Fix elevated launcher quoting for unusual paths

README.md

@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ Get-Help .\Windows-Path-Repair-Full.ps1 -Detailed
 
 Double-click `Run-PATH-Repair-Admin.bat` to open an elevated PowerShell session with a **preview** of the canonical script. It does not apply changes automatically. Review the result, then rerun the command in that elevated window with `-Apply` if it is correct.
 
+The batch file hands the script location to [`Start-PATH-Repair-Elevated.ps1`](Start-PATH-Repair-Elevated.ps1) as a bound `-ScriptPath` parameter, and that helper passes the path to the elevated process as a single argument instead of inserting it into PowerShell command text. This keeps the launcher working when the repository folder contains spaces, apostrophes, ampersands, parentheses, or non-ASCII characters, for example `C:\Qoder Test\O'Brien & 工具 (x64)`. Keep `Start-PATH-Repair-Elevated.ps1` in the same folder as the batch file.
+
+If the canonical script is missing or the elevated session cannot be started, such as when the UAC prompt is dismissed, the launcher reports the reason and exits with a non-zero exit code.
+
 ## Backups and recovery
 
 Every apply operation creates a timestamped JSON backup under `%USERPROFILE%\PathBackups` before modifying `PATH`. Keep the backup until you have opened a new terminal and confirmed that your required commands resolve correctly. The backup contains the exact original User and Machine values, and the script automatically rolls back changes from the current run if a later write or read-back verification fails.

Run-PATH-Repair-Admin.bat

@@ -3,9 +3,18 @@ setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion
 echo Windows PATH Repair Tool
 echo Opening an elevated preview. No PATH changes will be made unless you rerun with -Apply.
 set "repair_script=%~dp0Windows-Path-Repair-Full.ps1"
+set "launcher_script=%~dp0Start-PATH-Repair-Elevated.ps1"
 if not exist "%repair_script%" (
     echo ERROR: Canonical repair script was not found.
     exit /b 1
 )
-PowerShell -NoProfile -Command "$scriptPath = $args[0]; $arguments = '-NoProfile -NoExit -File \"{0}\"' -f $scriptPath; Start-Process -FilePath 'PowerShell.exe' -Verb RunAs -ArgumentList $arguments" "%repair_script%"
-endlocal
+if not exist "%launcher_script%" (
+    echo ERROR: Elevation launcher script was not found.
+    exit /b 1
+)
+PowerShell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "%launcher_script%" -ScriptPath "%repair_script%"
+set "launch_exit=%ERRORLEVEL%"
+if not "%launch_exit%"=="0" (
+    echo ERROR: The elevated preview could not be started.
+)
+endlocal & exit /b %launch_exit%

Start-PATH-Repair-Elevated.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    Start an elevated, preview-only run of Windows-Path-Repair-Full.ps1.
+
+.DESCRIPTION
+    Receives the canonical script location as a bound -ScriptPath parameter and
+    forwards it to the elevated PowerShell.exe process as a discrete argv token.
+    The path is never concatenated into PowerShell command text, so a repository
+    directory containing spaces, apostrophes, ampersands, parentheses, or
+    non-ASCII characters is passed through unchanged.
+
+    Elevation uses -Verb RunAs so the standard UAC prompt stays visible, and the
+    elevated session opens the canonical script in preview mode. -Apply is never
+    added automatically.
+#>
+
+[CmdletBinding()]
+param(
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
+    [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
+    [string]$ScriptPath,
+
+    [scriptblock]$StartProcessAction = {
+        param($FilePath, $ArgumentList)
+        Start-Process -FilePath $FilePath -ArgumentList $ArgumentList -Verb RunAs | Out-Null
+    },
+
+    [switch]$NoExecute
+)
+
+Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+function ConvertTo-ArgumentToken {
+    <#
+        Quotes one value using the Windows CommandLineToArgvW rules so the child
+        process recovers the original string exactly.
+    #>
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param([Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][AllowEmptyString()][string]$Value)
+
+    if ($Value.Contains('"')) {
+        throw "A Windows file path cannot contain a double quote character: $Value"
+    }
+
+    # Backslashes are literal unless they immediately precede the closing quote,
+    # where each one must be doubled.
+    $trailingBackslashes = 0
+    for ($i = $Value.Length - 1; $i -ge 0 -and $Value[$i] -eq '\'; $i--) {
+        $trailingBackslashes++
+    }
+
+    return '"' + $Value + ('\' * $trailingBackslashes) + '"'
+}
+
+function Get-ElevatedLaunchArgumentLine {
+    <#
+        Builds the argv line for the elevated PowerShell.exe process. The result
+        contains only fixed switches plus the quoted script path; it is never
+        evaluated as PowerShell command text.
+    #>
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param([Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()][string]$ScriptPath)
+
+    $tokens = @('-NoProfile', '-NoExit', '-File', (ConvertTo-ArgumentToken -Value $ScriptPath))
+    return ($tokens -join ' ')
+}
+
+function Get-ElevatedPowerShellPath {
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param()
+
+    $candidate = Join-Path -Path $PSHOME -ChildPath 'PowerShell.exe'
+    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $candidate -PathType Leaf) {
+        return $candidate
+    }
+
+    return 'PowerShell.exe'
+}
+
+function Start-ElevatedPathRepair {
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()][string]$ScriptPath,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][scriptblock]$StartProcessAction
+    )
+
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $ScriptPath -PathType Leaf)) {
+        throw "Canonical repair script was not found: $ScriptPath"
+    }
+
+    $resolvedPath = (Get-Item -LiteralPath $ScriptPath).FullName
+    $filePath = Get-ElevatedPowerShellPath
+    $argumentLine = Get-ElevatedLaunchArgumentLine -ScriptPath $resolvedPath
+
+    try {
+        & $StartProcessAction $filePath $argumentLine
+    }
+    catch {
+        throw "Could not start the elevated PowerShell session: $($_.Exception.Message)"
+    }
+
+    return [pscustomobject]@{
+        FilePath     = $filePath
+        ArgumentList = $argumentLine
+        ScriptPath   = $resolvedPath
+    }
+}
+
+if ($NoExecute) {
+    return
+}
+
+try {
+    $launch = Start-ElevatedPathRepair -ScriptPath $ScriptPath -StartProcessAction $StartProcessAction
+    Write-Host "Elevated preview requested for: $($launch.ScriptPath)" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+    exit 0
+}
+catch {
+    Write-Host "ERROR: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
+    exit 1
+}