--------------------------------------------------------------Command Line switches for Windows Explorer explorer [/n] [/e][,/root,object][[,/select],subobject] None Explorer rooted at the Desktop /n Opens a new window. /e Explorer View (default if nothing else is on the command line.) /root,object Starts Explorer with object the top item (normally Desktop is the top item). Eg: explorer /e,/root,c:\Starts Explorer with the C drive as the only drive available. /select,subobject Selects the specified subobject. Replaceable parameters are %1 (one) which is the short file or folder name and %l (L) which is the long file name. /IDLIST This is an additional parameter that means a Windows internal structure is being passed. eg: Explorer.exe /e,/idlist,%I The %I is a replacable parameter representing an IDLIST. Rooted Views To open an explorer item that starts with a special folder as the top folder use the following syntax. Where the special folder is a sub folder of the desktop explorer /e,root,::{CLSID of special folder} Where the special folder is a sub folder of another special folder (usually, if not always My Computer) explorer /e,root,::{CLSID of parent}/::{CLSID of special folder} Where the special folder is part of the file system explorer /e,root,path to folder See Namespaces on the Icons Page for a list of CLSIDs for special folders. Examples Note that /select is inconsistent. Sometime the / is required, sometimes it should be left out, and sometimes it doesn't matter. Starts explorer with the Windows folder opened and selected. explorer /e,select,c:\windows Starts explorer with Windows the top level folder and command opened and selected. explorer /e,/root,c:\windows,select,c:\windows\command Starts explorer with Windows the top level folder and Tips.txt showing instead of the file listing. explorer /e,/root,c:\windows,select,c:\windows\tips.txt Starts explorer with My Computer the top level folder and all branches except for
drives collapsed. explorer /e,/root,::{20d04fe0-3aea-1069-a2d8-08002b30309d} Starts explorer with C:\ the top level folder. explorer /e,/root,c:\ Starts the Dial Up Networking folder in folder view. explorer.exe ::{20d04fe0-3aea-1069-a2d8-08002b30309d}\::{992cffa0-f557-101a-88ec00dd010ccc48}