Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings

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!

wrx7m

Circling back to GPP. Thanks to @FiyaFly , who was able to help me out with the syntax for the fields. Do not use quotes in the target or start in paths.
Target Path:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

Arguments:

--incognito --proxy-server=squid1.domain.com:3128 --user-data-dir="%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Squid1\User Data"

Start in:

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

I also used the create option and desktop (standard, not all users desktop).

Solved Creating a Shortcut for Chrome Incognito with Proxy Settings