Utility to create symlinks for all executables in the Start Menu?

Question

It's really annoying in Windows that if you want to run about any third-party program from the command line, you either have to use its full path or manually add its containing directory to PATH.

Is there a utility that scans all entries in the Start Menu, and creates a symlink to each of the executables in a certain directory, so that I only have to add this one directory to PATH?

Answer 1

I've implemented this functionality with a Python script.

This is surprisingly difficult to make it right though:

1. Shortcuts work in the shell (Run Dialog, double clicking the file, etc), but not in Cmd.

2. Symlinks work in Cmd, but not in the shell.

3. Hardlinks work in both, but can't cross partition boundaries.

I ended up using shortcuts. On the command line I have to type program.lnk for it to work, and this is on Windows 7, it doesn't work in XP.

Answer 2

First, I dont know a utility to automate this process.

Likewise your own answer you only have to create links in one special directory and include this to the PATH. But to really get it working in commandline, run-dialog and with doubleclicking you need to use Batch-Scripts:

To start file D:\Inkscape\inkscape.exe

@"D:\Inkscape\inkscape.exe" %*

Save that in a file named inkscape.cmd in this special directory. Then inkscpae is accessable from within the commandline or the run-dialog. All arguments ar piped to the original file.

This works best for CLI programms (yes, inkscape has an CLI) because a cmd.exe process starts to start the wantet programm and doesnt exit until the termination of the started program. For GUI programms it is better to use:

@START "D:\Inkscape\inkscape.exe" %*

Then the cmd.exe process exits after starting the program. All arguments are piped, too.

I use this for an flashdrive installation of LaTeX and for some simple unix-commands in windows (7/64; xp/32). And it works well.