When I execute a command like

start http:\\www.google.com

the webpage opens in a browser window, but the active window (the one receiving the next keyboard input) is switched to the browser's window.  I would like the active window to continue to be the PowerShell command prompt window.

Is this possible?

Here's one way:

cmd /c start /min http://www.google.com

I tried using -WindowStyle Minimized with Start-Process, but focus kept going to the browser.

Here's one way:

cmd /c start /min http://www.google.com

I tried using -WindowStyle Minimized with Start-Process, but focus kept going to the br

Interesting.

Worked for me with v4 on 8.1 using IE11.

Interesting.

Worked for me with v4 on 8.1 using IE11.

Here's one way:

cmd /c start /min http://www.google.com

  

For me, using Windows 7 and  Windows 8.1, this works only if the browser is not already running.
If the browser is running, even if minimized, the browser keeps the focus.

For Windows 10, even if the browser is not running it does not work to retain focus on the powershell.exe session.

Hi Larry,

could you try this:

$url = "www.google.com"
$ie = New-Object -Com InternetExplorer.Application
$ie.Navigate2($url)
$ie.Visible    = $True
$ie.Fullscreen = $True

This should open an IE browser with google as webpage, but keeps the focus on your PowerShell console.

HicanNL, thanks, but that code also switched the focus from powershell.exe to IE session.

And if you do it like this? On my lab machine the console doesn't lose focus:

$url = "www.google.com"
$ie = New-Object -Com InternetExplorer.Application
$ie.Navigate2($url)
$ie.Visible    = $True
$ie.Fullscreen = $True

Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss 16 hours 51 minutes ago

Thanks!   The code below works for me.  Note that I changed the value of $ie.Fullscreen to $False.   With $True, the IE window opened without stealing focus, but there was no frame around it.

$url = "www.google.com"
$ie = New-Object -Com InternetExplorer.Application
$ie.Navigate2($url)
$ie.Visible    = $True
$ie.Fullscreen = $False
Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss 3 hours 53 minutes ago

And if you do it like this? On my lab machine the console doesn't lose focus:

$url = "www.google.com"
$ie = New-Object -Com InternetExplorer.Application
$ie.Navigate2($url)
$ie.Visible    = $True
$ie.Fullscreen = $True

Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss Monday, August 24, 2015 2:18 PM

Thanks!   The code below works for me.  Note that I changed the value of $ie.Fullscreen to $False.   With $True, the IE window opened without stealing focus, but there was no frame around it.

$url = "www.google.com"
$ie = New-Object -Com InternetExplorer.Application
$ie.Navigate2($url)
$ie.Visible    = $True
$ie.Fullscreen = $False
Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss Tuesday, August 25, 2015 3:16 AM

What do the extra commands do? Specifically:

Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

What do the extra commands do? Specifically:

Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

$pid stores the PID of your console session. The AppActivate method is being used to force focus back to the console.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dyz95fhy(v=vs.90).aspx

I'm not sure if this will always be reliable, but it seems to work in this instance.

What do the extra commands do? Specifically:

Add-Type -Assembly "Microsoft.VisualBasic"
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

$pid stores the PID of your console session. The AppActivate method is being used to force focus back to the console.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dyz95fhy(v=vs.90).aspx

I'm not sure if this will always be reliable, but it seems to work in this instance.

I need to test this also on Windows 8.1 and 10, but it works well enough on this PC running Windows 7 that I'll be able to use it during a demo I'm doing next month.

$url = 'www.google.com'
Invoke-Expression "start $url"
sleep 2
Add-Type -Assembly 'Microsoft.VisualBasic'
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss 3 hours 52 minutes ago

$url = 'www.google.com'
Invoke-Expression "start $url"
sleep 2
Add-Type -Assembly 'Microsoft.VisualBasic'
[Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction]::AppActivate($pid)

• Marked as answer by LarryWeiss Tuesday, August 25, 2015 3:17 AM