Pin At Start Access Denied from VBscript and PowerShell command line

[rgdelank]

Windows 11: I receive "access denied" by calling "Pin At Start" from the command line, no mather wich language PowerShell or VBscript.
Both are called using administrator rights.

PowerShell
==========

Error
=====

PS C:\Users\roberto> .\t.ps1
Pin-App : App(s) not found: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
In C:\Users\roberto\t.ps1:32 Zeichen:1
+ Pin-App ("C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe")
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: ) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Pin-App


Script
=======
function Pin-App {
param(
[parameter(mandatory=$true)][ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()][string[]]$appname,
[switch]$unpin
)
$actionstring = @{$true='Von "Start" lösen|Unpin from Start';$false='An "Start" anheften|Pin to Start'}[$unpin.IsPresent]
$action = @{$true='unpinned from';$false='pinned to'}[$unpin.IsPresent]
$apps = (New-Object -Com Shell.Application).NameSpace('shell:::{4234d49b-0245-4df3-b780-3893943456e1}').Items() | ?{$_.Name -in $appname}

if($apps){
$notfound = compare $appname $apps.Name -PassThru
if ($notfound){write-error "These App(s) were not found: $($notfound -join ",")"}

foreach ($app in $apps){
$appaction = $app.Verbs() | ?{$_.Name.replace('&','') -match $actionstring}
if ($appaction){
$appaction | %{$_.DoIt(); return "App '$($app.Name)' $action Start"}
}else{
write-error "App '$($app.Name)' is already pinned/unpinned to/from start or action not supported."
}
}
}else{
write-error "App(s) not found: $($appname -join ",")"
}
}

Pin-App ("C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe")

VBSCRIPT
========
Error
=====
C:\Users\Roberto>cscript.exe t.vbs
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host, Version 5.812
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

C:\Users\Roberto\t.vbs(37, 69) Laufzeitfehler in Microsoft VBScript: Erlaubnis verweigert.

Script
======
Option Explicit
'On Error resume next
Dim oSh, oFs, oShApp
Set oSh = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
Set oFs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set oShApp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")

AmStartAnheften "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\Notepad++.exe"

Wscript.quit

Function AmStartAnheften(sProgramm)

Dim cVerbs, itemVerb, sFolder, oFolder, sFile, oFile, bAnheften

If oFs.FileExists(sProgramm) Then
'***** Do nothing, folder exists
Else
'***** Folder does not exist
bAnheften = False
WScript.Echo "File zum Anheften: " & sProgramm & " existiert nicht!!!"
WScript.Echo "Prüfen Sie die existenz der file."
Exit Function
End If

sFolder = oFs.GetParentFolderName(sProgramm)
sFile = oFs.GetFileName(sProgramm)

Err.Clear
Set oFolder = oShApp.Namespace(sFolder)
Set oFile = oFolder.ParseName(sFile)
Set cVerbs = oFile.Verbs

Err.Clear
For each itemVerb in oFile.verbs
' Verbs: PinToStartmenu, DeleteFromStartmenu, PinToTaskbar, DeleteFromTaskBar
If Replace(itemVerb.name, "&", "") = "An ""Start"" anheften" Then itemVerb.DoIt
If Err.Number <> 0 Then Wscript.Echo Err.Description & " Error."

Next

End Function

 

[ChatGPT]

The "Access Denied" error message that you are receiving when attempting to call the "Pin At Start" command from the command line may be the result of a user account control (UAC) restriction. UAC is a security feature in Windows that helps prevent unauthorized changes to your system. When you attempt to perform certain tasks that require elevated privileges, UAC prompts you for confirmation or for credentials of an administrator account.

To resolve this issue, you can try running your PowerShell or VBScript code as an administrator, which should allow you to bypass the UAC restrictions. To do this:

1. Right-click on the PowerShell or VBScript file that you want to run as an administrator.
2. Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
3. If prompted by UAC, click "Yes" to grant elevated permissions.

If that does not work, you may need to modify your UAC settings to allow your scripts to execute with elevated permissions. To do this:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on "User Accounts."
2. Click on "Change User Account Control settings."
3. Move the slider to the position that you want to use for your UAC settings. If you want to allow a script to execute with elevated permissions automatically, you can select "Never notify."
4. Click "OK" to save your changes.

Note that modifying your UAC settings can have security implications, as it will allow certain programs to make changes to your system without your explicit consent. Be sure to only modify your UAC settings if you understand the risks and are confident in your ability to manage the security of your system.

 

[rgdelank]

I run the scripts from a Administrator command line and no receive a message to accept changes.
The UAC are not informing me about configuration changes and i started the command lines cmd.exe or powershell.exe as administrator.

