title: PATH variable is empty when calling .cmd from powershell
body: <p>If I run the following line directly in a command prompt, I see the expected output.</p>
  
  <pre><code>echo %PATH%
  &gt; C:\Program...
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>However, if I run the same command in a <code>.cmd</code> file from a <code>.ps1</code> file, then <code>PATH</code> is empty.</p>
  
  <pre><code># program.ps1
  python --version
  Write-Output $env:PATH
  &amp; .\command.cmd
  
  # command.cmd
  python --version
  echo %PATH%
  
  .\program.ps1
  &gt; Python 3.5.2
  &gt; C:\Program...
  &gt; 'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command
  &gt; ECHO is on.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Why is running the command from a powershell script wiping out my <code>PATH</code> variable?</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT</strong></p>
  
  <p>The example above was simplified to try to get the the root of the issue. The problem is that anything on the <code>PATH</code> is not found when executing from the batch file. So, for example, I'm not able to use <code>python</code>. I've updated the example to better detail what I'm seeing.</p>