples

Example 1: Test a path

Test-Path -Path "C:\Documents and Settings\DavidC"

True

This command checks whether all elements in the path exist, including the C: directory, the Documents and Settings directory, and the DavidC directory. If any are missing, the cmdlet returns $false. Otherwise, it returns $true.

Example 2: Test the path of a profile

Test-Path -Path $profile

False

Test-Path -Path $profile -IsValid

True

These commands test the path of the PowerShell profile.

The first command determines whether all elements in the path exist. The second command determines whether the syntax of the path is correct. In this case, the path is $false, but the syntax is correct $true. These commands use $profile, the automatic variable that points to the location for the profile, even if the profile doesn't exist.

For more information about automatic variables, see about_Automatic_Variables.

Example 3: Check whether there are any files besides a specified type

Test-Path -Path "C:\CAD\Commercial Buildings\*" -Exclude *.dwg

False

This command checks whether there are any files in the Commercial Buildings directory other than .dwg files.

The command uses the Path parameter to specify the path. Because the path includes a space, the path is enclosed in quotation marks. The asterisk at the end of the path indicates the contents of the Commercial Building directory. With long paths, such as this one, type the first few letters of the path, and then use the TAB key to complete the path.

The command specifies the Exclude parameter to specify files to omit from the evaluation.

In this case, because the directory contains only .dwg files, the result is $false.

Example 4: Check for a file

Test-Path -Path $profile -PathType leaf

True

This command checks whether the path stored in the $profile variable leads to a file. In this case, because the PowerShell profile is a .ps1 file, the cmdlet returns $true.

Example 5: Check paths in the Registry

These commands use Test-Path with the PowerShell registry provider.

The first command tests whether the registry path of the Microsoft.PowerShell registry key is correct on the system. If PowerShell is installed correctly, the cmdlet returns $true.

Important

Test-Path doesn't work correctly with all PowerShell providers. For example, you can use Test-Path to test the path of a registry key, but if you use it to test the path of a registry entry, it always returns $false, even if the registry entry is present.

Test-Path -Path "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell"

True

Test-Path -Path "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell\ExecutionPolicy"

False

Example 6: Test if a file is newer than a specified date

This command uses the NewerThan dynamic parameter to determine whether the pwsh.exe file on the computer is newer than July 13, 2009.

The NewerThan parameter works only in file system drives.

Test-Path $pshome\pwsh.exe -NewerThan "July 13, 2009"

True

Example 7: Test a path with null as the value

The error returned for null, array of null or empty array is a non-terminating error. It can be suppress by using -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue. The following example shows all cases that return the NullPathNotPermitted error.

Test-Path $null
Test-Path $null, $null
Test-Path @()

Test-Path : Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is null.
At line:1 char:11
+ Test-Path $null
+           ~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (:) [Test-Path], ParameterBindingValidationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathCommand

Example 8: Test a path with whitespace as the value

When a whitespace string is provided for the Path parameter, it returns $false. This is a change from Windows PowerShell 5.1. When an empty string is provided, Test-Path returns an error. The following example shows whitespace and empty string.

Test-Path ' '
Test-Path ''

False
False

Example 9: Test a path that may have an invalid drive

When you test a path that includes a drive specification, testing the validity of the path fails if the drive doesn't exist. You can prefix the drive with the provider name to work around this problem.

Test-Path -IsValid Z:\abc.txt
Test-Path -IsValid FileSystem::Z:\abc.txt

False
True

Parameters

-Credential

Note

This parameter isn't supported by any providers installed with PowerShell. To impersonate another user, or elevate your credentials when running this cmdlet, use Invoke-Command.

Type:	PSCredential
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Exclude

Specifies items that this cmdlet omits. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:	String[]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

-Filter

Specifies a filter in the format or language of the provider. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcard characters, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when it retrieves the objects instead of having PowerShell filter the objects after they're retrieved.

