Cmd command unrecognized in windows 8 command prompt

Question

I'm trying to create a txt file via command line on windows 8 using the following command in the root directory (C:):
echo getmac for laptop > c:\data\laptop_mac.txt"
cmd /c "getmac >> c:\data\laptop_mac.txt"
The fist line works but the command prompt tells me following with the cmd command: 'cmd' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
As a result the file does get created but it doesn't get my mac address like it should. I should point out that the exact same commands works under windows 7 enterprise. I used the sfc/scannow command to check for corrupt files and it did find some files.
I would attach the log if I knew how to attach one. The file is very long and I don't want to post it directly in here because of that.
Also, I did run this in administrator and windows 8 is updated. Finally, I noticed that the cmd command works in the system32 folder but I really don't think I should create a txt file there.

Answer 1

The reason I have 3 quotation marks is because that's what my instructor wrote. What confuses the living heck out of me is the fact that the exact same command with the quotation marks works just fine in windows 7 enterprise. I'm having a hard time understand
why it doesn't work in windows 8.
We have seen discrepancies involving Enterprise versions before.  See if the cmd help could explain them:
cmd  /?
<extract  OS="W8.1 Pro">
If /C or /K is specified, then the remainder of the command line after
the switch is processed as a command line, where the following logic is
used to process quote (") characters:
    1.  If all of the following conditions are met, then quote characters
        on the command line are preserved:
        - no /S switch
        - exactly two quote characters
        - no special characters between the two quote characters,
          where special is one of: &<>()@^|
        - there are one or more whitespace characters between the
          two quote characters
        - the string between the two quote characters is the name
          of an executable file.
    2.  Otherwise, old behavior is to see if the first character is
        a quote character and if so, strip the leading character and
        remove the last quote character on the command line, preserving
        any text after the last quote character.
</extract>
I guess that might cover my escaped double-quote requirement?
Btw I tried:
cmd /c getmac >> pcmac.txt
and it failed.
What was the symptom exactly and where were you when you tried this (directory-wise)?  E.g. Now I'm wondering where that cmd.exe would be running (therefore writing).  If it is at the root or somewhere else protected you might be seeing a permissions
problem that way.  I would try running ProcMon to check on that possibility, as well as clarify exactly what that cmd.exe is doing.
Good luck
Robert
Robert Aldwinckle