Create Desktop Shortcut

[kpassaur]

I am trying to create a desktop shortcut and found a nice script on the forum that does just that; however, it changes the "/" to "\" and I need the forward slash to send along the parameters as in this example from the help file

msched Example Script /filename=testfile.txt /path=c:\outpath\the


VBSTART
Sub NewDesktopShortcut(linkfile,targetpath,windowstyle,hotkey,descr)
Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
strDesktop = WshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strDesktop & "\" & linkfile)
oShellLink.TargetPath = targetpath
oShellLink.WindowStyle = windowstyle
oShellLink.Hotkey = hotkey
oShellLink.IconLocation = "C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe, 0"
oShellLink.Description = descr
oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strDesktop
oShellLink.Save
End Sub
VBEND

Let>job=Test this variable
let>linkname=%job%.lnk
Let>profile=test

Let>program=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe /Profiletouse="%profile%" /Output="Commandline"

VBRun>NewDesktopShortcut,%linkname%,%program%,1,CTRL+SHIFT+R,Profile Manager Shortcut


The line generated from this script in the shortcut looks like this

"C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe \Profiletouse="test" \Output="Commandline""

Any ideas on how to force it to become a forward slash?

[Marcus Tettmar]

This is because you are passing the arguments as part of the target so it thinks those should be part of the path. You need to use the arguments property of the shortcut object.

This version adds a new parameter for the command line arguments:

Code: Select all

VBSTART
Sub NewDesktopShortcut(linkfile,targetpath,windowstyle,hotkey,descr,parms)
  Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
  strDesktop = WshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
  set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strDesktop & "\" & linkfile)
  oShellLink.TargetPath = targetpath
  oShellLink.Arguments = parms
  oShellLink.WindowStyle = windowstyle
  oShellLink.Hotkey = hotkey
  oShellLink.IconLocation = "C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe, 0"
  oShellLink.Description = descr
  oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strDesktop
  oShellLink.Save
End Sub
VBEND

Let>job=Test this variable
let>linkname=%job%.lnk
Let>profile=test

Let>program=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe
Let>parms=/Profiletouse="%profile%" /Output="Commandline"

VBRun>NewDesktopShortcut,%linkname%,%program%,1,CTRL+SHIFT+R,Profile Manager Shortcut,parms

[jpuziano]

Hi Marcus and kpassaur,

Thanks for this, a very useful script. I made a few mods to pull out more of the variables so I could set them in Macro Script and not have to make any changes to the VBScript. Here's what I'm using:

Code: Select all

VBSTART
Sub NewDesktopShortcut(linkfile,targetpath,parms,windowstyle,hotkey,iconlocation,descr)
  Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
  strDesktop = WshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop")
  set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strDesktop & "\" & linkfile)
  oShellLink.TargetPath = targetpath
  oShellLink.Arguments = parms
  oShellLink.WindowStyle = windowstyle
  oShellLink.Hotkey = hotkey
  oShellLink.IconLocation = iconlocation
  oShellLink.Description = descr
  oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strDesktop
  oShellLink.Save
End Sub
VBEND

Let>shortcut_icon_title=My App
Let>linkfile=%shortcut_icon_title%.lnk

Let>profile=my_profile

//Let>targetpath=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe
Let>targetpath=C:\Program Files\Dir\myapp.exe

//Let>parms=/Profiletouse="%profile%" /Output="Commandline"
Let>parms=

//1=Normal, 3=Maximized, 7=Minimized
Let>windowstyle=1

//Let>hotkey=CTRL+SHIFT+R
Let>hotkey=

//Note: the icon image is contained within the app exe
//Let>iconlocation=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe, 0
Let>iconlocation=C:\Program Files\Dir\myapp.exe, 0

//Let>descr=Profile Manager Shortcut
Let>descr=My App Icon Description

VBRun>NewDesktopShortcut,linkfile,targetpath,parms,windowstyle,hotkey,iconlocation,descr

I do have two questions though...

1) What is the significance of ", 0" in the following line?

• Let>iconlocation=C:\Program Files\Dir\myapp.exe, 0

2) For windowstyle, 1 works for "Normal" and 3 works for "Maximized" but 2 does not work for "Minimized". The icon created just has "Normal" for windowstyle when I use 2. How would I get that to work? (Edit: use 7 for "Minimized")

Again, thanks again for this great bit of code.

[Marcus Tettmar]

1: 0 means use the first icon resource in the given EXE file. Zero based.
2: 2 does mean run minimized. Perhaps the app in question doesn't like being started minimized.

Documentation on the Shortcut object is here:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xk6kst2k.aspx

[jpuziano]

1: 0 means use the first icon resource in the given EXE file. Zero based.

Sounds good, thanks.

2: 2 does mean run minimized. Perhaps the app in question doesn't like being started minimized.

Documentation on the Shortcut object is here:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xk6kst2k.aspx

Your link led me to this link that shows to use 7 for "Minimized":
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/w88k7fw2.aspx

I tried 7 and it worked... now when I right-click the shortcut icon that this script creates and click Properties, it shows "Run: Minimized" which is what I was after.

