diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
index 4df75195725..b7b45fa4372 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/env.py
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ def env_view_setup_parser(subparser):
         "--force",
         action="store_true",
         dest="force",
-        help="regenerate even if regeneration cannot be done atomically"
+        help="regenerate even if regeneration cannot be done atomically",
     )
     subparser.add_argument(
         "action", choices=ViewAction.actions(), help="action to take for the environment's view"
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
index 90b367f94fa..17f22feac03 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/environment/environment.py
@@ -626,11 +626,8 @@ def raise_if_symlink_before_exchange(self, force):
     def raise_if_exchange_before_symlink(self, force):
         if os.path.isdir(self.root) and not os.path.islink(self.root):
             if force:
-                try:
-                    shutil.rmtree(self.root)
-                    return
-                except:
-                    pass
+                shutil.rmtree(self.root, ignore_errors=True)
+                return
             msg = f"The view at {self.root} cannot be updated with the 'symlink' update method"
             msg += " because it was originally constructed with the 'exchange' method."
             msg += "\n  Either change the update method to 'exchange' or"
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
index 59715ff084b..8204e880dcb 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/env.py
@@ -3329,6 +3329,7 @@ def test_view_update_mismatch(update_method, tmpdir, install_mockery, mock_fetch
         view.regenerate([spec], force=True)
         assert os.path.exists(view.root)
 
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("update_method", ["symlink", "exchange"])
 def test_view_update_fails(update_method, tmpdir, install_mockery, mock_fetch, monkeypatch):
     root = str(tmpdir.join("root"))