Restart explorer.exe Process in Windows 10  

How would one make a right-click context menu entry to restart explorer and re-open previously open windows, using @KeithM's PS script?

Code:

Shell = New-Object -ComObject shell.application
$SavedPaths = ( $Shell.Windows() | select -expand LocationURL ) -ne ''
Get-Process explorer | Stop-Process
$SavedPaths | ForEach { explorer $_ }

Thanks!

Code:

(REG Add "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\Restart Explorer\Command" /VE /D "PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -noexit -file D:\KeithM.ps1" /F)

Copy KeithM's script into this file: D:\KeithM.ps1

Matthew Wai said:

Code:

(REG Add "HKCR\Directory\Background\shell\Restart Explorer\Command" /VE /D "PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -noexit -file D:\KeithM.ps1" /F)

Copy KeithM's script into this file: D:\KeithM.ps1

I will try it out this evening. Thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

bamajon1974 said:

I will try it out this evening. Thanks!

@KeithM, @Matthew Wai
Three problems:
1. When I restart explorer, I get the following PowerShell error message:

Code:

Shell : The term 'Shell' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check
the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
At C:\KeithM.ps1:1 char:1
+ Shell = New-Object -ComObject shell.application
+ ~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Shell:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
At C:\KeithM.ps1:2 char:1
+ $SavedPaths = ( $Shell.Windows() | select -expand LocationURL ) -ne ' ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull

2. Regardless of what directory is open, the command defaults to open This PC

3. The Powershell window persists after the operation.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

bamajon1974 said:

1. When I restart explorer, I get the following PowerShell error message:

In KeithM's script, replace the first line with the following line:

$Shell = New-Object -ComObject shell.application

Note that a dollar sign has been added at the beginning. That will also solve the problem mentioned in your question 3.

bamajon1974 said:

2. Regardless of what directory is open, the command defaults to open This PC

@KeithM's script does not work as intended. Something is possibly missing.