A guide to launching Windows Explorer with JavaScript (Windows+E)

Is there a way to programmatically open Windows Explorer (Windows+E) using JavaScript?

Answer №1

Accessing Windows Explorer through JavaScript is not possible due to the restrictions imposed by modern web browsers, which limit access to the client user's hard drive. In the past, an unpatched version of Internet Explorer 6.0 had the capability to open Windows Explorer by navigating to file://c:/ in a new window.

Answer №2

Using window.open to open local or network paths may not work on modern browsers. Instead, you can convert your path to a URL format such as changing c:\data to file:///C:/Data/. Another option is to utilize HTML5 features like the following:

<pre>
input type="file" name="itemImagePath" 
</pre>

Another method to open folders in a web browser is by using:

<pre>
<a href="\\mypc\c:\myfolder">Open folder</a>
</pre>

In this case, 'mypc' represents your computer name and 'myfolder' refers to the specific folder you wish to access.

Answer №3

In order to achieve this, one must set up a custom protocol handler within the client's operating system. This handler will intercept any links associated with that particular protocol and open the designated application, such as Windows Explorer in our case.

This functionality is similar to how "magnet:" links automatically launch BitTorrent clients or how "mailto:" links trigger Mail applications.

If you're interested in setting up a protocol handler in Windows, you can learn more about it by visiting: Register Custom Handler @ Microsoft

It's important to exercise caution when allowing Windows Explorer to directly open network links without proper filtering. It's highly recommended to create a separate handler program that can process the link, remove any potentially harmful components, and then pass the sanitized link to the OS.

In the end, you may need to create an installation package for clients to install in order for this setup to function properly. While this solution works well for internal networks, it may not be suitable for external users on the Internet.

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