Opening a folder in explorer and selecting a file

Question

I m trying to open a folder in explorer with a file selected   The following code produces a file not found exception    System Diagnostics Process Start       explorer exe  select          listView1 SelectedItems 0  SubItems 1  Text               listView1 SelectedItems 0  Text     How can I get this command to execute in C

User · Accepted Answer

Use this method   Process Start String  String    First argument is an application  explorer exe   second method argument are arguments of the application you run   For example   in CMD   explorer exe -p   in C    Process Start  explorer exe    -p

User · Answer

You need to put the arguments to pass    select etc   in the second parameter of the Start method

User · Answer

If your path contains comma s  putting quotes around the path will work when using Process Start ProcessStartInfo    It will NOT work when using Process Start string  string  however  It seems like Process Start string  string  actually removes the quotes inside of your args    Here is a simple example that works for me   string p     C  tmp this path contains spaces  and commas target txt   string args   string Format   e   select     0      p    ProcessStartInfo info   new ProcessStartInfo    info FileName    explorer   info Arguments   args  Process Start info

User · Answer

You need to put the arguments to pass    select etc   in the second parameter of the Start method

User · Answer

Use   select c  file txt   Notice there should be a comma after  select instead of space

User · Answer

Just my 2 cents worth  if your filename contains spaces  ie  c  My File Contains Spaces txt   you ll need to surround the filename with quotes otherwise explorer will assume that the othe words are different arguments     string argument     select        filePath

User · Answer

The most possible reason for it not to find the file is the path having spaces in  For example  it won t find  explorer  select c  space space space txt    Just add double quotes before and after the path  like   explorer  select  c  space space space txt    or do the same in C  with  System Diagnostics Process Start  explorer exe    select   c  space space space txt

User · Answer

Samuel Yang answer tripped me up  here is my 3 cents worth   Adrian Hum is right  make sure you put quotes around your filename  Not because it can t handle spaces as zourtney pointed out  but because it will recognize the commas  and possibly other characters  in filenames as separate arguments  So it should look as Adrian Hum suggested     string argument     select        filePath

User · Answer

It might be a bit of a overkill but I like convinience functions so take this one       public static void ShowFileInExplorer FileInfo file            StartProcess  explorer exe   null    select    file FullName Quote               public static Process StartProcess FileInfo file  params string   args    gt  StartProcess file FullName  file DirectoryName  args       public static Process StartProcess string file  string workDir   null  params string   args            ProcessStartInfo proc   new ProcessStartInfo            proc FileName   file          proc Arguments   string Join      args           Logger Debug proc FileName  proc Arguments      Replace with your logging function         if  workDir    null                proc WorkingDirectory   workDir              Logger Debug  WorkingDirectory    proc WorkingDirectory      Replace with your logging function                   return Process Start proc           This is the extension function I use as   x3C string  x3E  Quote     static class Extensions       public static string Quote this string text                return SurroundWith text                   public static string SurroundWith this string text  string surrounds                return surrounds   text   surrounds

User · Answer

You need to put the arguments to pass    select etc   in the second parameter of the Start method

User · Answer

You need to put the arguments to pass    select etc   in the second parameter of the Start method

User · Answer

suppose that we have a test txt at E   string filePath     E  test txt   if   File Exists filePath         return        combine the arguments together    it doesn t matter if there is a space after     string argument     select        filePath         System Diagnostics Process Start  explorer exe   argument

User · Answer

It might be a bit of a overkill but I like convinience functions so take this one       public static void ShowFileInExplorer FileInfo file            StartProcess  explorer exe   null    select    file FullName Quote               public static Process StartProcess FileInfo file  params string   args    gt  StartProcess file FullName  file DirectoryName  args       public static Process StartProcess string file  string workDir   null  params string   args            ProcessStartInfo proc   new ProcessStartInfo            proc FileName   file          proc Arguments   string Join      args           Logger Debug proc FileName  proc Arguments      Replace with your logging function         if  workDir    null                proc WorkingDirectory   workDir              Logger Debug  WorkingDirectory    proc WorkingDirectory      Replace with your logging function                   return Process Start proc           This is the extension function I use as   x3C string  x3E  Quote     static class Extensions       public static string Quote this string text                return SurroundWith text                   public static string SurroundWith this string text  string surrounds                return surrounds   text   surrounds

User · Answer

string windir   Environment GetEnvironmentVariable  windir    if  string IsNullOrEmpty windir Trim           windir    C   Windows       if   windir EndsWith              windir                 FileInfo fileToLocate   null  fileToLocate   new FileInfo  C   Temp  myfile txt     ProcessStartInfo pi   new ProcessStartInfo windir    explorer exe    pi Arguments     select        fileToLocate FullName         pi WindowStyle   ProcessWindowStyle Normal  pi WorkingDirectory   windir     Start Process Process Start pi

User · Answer

Samuel Yang answer tripped me up  here is my 3 cents worth   Adrian Hum is right  make sure you put quotes around your filename  Not because it can t handle spaces as zourtney pointed out  but because it will recognize the commas  and possibly other characters  in filenames as separate arguments  So it should look as Adrian Hum suggested     string argument     select        filePath

