Troubleshooting System Command ‘rcmd.exe’ Failed.

This article addresses a common issue that IT professionals encounter when running the system command ‘rcmd.exe’.

What is rcmd.exe and how does it work?

Rcmd.exe is a system command that executes commands on remote machines. It is commonly used in R programming language packages like pairwiseAdonis and CrossTalkeR. When troubleshooting a failed rcmd.exe command, one potential problem is the path to the executable file. Another issue could be in the config or file settings, such as line-endings or the ls command. Additionally, dependency failures in package installation or issues with the description meta-information can cause errors. It is important to check the sessionInfo and exit status for error messages and to ensure the correct rtools version is installed. If a problem persists, it may be necessary to seek help from the package developers or post on forums like GitHub or Stack Overflow.

Is rcmd.exe safe to use on your system?

To determine if rcmd.exe is safe to use on your system, first check if it came bundled with any software you recently installed. If you didn’t install it intentionally, it could be malware. If you did install it, check the error message you received when trying to use it. If it mentions a failure to find rtools, you may need to install or update Rtools. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Install Rtools from the official website.
2. Add Rtools to your PATH environment variable, using the command writeLines(‘PATH=”${RTOOLS40_HOME}\\usr\\bin;${PATH}”‘, con = “~/.Renviron”).
3. Install the package you were trying to use, such as pairwiseAdonis or gibbonR, using the command devtools::install_github(“pmartinezarbizu/pairwiseAdonis/pairwiseAdonis”).
4. If you encounter an error related to line-endings or message files, try setting the value of the config option “core.autocrlf” to “false” using the command git config –global core.autocrlf false.

Remember to always download software from reputable sources, and keep your system and security software up to date.

Common errors associated with rcmd.exe and how to troubleshoot them

• Check if rcmd.exe is running:
  1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc
  2. Click on the Processes tab
  3. Look for rcmd.exe in the list of processes
  4. If it’s not running, try running it again
• Check if the correct path is set:
  1. Open Command Prompt by pressing Win+R and typing cmd in the Run dialog box
  2. Type set PATH and press Enter
     
  3. If the path to rcmd.exe is not listed, add it by typing set PATH=%PATH%;C:\path\to\rcmd (replace C:\path\to\rcmd with the actual path to rcmd.exe)
• Check if firewall is blocking rcmd.exe:
  1. Open Windows Firewall by typing firewall in the Start menu search bar and clicking on Windows Defender Firewall
  2. Click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall
  3. Click on Change settings
  4. Check if rcmd.exe is listed and has both Private and Public checkboxes checked
     
  5. If it’s not listed, click on Allow another app and browse for rcmd.exe
• Check if rcmd.exe is corrupt:
  1. Open Command Prompt by pressing Win+R and typing cmd in the Run dialog box
  2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
     
  3. Wait for the scan to finish and see if any errors are reported
  4. If errors are reported, type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and press Enter
  5. Wait for the restore to finish and try running rcmd.exe again

How to repair or remove rcmd.exe from your system if needed

To repair or remove rcmd.exe from your system, follow these steps.

First, try to repair it by running the following command in your command prompt: repair-rtools. If this doesn’t work, try reinstalling the Rtools package.

If you’re still facing issues, the problem may be due to a dependency. In that case, try installing the devtools and remotes packages, and then install the package causing the issue using install_github.

If you receive an error message that says “gcc_path: C:\Rtools\mingw_64\bin\gcc.exe,” try running find_rtools in the command prompt to check the Rtools installation directory.

If you’re unable to install a package from GitHub, try running the command with the build_vignettes = FALSE or build_opts = c(‘–no-resave-data’, ‘–no-manual’) option.

If none of these solutions work, you may need to seek assistance from the package developer, or check for any other system-related issues.

Mason Walker