Use LabVIEW to open Windows Explorer to a certain directory?

[PJSandekian]

I'm using LabVIEW 8.5 to create Excel and Word files in certain directories.  Can I use it to also open Windows Explorer to a certain directory so the user can work in that directory?  It is the same directory that the Excel and Word files are saved in.

Thanks!

Patty

[smercurio_fc]

Use the Open URL in Default Browser (under Dialog & User Interface -> Help) and wire a path to it. Easy as pie.

 

Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 04-28-2009 05:39 PM

[Jarrod_S.]

I think that will open the folder in Internet Explorer or whichever browser is the system default. You can do the following to open it in Windows explorer using the System Exec command.

 

Edit: Okay, I was wrong, smercurio's method works great!

Message Edited by Jarrod S. on 04-28-2009 05:57 PM

[PJSandekian]

Is there a special addon that I need in order to run this?  I get an error # 7. 

Thanks!

Patty

[jcarmody]

Error 7 means your file wasn't found; check your path.

[TroyK]

You could also try this...

(You may need to change 'WINNT' for 'Windows' depending on the target system. Actually... you can just put 'explorer.exe /n ,/root,' and remove the full path to explorer.exe.)

Message Edited by Troy K on 04-29-2009 09:37 AM

[smercurio_fc]

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Jarrod S. wrote:

I think that will open the folder in Internet Explorer or whichever browser is the system default.

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It shouldn't. It should open Windows Explorer. I tested it, and verified it opens Windows Explorer. The key is that the path must be to a folder, and not to a file.

[PJSandekian]

I was able to get the Open URL in Default Browser to open Windows Explorer but it did not open to the directory I specified.  It went to the default directory (file://localhost) instead of the path I specified (Z:\FY2009 Jobs\100000\).  Are there any issues with working with a network drive?  All of our computers have the same defined Z drive.  Or is there some default setting that I need to change?

Thanks,

Patty

[smercurio_fc]

You are probably wiring the path in as a string. Were you using that VI when you got the error 7? That would happen if the string contained spaces. Use a path constant or control, not a string.

[Steiger]

I was also unable to get the "Open URL in default browser" to work with a network directory specified as "\\NetworkDir\NetworkSubDir" (i.e. not a mapped drive).

"Open URL in default browser" worked for local paths, but I had to use the System Exec method  to open a network directory.