Utility

ps-launcher

Minimal, secure PowerShell script launcher under 10KB. Runs scripts silently without console windows — ideal for Task Scheduler, login scripts, and background automation. Future-proof VBScript replacement.

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Hiding a PowerShell console window so a scheduled task or login script doesn’t flash black at the user used to mean wrapping it in VBScript — and VBScript is on its way out of Windows. ps-launcher is the native replacement: a GUI-subsystem executable that starts PowerShell hidden from the very first instruction, passes through your parameters and exit code, and never shows a console.

What it does

Runs PowerShell scripts without showing a console window.
Uses the current user’s permissions and environment.
Preserves script parameters and exit codes.
Uses Windows PowerShell 5.x from the system path.
Logs troubleshooting details to %LOCALAPPDATA%\ps-launcher\ps-launcher.log.
Blocks semicolons in arguments to reduce command-injection risk.
Stays extremely small by avoiding framework and runtime-heavy dependencies.

Why it exists

Task Scheduler, login scripts, shortcuts, and background automation often need to run PowerShell without interrupting the user with a visible console. VBScript wrappers used to be common for this, but VBScript is deprecated and scheduled for removal from Windows. powershell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden can still flash a console during startup.

ps-launcher avoids that by being a native Windows GUI-subsystem executable that starts PowerShell hidden from the beginning.

Requirements

Windows.
Windows PowerShell 5.x.
The script you launch must be compatible with Windows PowerShell, not only PowerShell 7.
Visual Studio Build Tools only if building from source.

Usage

ps-launcher.exe -Script <script_path> [parameters]

Examples:

ps-launcher.exe -Script myscript.ps1
ps-launcher.exe -Script backup.ps1 -Path "C:\Data" -Verbose
ps-launcher.exe -Script deploy.ps1 -Environment "Production" -Force

The launcher starts PowerShell with:

-NonInteractive
-NoProfile
-ExecutionPolicy Bypass
-File

Logging

Log file:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\ps-launcher\ps-launcher.log

The log is overwritten on each run. It records parsing, script path validation, PowerShell path, command line construction, parameter processing, process creation, exit codes, and errors.

View it:

Get-Content $env:LOCALAPPDATA\ps-launcher\ps-launcher.log
notepad $env:LOCALAPPDATA\ps-launcher\ps-launcher.log
Get-Content $env:LOCALAPPDATA\ps-launcher\ps-launcher.log -Wait

Return codes

Code	Meaning
0	Script completed successfully
1	Launcher error, such as invalid args or missing file
other	PowerShell script exit code passed through

Script guidance

For scripts using [CmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess=$true)], handle non-interactive execution explicitly:

if ([Environment]::UserInteractive -eq $false) {
    $ConfirmPreference = 'None'
}

Test scripts with powershell.exe, not only pwsh.exe, because ps-launcher targets Windows PowerShell 5.x.

Security notes

The launcher uses the full system path to Windows PowerShell.
It validates that the script file exists.
It rejects semicolons in arguments.
It quotes parameters containing spaces.
It propagates script exit codes for scheduled-task monitoring.

Build from source

compile.bat

Manual MSVC build:

call "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x64
cl /c /GS- /O1 /Os ps-launcher.c
link /NODEFAULTLIB /ENTRY:WinMain /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS kernel32.lib user32.lib shell32.lib /OUT:ps-launcher.exe ps-launcher.obj

Troubleshooting

Script does not run

Check the log file first. It will show argument parsing, script path validation, and process creation errors.

Works in PowerShell 7 but not ps-launcher

Port the script to Windows PowerShell 5.x compatibility.

Task Scheduler prompts or hangs

Make the script non-interactive. Avoid prompts, and set $ConfirmPreference = 'None' for ShouldProcess scripts.