Launching Windows Apps

[joes_garage]

Hello.

I was wondering if there's a way to launch the so called Windows apps (Edge, the new (Windows 10) Calculator, Clock, etc) from FARR (see this list I got. Note that I'm using Classic Shell, thus the look of my start menu):
Launching Windows Apps

I tried adding C:\Program Files\WindowsApps and C:\Windows\SystemApps to the search folders, but it didn't work. As I found checking the running exe proprieties in process explorer, these apps appear to require some -ServerName parameter to be passed in for the app to run

Edge params:
Launching Windows Apps

Time params:
Launching Windows Apps

So, if there's no actual way for FARR to do that as of now, is this a feature we could expect in the near future?

Thanks,

joce.

[nitrix-ud]

+1

i think this is already on mouser's list of new feature requests

[nitrix-ud]

i personally use autohotkey scripts for every app i want :

Run Skype://

Run fb-messenger://

Run calculator://

Skype://, fb-messenger://, calculator:// are registered protocols in windows...

you can also use the run built-in command like so (directly in FARR search box) :
run calculator://

[mouser]

Yeah I will add this asap -- moving to top of my todo list.

[nitrix-ud]

Yeah I will add this asap -- moving to top of my todo list.

really nice add to ease the learning curve of FARR 

[joes_garage]

Thanks Mouser! :-)

[jcnassoc]

Yeah I will add this asap -- moving to top of my todo list.

-mouser (March 28, 2017, 10:41 AM)

Awesome. This will help keep FARR my one-stop place to launch apps.

One of the things I tried to work around this--unsuccessfully--was to create a shortcut to Skype with the hopes FARR would find it. I even set up a .BAT to run the shortcut. Neither one was found by FARR.

I would love to know why--does FARR only find registered programs? I don't think so as I do see other .BATs I've set up for different purposes.

Thanks.
Alex E. Luyando J.C.N. Associates, L.L.C. Microsoft Visual FoxPro Database Application Design and Development | IT Project Management (PMP)

[mouser]

The only reason FARR wouldn't show your new shortcuts and bat files would be if they aren't located in one of the folders that FARR searches.  You can edit that folder list in the options.

[jcnassoc]

The only reason FARR wouldn't show your new shortcuts and bat files would be if they aren't located in one of the folders that FARR searches.  You can edit that folder list in the options.

-mouser (May 11, 2017, 06:32 AM)

Awesome! Perfect!! That totally works for me. Thanks!

[Hilario]

Waiting for Mouser solution, I found one
If you go to
%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1}
you can see all the applications (even the modern one)
You can create a direct access and paste it on desktop or other place accesible by FAR
Then it is working.
;-)

[wraith808]

Unfortunately, that didn't work for me.

Just to try a simple test, I also added that directory to my search folders in FARR and gave it a weight 0f 75, and it didn't find any apps that were within that.  Perhaps if FARR could be made to iterate virtual directories of that sort, it would be the simplest solution.

[joes_garage]

Hello again!

Just checking if there was any development on the Windows App front since the original post...

[warrenrh]

Try the following link --
https://winaero.com/blog/desktop-shortcut-store-app-windows-10/

After opening up a Special Hidden Applications folder, you create a Shortcut for each Application you want to search for in a place that FARR would search, such as your desktop.

I too hope that Mouser will be able to help with this problem.

[Nod5]

This page
https://docs.microso...-of-an-installed-app
describes a Powershell command to get a list of the names and AUMIDs (Application User Model ID) for all apps installed for the current user

[Select]

get-StartApps

For example the list has this line on my PC

[Select]

Calculator        Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App

The string on the right is the AUMID. We can use it to start the program from a cmd window like so

[Select]

explorer.exe shell:Appsfolder\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App

Those are the main ingredients we need. For FARR to automatically be able to run any such app installed either of these two solutions should work

1. Mouser codes FARR to at some interval get and parse the AUMIDs list and in some special way include the app names in FARR search results so users can search for and start them

2. A separate tool is made that gets AUMIDs and for each creates a shortcut .lnk files with the application name as filename and

[Select]

explorer.exe shell:Appsfolder\<AUMID>

as target. The tool runs at Windows start or every hour or some such. The user sets FARR to include that folder with the .lnk files when searching.

Alternative 2 could be a good Coding Snack challenge perhaps?

[IainB]

@joes_garage: Cross-posted here in case you might not have seen this - it was a response made where you had been asking a similar/same question in another thread:

@joes_garage:

How about Launching Windows Apps (Edge, etc)? Will it be in V3 or will it make it to FARR before that? Mouser, you said like 6 months ago that this feature was coming in soon. :-)
____________________________

-joes_garage (October 19, 2017, 03:08 PM)

I thought it was possible to launch Win10 Apps with FARR already, no?
Apps normally seem to have to be be loaded by the Windows Explorer Shell, which I find to be a pain.
Take MS Edge, for example.
Open the FARR window, Type/paste this string:
      run shell:Appsfolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge
 - into the FARR search box, and then press Enter.
MS Edge will load.

Open the FARR window again, and repeat the type/paste of the string:
      run shell:Appsfolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge
The first search result will be the same string that you just entered previously.
Select this result and Right-Click it, choosing Add to Group Alias, then select New Alias Keyword/Group..
You can then add this as a new alias. (You can call it whatever you want, but I used $Edge)
You will see that FARR will have interpreted and recorded the string slightly differently, as:
      shellexec shell:Appsfolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge

Spoiler

(Source: C:\UTIL\Windows utilities\FindAndRunRobot\Plugins\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database\Files\2017\10\20_710x571_23FD7004.png

Right-Clicking the same result will now show the newly-added alias in the menu:

Spoiler

Source: C:\UTIL\Windows utilities\FindAndRunRobot\Plugins\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database\Files\2017\10\20_763x495_AC976BC6.png

(Was this the sort of thing you were looking for?)

-IainB (October 19, 2017, 10:22 PM)

[erikts]

Try the following link --
https://winaero.com/blog/desktop-shortcut-store-app-windows-10/

After opening up a Special Hidden Applications folder, you create a Shortcut for each Application you want to search for in a place that FARR would search, such as your desktop.

I too hope that Mouser will be able to help with this problem.

-warrenrh (March 28, 2019, 01:53 AM)

This works for me. Thanks.