Type:	String
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

-Include

Specifies paths that this cmdlet tests. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. Enter a path element or pattern, such as *.txt. Wildcard characters are permitted.

Type:	String[]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	True

-IsValid

Indicates that this cmdlet tests the syntax of the path, regardless of whether the elements of the path exist. This cmdlet returns $true if the path syntax is valid and $false if it's not. If the path being tested includes a drive specification, the cmdlet returns false when the drive does not exist. PowerShell returns false because it doesn't know which drive provider to test.

Note

A breaking change in the Path APIs was introduced in .NET 2.1. Those methods no longer check for invalid path characters. This change caused a regression in PowerShell where the IsValid check no longer tests for invalid characters. The regression will be addressed in a future release. For more information, see Breaking changes in .NET Core 2.1.

Type:	SwitchParameter
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-LiteralPath

Specifies a path to be tested. Unlike Path, the value of the LiteralPath parameter is used exactly as it's typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcard characters. If the path includes characters that could be interpreted by PowerShell as escape sequences, you must enclose the path in single quote so that they won't be interpreted.

Type:	String[]
Aliases:	PSPath, LP
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	True
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-NewerThan

This is a dynamic parameter made available by the FileSystem provider.

Specify a time as a DateTime object.

Before PowerShell 7.5, the cmdlet ignores:

• This parameter when you specify PathType as any value other than Any.
• The OlderThan parameter when used with this parameter.
• This parameter when Path points to a directory.

Starting with PowerShell 7.5, you can use this parameter with any value for the PathType parameter, to test a date range with the OlderThan parameter, and to test the age of directories.

For more information, see about_FileSystem_Provider.

Type:	Nullable<T>[[DateTime]]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-OlderThan

This is a dynamic parameter made available by the FileSystem provider.

Specify a time as a DateTime object.

Before PowerShell 7.5, the cmdlet ignores:

• This parameter when you specify PathType as any value other than Any.
• This parameter when used with the NewerThan parameter.
• This parameter when Path points to a directory.

Starting with PowerShell 7.5, you can use this parameter with any value for the PathType parameter, to test a date range with the NewerThan parameter, and to test the age of directories.

For more information, see about_FileSystem_Provider.

Type:	Nullable<T>[[DateTime]]
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

-Path

Specifies a path to be tested. Wildcard characters are permitted. If the path includes spaces, enclose it in quotation marks.

Type:	String[]
Position:	0
Default value:	None
Required:	True
Accept pipeline input:	True
Accept wildcard characters:	True

-PathType

Specifies the type of the final element in the path. This cmdlet returns $true if the element is of the specified type and $false if it's not. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

• Container - An element that contains other elements, such as a directory or registry key.
• Leaf - An element that doesn't contain other elements, such as a file.
• Any - Either a container or a leaf.

Tells whether the final element in the path is of a particular type.

Caution

Up to PowerShell version 6.1.2, when the IsValid and PathType switches are specified together, the Test-Path cmdlet ignores the PathType switch and only validates the syntactic path without validating the path type.

According to issue #8607, fixing this behavior may be a breaking change in a future version, where the IsValid and PathType switches belong to separate parameter sets, and thus, can't be used together avoiding this confusion.

Type:	TestPathType
Aliases:	Type
Accepted values:	Any, Container, Leaf
Position:	Named
Default value:	None
Required:	False
Accept pipeline input:	False
Accept wildcard characters:	False

Inputs

String

You can pipe a string that contains a path, but not a literal path, to this cmdlet.

Outputs

Boolean

The cmdlet returns a Boolean value.

Notes

The cmdlets that contain the Path noun (the Path cmdlets) work with path and return the names in a concise format that all PowerShell providers can interpret. They're designed for use in programs and scripts where you want to display all or part of a path in a particular format. Use them as you would use Dirname, Normpath, Realpath, Join, or other path manipulators.

The Test-Path is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type Get-PSProvider. For more information, see about_Providers.

Related Links

• Convert-Path
• Join-Path
• Resolve-Path
• Split-Path