Scripting COM Shell Objects - Launch Windows Explorer

Scripting COM Shell Objects - Launch Windows Explorer

On this page I will show you how to create a COM object, which opens and then manipulates Windows Explorer.  ComObject, or plain COM, is a key PowerShell command that performs many of the jobs previously undertaken by VBScript.  For our task, we are going to persuade PowerShell to create a Shell.Application; from there we will manipulate the Explorer programmatically.

Topics for COM Objects

• New-Object  -com
• PowerShell script to Open (launch) the Explorer
• Summary of Com Shell Objects

New-Object -com

All COM objects are created through the command: New-Object -COM.  There are dozens of options and possibilities for New-Object -COM, for our purpose we specifically need a Shell.Application type of object.  Let me take you step-by-step through the method.

1) Create the object (Shell.Application)
The first step is to create an object and assign it to a variable. For example:
$ShellExp = new-object -comObject Shell.Application

2) Object Methods and Properties
Let us investigate the methods and properties available to our shell object:
$ShellExp | get-Member

In particular, lookout for the methods: 'Open' and 'Explore', because these are the methods that we are going to apply to our object.

3) PowerShell script to actually Open (launch) the Explorer  

Instructions:

1. Save the code as a file, make sure that you create a .ps1 extension, for example ShellExplore.ps1
2. Launch PowerShell
3. Navigate to the folder where you saved the .ps1 file
4. At the PS> prompt type:  .\ShellExplore (dot backslash filename)

Learning Points

When I first experimented with this command I tried $ShellExp.open without the brackets - wrong.  Then I tried $ShellExp.Open() - no good.  Finally I remembered that the parenthesis style of brackets needs to enclose a value, $ShellExp.Open("C:\").  Eureka, success, the Windows Explorer launched anchored at the C:\.

4) PowerShell script to Explore with the Windows Explorer  

The idea behind a second version of opening the Windows Explorer is to give you perspective.  By changing a few items, I hope that it gives you extra understanding, also more ideas for your own situation.  In the example below I have introduced a variable $Drive to hold the value for the folder, which you want explorer to view.  Note also how I have changed .open("D:") to .explore("C:\windows").  For this script to work, you need to have a \windows folder on your c: drive, fortunately, this is the default location for this system folder.

Summary of -COM Shell objects

Once you have discovered the straightforward technique of creating com objects, then you can specialise by creating a Shell.Application object.  After you have assigned the object to a variable, you can apply methods to perform useful tasks such as opening folders or exploring with Windows Explorer.  The secret of this method is adding a value in the brackets at the end of the command, for example, $ShellExp.Open("C:\").

See Also PowerShell Tutorials:

• PowerShell Home  • Com  • Shell Application  • Active Directory  • QAD Snap-in  • Get-Member

Please write in if you see errors of any kind.  Please report any factual mistakes, grammatical errors or broken links, I will be happy to not only to correct the fault, but also to give you credit.

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