User · Answer

string windir   Environment GetEnvironmentVariable  windir    if  string IsNullOrEmpty windir Trim           windir    C   Windows       if   windir EndsWith              windir                 FileInfo fileToLocate   null  fileToLocate   new FileInfo  C   Temp  myfile txt     ProcessStartInfo pi   new ProcessStartInfo windir    explorer exe    pi Arguments     select        fileToLocate FullName         pi WindowStyle   ProcessWindowStyle Normal  pi WorkingDirectory   windir     Start Process Process Start pi

User · Answer

Using Process Start on explorer exe with the  select argument oddly only works for paths less than 120 characters long   I had to use a native windows method to get it to work in all cases    DllImport  shell32 dll   SetLastError   true   public static extern int SHOpenFolderAndSelectItems IntPtr pidlFolder  uint cidl   In  MarshalAs UnmanagedType LPArray   IntPtr   apidl  uint dwFlags     DllImport  shell32 dll   SetLastError   true   public static extern void SHParseDisplayName  MarshalAs UnmanagedType LPWStr   string name  IntPtr bindingContext   Out  out IntPtr pidl  uint sfgaoIn   Out  out uint psfgaoOut    public static void OpenFolderAndSelectItem string folderPath  string file        IntPtr nativeFolder      uint psfgaoOut      SHParseDisplayName folderPath  IntPtr Zero  out nativeFolder  0  out psfgaoOut        if  nativeFolder    IntPtr Zero                   Log error  can t find folder         return             IntPtr nativeFile      SHParseDisplayName Path Combine folderPath  file   IntPtr Zero  out nativeFile  0  out psfgaoOut        IntPtr   fileArray      if  nativeFile    IntPtr Zero                   Open the folder without the file selected if we can t find the file         fileArray   new IntPtr 0             else               fileArray   new IntPtr     nativeFile               SHOpenFolderAndSelectItems nativeFolder   uint fileArray Length  fileArray  0        Marshal FreeCoTaskMem nativeFolder       if  nativeFile    IntPtr Zero                Marshal FreeCoTaskMem nativeFile

User · Answer

Using Process Start on explorer exe with the  select argument oddly only works for paths less than 120 characters long   I had to use a native windows method to get it to work in all cases    DllImport  shell32 dll   SetLastError   true   public static extern int SHOpenFolderAndSelectItems IntPtr pidlFolder  uint cidl   In  MarshalAs UnmanagedType LPArray   IntPtr   apidl  uint dwFlags     DllImport  shell32 dll   SetLastError   true   public static extern void SHParseDisplayName  MarshalAs UnmanagedType LPWStr   string name  IntPtr bindingContext   Out  out IntPtr pidl  uint sfgaoIn   Out  out uint psfgaoOut    public static void OpenFolderAndSelectItem string folderPath  string file        IntPtr nativeFolder      uint psfgaoOut      SHParseDisplayName folderPath  IntPtr Zero  out nativeFolder  0  out psfgaoOut        if  nativeFolder    IntPtr Zero                   Log error  can t find folder         return             IntPtr nativeFile      SHParseDisplayName Path Combine folderPath  file   IntPtr Zero  out nativeFile  0  out psfgaoOut        IntPtr   fileArray      if  nativeFile    IntPtr Zero                   Open the folder without the file selected if we can t find the file         fileArray   new IntPtr 0             else               fileArray   new IntPtr     nativeFile               SHOpenFolderAndSelectItems nativeFolder   uint fileArray Length  fileArray  0        Marshal FreeCoTaskMem nativeFolder       if  nativeFile    IntPtr Zero                Marshal FreeCoTaskMem nativeFile

User · Answer

Just my 2 cents worth  if your filename contains spaces  ie  c  My File Contains Spaces txt   you ll need to surround the filename with quotes otherwise explorer will assume that the othe words are different arguments     string argument     select        filePath

User · Answer

suppose that we have a test txt at E   string filePath     E  test txt   if   File Exists filePath         return        combine the arguments together    it doesn t matter if there is a space after     string argument     select        filePath         System Diagnostics Process Start  explorer exe   argument

User · Answer

If your path contains comma s  putting quotes around the path will work when using Process Start ProcessStartInfo    It will NOT work when using Process Start string  string  however  It seems like Process Start string  string  actually removes the quotes inside of your args    Here is a simple example that works for me   string p     C  tmp this path contains spaces  and commas target txt   string args   string Format   e   select     0      p    ProcessStartInfo info   new ProcessStartInfo    info FileName    explorer   info Arguments   args  Process Start info

User · Answer

The most possible reason for it not to find the file is the path having spaces in  For example  it won t find  explorer  select c  space space space txt    Just add double quotes before and after the path  like   explorer  select  c  space space space txt    or do the same in C  with  System Diagnostics Process Start  explorer exe    select   c  space space space txt

User · Answer

Use   select c  file txt   Notice there should be a comma after  select instead of space

[c#] Opening a folder in explorer and selecting a file

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