Test-Path
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"
TrueThis 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
TrueThese 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
FalseThis 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
TrueThis 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"
FalseExample 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"
TrueExample 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.TestPathCommandExample 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
FalseExample 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
TrueParameters
-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
You can pipe a string that contains a path, but not a literal path, to this cmdlet.
Outputs
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.
