batch-file trick: Starting Windows Explorer and selecting a file (“explorer” commandline parameters “/n”“/e”“/select”“/root”“/start” site:microsoft.com)

From a batch-file I recently had to start Windows Explorer, at the same time select a specific file or directory.

This turned out pretty easy: use the /select command-line switch from Windows Explorer.

In fact, Windows Explorer has a few command-line switches, and the “explorer” commandline parameters “/n” “/e” “/select” “/root” “/start” site:microsoft.com query will find quite a few topics about it:

• Windows NT 4 through Windows 2000
• Windows 95 through Windows ME
• Windows XP
• Windows XP including x64
• Windows 2000 (which also mentions the ::{GUID} syntax of specifying the object to show)

The fun is: the Windows Explorer command-line syntax has been consistent since Windows 95:
Syntax:

• explorer [/n] [/e][,/root,object][[,/select],subobject]

Parameters:

• /n
  Always open a new window (even if the specified folder is already open).
• /e
  Use Windows Explorer view. The default is Open view.
• /root, object
  Specify the object in the normal namespace that will be used as the root of this Windows Explorer Folder. The default is to just use the normal namespace root (the desktop).
• subobject
  Specify the folder to receive the initial focus unless /select is used. The default is the root.
• /select
  Specifies that the parent folder is opened and the specified object is selected.

So: the solution was easy:

explorer /select,%FileNameToSelect%

or (note the comma after the /e)

explorer /e,/select,%FileNameToSelect%

Note that this syntax will not select the file, but in stead try to open the default application for FileNameToStart:

explorer %FileNameToStart%

–jeroen