DSCR_Shortcut

PowerShell DSC Resource to create shortcut file (LNK file).

Install

You can install Resource through PowerShell Gallery.

Install-Module -Name DSCR_Shortcut

Resources

• cShortcut PowerShell DSC Resource to create shortcut file.

Properties

cShortcut

• [string] Ensure (Write):

  • Specify whether or not a shortcut file exists
  • The default value is Present. { Present | Absent }

• [string] Path (Key):

  • The path of the shortcut file.
  • If the path ends with something other than .lnk, The extension will be added automatically to the end of the path

• [string] Target (Required):

  • The target path of the shortcut.

• [string] Arguments (Write):

  • The arguments of the shortcut.

• [string] WorkingDirectory (Write):

  • The working directory of the shortcut.

• [string] WindowStyle (Write):

  • You can select window style. { normal | maximized | minimized }
  • The default value is normal

• [string] Description (Write):

  • The description of the shortcut.

• [string] Icon (Write):

  • The path of the icon resource.

• [string] HotKey (Write):

  • HotKey (Shortcut Key) of the shortcut
  • HotKey works only for shortcuts on the desktop or in the Start menu.
  • The syntax is: "{KeyModifier} + {KeyName}" ( e.g. "Alt+Ctrl+Q", "Shift+F9" )
  • If the hotkey not working after configuration, try to reboot.

• [string] AppUserModelID (Write):

  • Specifies AppUserModelID of the shortcut
  • About AppUserModelID, See Microsoft Docs.
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/appids

Examples

• Example 1: Create a shortcut to the Internet Explore InPrivate mode to the Administrator's desktop

Configuration Example1
{
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName DSCR_Shortcut
    cShortcut IE_Desktop
    {
        Path      = 'C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\PrivateIE.lnk'
        Target    = "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"
        Arguments = '-private'
    }
}

• Example 2: Specifies All Properties

Configuration Example2
{
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName DSCR_Shortcut
    cShortcut IE_Desktop
    {
        Path             = 'C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\PrivateIE.lnk'
        Target           = 'C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
        Arguments        = '-private'
        WindowStyle      = 'maximized'
        WorkingDirectory = 'C:\work'
        Description      = 'This is a shortcut to the IE'
        Icon             = 'shell32.dll,277'
        HotKey           = 'Ctrl+Shift+U'
        AppUserModelID   = 'Microsoft.InternetExplorer.Default'
    }
}

Functions

Get-Shortcut

Get a lnk file properties.

• Syntax

Get-Shortcut [-Path] <string> [-ReadOnly]

New-Shortcut

Create a lnk file.

• Syntax

New-Shortcut [-Path] <string> [-TargetPath] <string> [-Description <string>] [-Arguments <string>] [-WorkingDirectory <string>] [-Icon <string>] [-HotKey <string>] [-WindowStyle {<normal> | <maximized> | <minimized>}] [-AppUserModelID <string>] [-PassThru] [-Force]

Update-Shortcut

Update properties of an exist lnk file.

• Syntax

Update-Shortcut [-Path] <string> [-TargetPath] <string> [-Description <string>] [-Arguments <string>] [-WorkingDirectory <string>] [-Icon <string>] [-HotKey <string>] [-WindowStyle {<normal> | <maximized> | <minimized>}] [-AppUserModelID <string>] [-PassThru] [-Force]

ChangeLog

v2.3.0

Improvements ⚡

• Class libraries are included as pre-compiled binaries. This greatly improves module load times. #14

v2.2.0

New Features ✨

• Export useful functions. Get-Shortcut, New-Shortcut, Update-Shortcut

Bug Fix 🐛

• Fixed an issue that the test fails when http / https URLs is specified in Target.

v2.1.1

Improvements ⚡

• [Regression] Fixed an issue where environment variables in a shortcut file would be unintentionally expanded.

v2.1.0

Improvements ⚡

• [Regression] Fixed an issue where environment variables in a shortcut file would be unintentionally expanded.
• Fixed an issue where HotKey would not be determined correctly between multiple different keyboard layouts.
• You can now specify the Fn-key for HotKey by itself. (In previous versions, it had to be combined with modifier keys.)
• Add Unit & Integration tests.

v2.0.0

BREAKING CHANGES 💥

• v1 of the module initializes properties not specified in the configuration when updating an existing shortcut file, but v2 preserves them.

New Features ✨

• Add AppUserModelID property.
  You can use this to control the grouping of the taskbar. See Microsoft Docs for more information.
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/appids

Improvements ⚡

• For better performance and future scalability, The internal interface has been changed from WshShortcut to IShellLink.
• Avoid positional parameters.
• Fix minor issues.

v1.3.8

• Changed not to test for properties not explicitly specified.

v1.3.7

• Fix PSSA issues.
• Remove unnecessary files in the published data.

v1.3.6

• Fixed issue that the Test-TargetResource always fails when the Target contains environment variables. #9
• Fixed issue that the Test-TargetResource may fails when the Icon is specified.

v1.3.4

• Fixed issue that the Test-TargetResource always fails when the HotKey is not specified. #8
• Improved verbose messages.

v1.3.1

• Change type of HotKey to [string]

v1.3.0

• Add Description property #1
• Add HotKey property #2
• Add Icon property #3