No appium server log file gets created

When I start appium server with this commandline, which used to work at some point in the distant past, it no longer creates any logfile at all. Version 1.18.3

C:\Users\cb\AppData\Local\Programs\Appium\Appium.exe --log C:\Users\cb\src\enterprisetests\appium.log --log-level info --port 4731

I have
java version “1.8.0_281”
Java™ SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_281-b09)
Java HotSpot™ Client VM (build 25.281-b09, mixed mode)
Anything else I need to check?

i bet problem here - how path written. e.g. on mac i do not have problem with:

appium --log /Users/my_username/Documents/temp/Appium_logs/my.log --log-level info --port 4731

try change it e.g. to:

C:\\Users\\cb\\src\\enterprisetests\\appium.log

or add braces “C:\Users\cb\src\enterprisetests\appium.log”

I do recall this quoting of args being a problem in the past, but I just tried adding quotes and double-escaping of the separators, without joy. Pretty sure I’m misunderstanding some step of the environment because the exact same python script did run fine on Windows a year ago, so I’m just pasting the traces output to try diagnose why our python framework is no longer able to locate the logfile, the logfile simple never gets created.
I’m a bit vague on the separation between the “desktop” app and the “server” app, since the commandline launches the “desktop” app, not the “server”.

I suspect the problem has more to do with a disconnect in the way installer documentation is done.

If you install the “Desktop” version of appium server, most of us will end up spawning appium.exe from where the Windows installer shortcut installed the app, but you apparently need to run the node server directly from the node wrapper batch file to be able to pass parameters.