I will correct the code I posted above to show that 7 is for "Minimized".

Thanks again for this very useful script.

[Phil Pendlebury]

Hi there,

Great help (all of the above).

If anyone has a minute could you explain how to change the place that the shortcut is placed. Instead of Desktop.

At the moment in my little file moving app I am making the shortcuts (using this VB) and then moving them from the desktop to the desired location.

It works fine but it would be nice to just create the shortcut at the desired location straight away.

[Marcus Tettmar]

Just change this line:

strDesktop = WshShell.SpecialFolders("Desktop")

If to your own path you could use:

strDesktop = "c:\mypath\"

But you might also want to do the sensible thing and change the name of the strDesktop variable to something more useful and therefore change all further references of strDesktop in the rest of the code.

If you want to move it to another "special" location change it to, for example:

strStartup = WshShell.SpecialFolders("Startup")

And change references to strDesktop to strStartup.

Take a look at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... S.85).aspx

For "special" folders:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... S.85).aspx

[Phil Pendlebury]

Hi Marcus,

That was quick thanks.

The location would need to be able to be set by a variable so I think I can do it with what you have done there. I'll try it out shortly.

I'm afraid VB Script is gobbledygook to me so I have to work quite hard to decipher it.

Thank you very much.

[Marcus Tettmar]

So if you want to set it via a variable:

VBSTART
Sub NewDesktopShortcut(strMyPath,linkfile,targetpath,parms,windowstyle,hotkey,iconlocation,descr)
Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strMyPath & "\" & linkfile)
oShellLink.TargetPath = targetpath
oShellLink.Arguments = parms
oShellLink.WindowStyle = windowstyle
oShellLink.Hotkey = hotkey
oShellLink.IconLocation = iconlocation
oShellLink.Description = descr
oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strMyPath
oShellLink.Save
End Sub
VBEND

Let>path=c:\something
VBRun>NewDesktopShortcut,path,etc,etc,etc,

[Phil Pendlebury]

Awesome Marcus thank you.

I hope you don't think I am just asking you to write code for me without trying myself but in the case of VB I'm afraid there's little else I can do. I am trying my best to learn it though.

[Rain]

Thanks for the examples.

I have a question. How would I set the "Start in" option? I want it to be set to the directory a user selects. E.g. if the app is located in C:\3rdPartyAppFolder\app.exe I want it to be set to C:\3rdPartyAppFolder instead of "C:\Documents and Settings\USER_NAME\Desktop"

I know I can set it like this strDesktop = "C:\3rdPartyAppFolder" by creating the shortcut in the 3rdPartyAppFolder and then moving it to the desktop. But that's not going to work if the 3rdPartyAppFolder is located in C:\Programs Files\3rdPartyAppFolder

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[Marcus Tettmar]

I believe The "Start in" folder you see in shortcuts is stored in the WorkingDirectory property:

oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strMyPath

[Rain]

Thanks.

I finally got it to work.

Here is the working code if anyone is interested.

Code: Select all

VBSTART
Sub NewDesktopShortcut(linkfile,targetpath,parms,windowstyle,hotkey,iconlocation,descr,strMyAppFolder)
  Set WshShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
  set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strMyAppFolder & "\" & linkfile)
  oShellLink.TargetPath = targetpath
  oShellLink.Arguments = parms
  oShellLink.WindowStyle = windowstyle
  oShellLink.Hotkey = hotkey
  oShellLink.IconLocation = iconlocation
  oShellLink.Description = descr
  oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = strMyAppFolder
  oShellLink.Save
End Sub
VBEND


Let>shortcut_icon_title=3rd Party App Name
Let>linkfile=%shortcut_icon_title%.lnk


Let>profile=%USER_NAME%


//Save shortcut to specified Folder and set "Start in" variable
let>strMyAppFolder=C:\MyAppFolder

//Let>targetpath=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe
Let>targetpath=C:\MyAppFolder\app.exe

//Let>parms=/Profiletouse="%profile%" /Output="Commandline"
Let>parms=

//1=Normal, 3=Maximized, 7=Minimized
Let>windowstyle=1

//Let>hotkey=CTRL+SHIFT+R
Let>hotkey=CTRL+SHIFT+R

//Note: the icon image is contained within the app exe
//Let>iconlocation=C:\consolegrab\ProfileManager\Profile Manager.exe, 0
Let>iconlocation=C:\MyAppFolder\app.exe, 0

//Let>descr=Profile Manager Shortcut
Let>descr=Temp Shortcut


VBRun>NewDesktopShortcut,linkfile,targetpath,parms,windowstyle,hotkey,iconlocation,descr,strMyAppFolder


//Move shortcut to desktop
MoveFile>%strMyAppFolder%\%shortcut_icon_title%.lnk,%DESKTOP_DIR%\%shortcut_icon_title%.lnk