Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings

wrx7m

OK. Finally got it to show up. I had to move the shortcut creation to Computer configuration and set the "Location" to "All Users Desktop" for it to show up. However, when running the bat file, it still opens a CMD window. This one is all blank. I tried adding exit to the script, but it doesn't close the window.

wrx7m

OK. Finally. It pops up briefly and closes as the Chrome windows opens. The bat file would be -

@ECHO OFF
start "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --incognito --proxy-server="http://squid.domain.com:3128" --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\ChromeProxy01\User Data"
Exit

If anyone can figure out a way to get a regular shortcut to run with those parameters, I would appreciate that.

wrx7m

Managed to create a shortcut manually with the Windows wizard. Right-click>New shortcut. I modified the syntax to exlude the quotes around the proxy server and removed the http://. This is the syntax I put in the path field:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --incognito --proxy-server=squid.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\ChromeProxy01\User Data"

After finishing, it automatically filled in the "Start in" field with

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application"

It also grabbed the Chrome icon.

Unfortunately, I still can't get the shortcut created using GPO. It just won't create it.

wrx7m

I guess I can create a logon script that runs a robocopy to copy the shortcuts from a share to the users' desktops.

Obsolesce

Why are you shortcutting to a script and not Chrome shortcut with those arguments?

wrx7m

@Obsolesce said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

Why are you shortcutting to a script and not Chrome shortcut with those arguments?

Windows wouldn't let me create a shortcut with the initial arguments in that syntax. Per the second to last post, I have since been able to create the proper syntax for the shortcuts. I had to remove the http:// and quotes around the proxy server option.

My problem now lies in how best to deploy the Chrome shortcuts. For whatever reason, a GPO doesn't create the shortcut. The same GPO will create a shortcut to the script, just not the specialized Chrome shortcut.

Obsolesce

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@Obsolesce said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

Why are you shortcutting to a script and not Chrome shortcut with those arguments?

Windows wouldn't let me create a shortcut with the initial arguments in that syntax. Per the second to last post, I have since been able to create the proper syntax for the shortcuts. I had to remove the http:// and quotes around the proxy server option.

My problem now lies in how best to deploy the Chrome shortcuts. For whatever reason, a GPO doesn't create the shortcut. The same GPO will create a shortcut to the script, just not the specialized Chrome shortcut.

SaltStack would deploy it with its eyes closed and no arms or legs.

wrx7m

@Obsolesce Someday I will get to deploying salt stack. #pipedreams #onemanarmy

scottalanmiller

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@Obsolesce Someday I will get to deploying salt stack. #pipedreams #onemanarmy

It's So fast to deploy. Totally worth it.

wrx7m

I tried getting one going a couple years ago and still have a dormant VM on one of my hosts.

wrx7m

Now that the bulk of this project is done, I might be able to dedicate some more time to getting Saltstack going. Although, I just found out they are planning an e-commerce site launch for one of our brands and didn't include me in the initial phases. #ThisPlace

black3dynamite

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@Obsolesce Someday I will get to deploying salt stack. #pipedreams #onemanarmy

SaltStack is awesome for a one man army.

scottalanmiller

@black3dynamite said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@Obsolesce Someday I will get to deploying salt stack. #pipedreams #onemanarmy

SaltStack is awesome for a one man army.

The fewer people you have, the more important efficiency is!

wrx7m

@scottalanmiller I setup a fedora server last night and started installing salt.

Obsolesce

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@scottalanmiller I setup a fedora server last night and started installing salt.

What happened? Dnf install salt-master got hung up and didn't finish?

wrx7m

@Obsolesce said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

@scottalanmiller I setup a fedora server last night and started installing salt.

What happened? Dnf install salt-master got hung up and didn't finish?

lol - I installed it but still need to configure it.

wrx7m

Still can't get these GPP to work, although, I am now getting an error in the GPR- 0x80070002

wrx7m

I am trying to see if I can use PS to create the shortcuts. Not sure how to get this path to work with the quotes it needs.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --incognito --proxy-server=squid1.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Squid1\User Data"

This is the template I am using.

# Create a Shortcut with Windows PowerShell
$TargetFile = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\notepad.exe"
$ShortcutFile = "$env:Public\Desktop\Notepad.lnk"
$WScriptShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WScriptShell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutFile)
$Shortcut.TargetPath = $TargetFile
$Shortcut.Save()

FiyaFly

@wrx7m said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

I am trying to see if I can use PS to create the shortcuts. Not sure how to get this path to work with the quotes it needs.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --incognito --proxy-server=squid1.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Squid1\User Data"

This is the template I am using.

# Create a Shortcut with Windows PowerShell
$TargetFile = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\notepad.exe"
$ShortcutFile = "$env:Public\Desktop\Notepad.lnk"
$WScriptShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WScriptShell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutFile)
$Shortcut.TargetPath = $TargetFile
$Shortcut.Save()

Took me a minute, but got it working. The template you are using doesn't account for arguments. Give this a shot:

$TargetFile = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
$args = '--incognito --proxy-server=squid1.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Squid1\User Data"'
$ShortcutFile = "$env:UserProfile\Desktop\chrome1.lnk"
$WScriptShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WScriptShell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutFile)
$Shortcut.TargetPath = $TargetFile
$Shortcut.Arguments = $args
$Shortcut.Save()

wrx7m

@FiyaFly said in Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings:

$TargetFile = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
$args = '--incognito --proxy-server=squid1.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Squid1\User Data"'
$ShortcutFile = "$env:UserProfile\Desktop\chrome1.lnk"
$WScriptShell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WScriptShell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutFile)
$Shortcut.TargetPath = $TargetFile
$Shortcut.Arguments = $args
$Shortcut.Save()

The arguments is what was needed. Thanks!

Solved Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings