Hey there, let's work through this cmder startup issue so you can get the cl command working right away! When your PowerShell command runs fine manually but breaks in cmder's startup settings, it usually boils down to how cmder handles shell execution and environment variable inheritance. Here are the most reliable fixes to try:

1. Chain CMD Environment Setup + PowerShell Launch #

The vcvarsall.bat script (which configures the Visual C++ Build Tools environment) is a CMD script, so we need to run it first to set up variables before launching PowerShell. Try this command in cmder's "Command line" setting:

cmd /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" && powershell.exe"

• Swap the path to match your actual Visual Studio Build Tools version (e.g., replace 2019 with 2022) and target architecture (use vcvars32.bat for 32-bit environments).
• This command first runs the CMD script to populate build environment variables, then launches PowerShell—so the cl command will inherit all necessary settings automatically.

2. Import CMD Environment Variables into PowerShell Directly #

If you prefer a PowerShell-only command, you'll need to capture the environment variables from vcvarsall.bat and apply them to your PowerShell session. Use this:

powershell.exe -NoExit -Command "& { $vcPath = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat'; Invoke-Expression ('cmd /c ""' + $vcPath + '" && set"') | ForEach-Object { if ($_ -match '^(.*?)=(.*)$') { [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($matches[1], $matches[2], 'Process') } } }"

• The -NoExit flag ensures your PowerShell window stays open after running the setup.
• This snippet runs the CMD script, captures its output environment variables, and applies them to your PowerShell session.

3. Fix Path Escaping & Space Issues #

If your command fails due to spaces in the Visual Studio path, double-check you're wrapping the path in double quotes. Alternatively, use Windows short paths (e.g., C:\PROGRA~2\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools) to avoid space-related errors—get the short path by running dir /x in the parent directory of your Visual Studio installation.

4. Confirm cmder's Startup Shell Settings #

Make sure cmder isn't forcing a conflicting shell:

• Open cmder settings with Win + Alt + P.
• Under "Startup", check the "Shell" dropdown is set to "PowerShell" (or leave as "Default" if you're using the CMD-to-PowerShell chain command above).

Test these commands one by one, adjusting paths to match your installation, and you’ll have the cl command ready to go as soon as cmder launches!

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者James Whitehead