Thanks guys for the quick replies. And apologies for making it too general. Here is the code:

require Win32;
Win32->import;

my $patharg = $ARGV[0];
print "ARGV: [$patharg]\n";

$path = "\"" . Win32::GetShortPathName($patharg) . "\"";
print "patharg: [$patharg]\n";
print "path: [$path]\n";

my $cmd = "$path\\disc";
print "Issuing cmd: [$cmd]\n";
my $op = `$cmd`;
my $ret = $?;
print "ret: [$ret], op: [$op]\n";

$cmd = "$path\\disc -v";
print "Issuing cmd: [$cmd]\n";
$op = `$cmd`;
$ret = $?;
print "ret: [$ret], op: [$op]\n"
####################
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Output:

C:\Users\Administrator.ZEN>perl test.pl "C:\Program Files\GFN%$^#\CLI\
+bin"
ARGV: [C:\Program Files\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin]
patharg: [C:\Program Files\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin]
path: ["C:\PROGRA~1\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin"]
Issuing cmd: ["C:\PROGRA~1\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin"\disc]
The system cannot find the path specified.
ret: [256], op: []
Issuing cmd: ["C:\PROGRA~1\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin"\disc -v]
ret: [0], op: [

Discovery Version: 7.2.10.0
<snip>
]
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If I maually run the command without any args, it runs fine:

C:\Users\Administrator.ZEN>"C:\Program Files\GFN%$^#\CLI\bin"\disc


Discovery Version: 7.2.10.0
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I have to qualify the script with paths containing such special characters.