Fake Edge App: A PowerShell Script to Create a Web App Shortcut

Fake Edge App: A PowerShell Script to Create a Fake PWA App #

In today’s digital world, quick and easy access to specific websites can be incredibly useful. One way to achieve this is by creating a Progressive Web App in Microsoft Edge. However this does not work for every site. For Example Microsoft Forms.

In this blog post, I show you a PowerShell script that does just that: it creates a desktop shortcut that opens a specific webpage in a “Fake” Edge App window.

Overview of the Script #

The script we present here creates a desktop shortcut that opens a specific URL in an Edge window. The window is configured to look like a standalone application, which can be particularly useful for frequently accessed web applications.

Script Details #

Here is the complete code of the script:

<#
.Synopsis
   Creates a "Fake" Edge App
.INPUTS
   Change $websiteURL, $shortcutPath, $logFile, $icoPath, $icoDestinationPath
.OUTPUTS
   $logFile Path Transcript
#>

# URL
$websiteURL = "google.de"

# Get the path to the Public Desktop folder using the special folder identifier
$publicDesktopPath = [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('CommonDesktopDirectory')

# Define the path to the shortcut
$shortcutPath = Join-Path -Path $publicDesktopPath -ChildPath 'NameOfLink.lnk'

# Remove Old lnk if it exists (For Link Updates with same Link name.)
if (Test-Path -Path $shortcutPath) {
    Remove-Item -Path $shortcutPath -Force
    Write-Output "Old shortcut removed: $shortcutPath"
} else {
    Write-Output "No existing shortcut found at: $shortcutPath"
}

# Drop an icon with the .ico extention in the same directory the script will run from.
# Define the source and destination paths
$icoPath = "NameOfLink.ico"
$icoDestinationPath = "$env:ProgramFiles\Samily\Icons\NameOfLink.ico"

# Create the destination directory if it does not exist
$destinationDir = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($icoDestinationPath)
if (-not (Test-Path -Path $destinationDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $destinationDir
}

# Copy the file to the destination
Copy-Item -Path $icoPath -Destination $icoDestinationPath -Force

# Verify the file was copied
if (Test-Path -Path $icoDestinationPath) {
    Write-Output "File copied successfully to $icoDestinationPath"
} else {
    Write-Output "Failed to copy the file."
}

$WshShell = New-Object -comObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WshShell.CreateShortcut("$shortcutPath")
$Shortcut.TargetPath = "%SystemDrive%\Windows\System32\cmd.exe"
$Shortcut.Arguments =  "/C start `"`" /min `"%SystemDrive%\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe`" --app=$($websiteURL) --start-windowed"
$Shortcut.IconLocation = "$icoDestinationPath"
$Shortcut.Save()

How the Script Works #

The script performs the following steps:

1. URL Definition: The URL of the webpage to be opened is stored in the $websiteURL variable.
2. Desktop Path: The path to the public desktop folder is obtained.
3. Shortcut Path: The path where the shortcut will be created is defined.
4. Remove Old Shortcut: If a shortcut with the same name already exists, it is removed.
5. Copy Icon File: An icon file is copied to the destination directory.
6. Create Shortcut: A new shortcut is created that opens the defined URL in an Edge window.

Customization Options #

The script can be easily customized by changing the following variables:

• $websiteURL: The URL of the webpage to be opened.
• $shortcutPath: The path where the shortcut will be created.
• $logFile: The path to the log file.
• $icoPath and $icoDestinationPath: Paths to the icon file.

Conclusion #

This PowerShell script provides a simple way to create a desktop shortcut that opens a webpage in a “Fake” Edge App window. It is particularly useful for users who frequently access specific web applications and want seamless integration into their desktop environment. With a few adjustments, the script can be easily tailored to individual needs.

And best of it: It can be installed as an .intuneWin App.