The scripts are both VBscript and Powershell and have the same behaivior. So it is not an Programm issue is more a Windows 11 setup Problemm or Security issue.

I wander how to resolve this issue. I repeat the scripts are launched with administrator rights and UAC does not react to the script.
The VBscript break before to have Err.Number set so after "On error resume next" the script do not recongnize any error.

 

[rgdelank]

The "Access Denied" error message that you are receiving when attempting to call the "Pin At Start" command from the command line may be the result of a user account control (UAC) restriction. UAC is a security feature in Windows that helps prevent unauthorized changes to your system. When you attempt to perform certain tasks that require elevated privileges, UAC prompts you for confirmation or for credentials of an administrator account.

To resolve this issue, you can try running your PowerShell or VBScript code as an administrator, which should allow you to bypass the UAC restrictions. To do this:

1. Right-click on the PowerShell or VBScript file that you want to run as an administrator.
2. Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
3. If prompted by UAC, click "Yes" to grant elevated permissions.

If that does not work, you may need to modify your UAC settings to allow your scripts to execute with elevated permissions. To do this:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on "User Accounts."
2. Click on "Change User Account Control settings."
3. Move the slider to the position that you want to use for your UAC settings. If you want to allow a script to execute with elevated permissions automatically, you can select "Never notify."
4. Click "OK" to save your changes.

Note that modifying your UAC settings can have security implications, as it will allow certain programs to make changes to your system without your explicit consent. Be sure to only modify your UAC settings if you understand the risks and are confident in your ability to manage the security of your system.

I run the scripts from a Administrator command line and no receive a message to accept changes.
The UAC are not informing me about configuration changes and i started the command lines cmd.exe or powershell.exe as administrator.

The scripts are both VBscript and Powershell and have the same behaivior. So it is not an Programm issue is more a Windows 11 setup Problemm or Security issue.

I wander how to resolve this issue. I repeat the scripts are launched with administrator rights and UAC does not react to the script.
The VBscript break before to have Err.Number set so after "On error resume next" the script do not recongnize any error.

 

[ChatGPT]

I run the scripts from a Administrator command line and no receive a message to accept changes.
The UAC are not informing me about configuration changes and i started the command lines cmd.exe or powershell.exe as administrator.

The scripts are both VBscript and Powershell and have the same behaivior. So it is not an Programm issue is more a Windows 11 setup Problemm or Security issue.

I wander how to resolve this issue. I repeat the scripts are launched with administrator rights and UAC does not react to the script.
The VBscript break before to have Err.Number set so after "On error resume next" the script do not recongnize any error.

It is possible that the "Pin At Start" command is being blocked by Windows Defender SmartScreen, which is a security feature in Windows 11 that helps protect your PC against malicious software.

To resolve this issue, you can try disabling SmartScreen temporarily to see if it resolves the problem. Here's how:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on "Security and Maintenance."
2. Click on "Change Windows SmartScreen settings."
3. Select "Don't do anything" and click "OK" to save your changes.
4. Try running your PowerShell or VBScript code again and see if the "Access Denied" error message is resolved.

If that does not work, try temporarily disabling other security features such as antivirus or firewall software and see if it resolves the problem.

Another possible solution is to add an exception for the "Pin At Start" command to your UAC settings. Here's how:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on "User Accounts."
2. Click on "Change User Account Control settings."
3. Click "Yes" when prompted by UAC.
4. Select the option "Never notify" and click "OK" to save your changes.
5. Reboot your PC.

After you've made these changes, try running your PowerShell or VBScript code again and see if the "Access Denied" error message is resolved.

Note that modifying your UAC or security settings can have security implications, as it will allow certain programs to make changes to your system without your explicit consent. Be sure to only modify your UAC and security settings if you understand the risks and are confident in your ability to manage the security of your system.

 

[rgdelank]

I stoped the defender.
I changed the UAC to not notify
I restarted the computer

I run to the same "access denied" issue.

I rerun the Scripts as Administrator again and the "Access Denied" error message is NOT resolved.

Nothing changed, i begin to thing is a bug of Windows 11

ChatGPT Please contact a Microsoft Human Windows Security specialist to check the scripts reproducing the errror looking forward for a solution.

ChatGPT Are you still therere ? Looking forward for a solution...

many thanks

 

[rgdelank]

I must to mention i intented with the new Shell.Application function ".InvokeVerbEx itemVerb" and does not funciton.
The function do nothing, no error message and the item is not pin at the start.

Looking forward for a solution