Shell Launcher is a Windows feature that you can use to replace the default Windows Explorer shell (Explorer.exe) with a Windows desktop application or a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app.
Practical examples include:
Public browsing
Interactive digital signage
ATMs
Shell Launcher controls which application the user sees as the shell after sign-in. It doesn't prevent the user from accessing other desktop applications and system components. From a custom shell, you can launch secondary views displayed on multiple monitors, or launch other apps in full screen on user's demand.
With Shell Launcher, you can use features and methods to control access to other applications or system components. These methods include, but aren't limited to:
Shell Launcher is part of the Assigned Access feature, which allows you to configure kiosks or restricted user experiences. To learn about the differences between Shell Launcher and the other options offered by Assigned Access, see Windows kiosks and restricted user experiences.
Windows edition and licensing requirements
The following table lists the Windows editions that support Shell Launcher:
Windows Pro
Windows Enterprise
Windows Pro Education/SE
Windows Education
No
Yes
No
Yes
Shell Launcher license entitlements are granted by the following licenses:
Here are some limitations to consider when using Shell Launcher:
Windows doesn't support setting a custom shell before the out-of-box experience (OOBE). If you do, you can't deploy the resulting image
Shell Launcher doesn't support a custom shell with an application that launches a different process and exits. For example, you can't specify write.exe in Shell Launcher. Shell Launcher launches a custom shell and monitors the process to identify when the custom shell exits. Write.exe creates a 32-bit wordpad.exe process and exits. Since Shell Launcher isn't aware of the newly created wordpad.exe process, Shell Launcher takes action based on the exit code of Write.exe, such as restarting the custom shell
Configure a device with Shell Launcher
The configuration of Shell Launcher is done using an XML file. The XML file is applied to the device via the Assigned Access CSP, using one of the following options:
Shell Launcher is a Windows feature that you can use to replace the default Windows Explorer shell ( Explorer.exe ) with a Windows desktop application or a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app. Practical examples include: Public browsing. Interactive digital signage.
Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup contains elements and settings that control how the Windows operating system shell is installed on a destination computer.
The default shell is set to Cmd.exe, but you can specify any executable file to be the default shell. You can configure Shell Launcher to launch a different shell for specific users or groups if you don't want to run the default shell.
One solid choice is a free program called Open Shell. Replacing the Windows 10 Start menu with a more traditional Start menu, Open Shell lets you customize the menu with the folders and shortcuts of your choice. Open Shell is based on another Windows Start menu alternative called Classic Shell.
A shell is a computer program that presents a command line interface which allows you to control your computer using commands entered with a keyboard instead of controlling graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with a mouse/keyboard combination.
cat /etc/shells – List pathnames of valid login shells currently installed.grep "^$USER" /etc/passwd – Print the default shell name. The default shell runs when you open a terminal window.
Windows PowerShell is the new Microsoft shell that combines the old CMD functionality with a new scripting/cmdlet instruction set with built-in system administration functionality. PowerShell cmdlets allow users and administrators to automate complicated tasks with reusable scripts.
The Windows Shell Experience Host is one of the core processes in the Windows operating system that controls graphical components like the desktop environment, taskbar, and Start menu. It's a crucial component that helps you navigate and interact with the Windows user interface.
Hold the special Windows key on your keyboard and press the "X" key. Choose "Command Prompt" from the pop-up menu. Hold the Windows key and press the "R" key to get a "Run" window. Type "cmd" in the box, and click the OK key.
If we want to change the default shell of the current login user, we can execute the chsh command with the -s <NEW_SHELL> option. The newly changed default shell will take effect the next time we log in with the user kent.
Windows Terminal is a modern host application for the command-line shells you already love, like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)).
The Windows command prompt (also known as the command line, cmd.exe or simply cmd) is a command shell based on the MS-DOS operating system that provides an environment to run applications and utilities. Output is displayed in the same window. It is the default shell in pre-Windows 10 systems.
Method 2: Uninstall Open-Shell via Apps and Features/Programs and Features. Look for Open-Shell in the list and click on it. The next step is to click on uninstall, so you can initiate the uninstallation.
Windows Shell folders, often referred to as “Special folders”, serve as specialized directories in the Windows operating system providing a unified and consistent method for users and applications to access diverse data types.
The Shell command can be run from the command prompt or with the standard Windows 11 Run command. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box as shown in Figure A. Type your Shell command in the box, in our example shell:AppsFolder, and press OK. Image: Mark Kaelin/TechRepublic.
Windows PowerShell is the new Microsoft shell that combines the old CMD functionality with a new scripting/cmdlet instruction set with built-in system administration functionality. PowerShell cmdlets allow users and administrators to automate complicated tasks with reusable scripts.
A shell command is one that is processed internally by the shell. There is no corresponding executable program. Take cd for instance. There is no /bin/cd program, say, and which cd specifies that it is a built-in command. It is part of the shell.
Windows Terminal is a modern host application for the command-line shells you already love, like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)).
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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