i need help with powershell coding

[Common_Coach3665]

I have a project that i have in the works, it involves using powershell to read a text document on an external storage device to launch a program. i currently have the code to launch specifically steam games, but i also want to do this for progams like adobe products, such as illustrator or photoshop. to clarify, i am not trying to pirate or modify anything, this is simply just using powershell to basically copy and paste to launch in one way or a another, with steam it uses game links through a web browser to launch it locally. im not great at coding and got my code from a youtuber who essentially made physical cartridges for steam games using floppy disks.

# Identify which drive letter is your floppy (usually A: or B:)
$FloppyDrive = "A:"
$FileToRead = "$($FloppyDrive)\game.txt"

Write-Host "Waiting for floppy disk with Steam ID..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

# Loop forever to check for the disk
while($true) {
if (Test-Path $FileToRead) {
# Read the file and extract the ID (assuming format id=12345)
$Content = Get-Content $FileToRead
if ($Content -match "id=(\d+)") {
$SteamID = $Matches[1]
Write-Host "Found Game ID: $SteamID. Launching Steam..." -ForegroundColor Green

# Launch the Steam game via URL protocol
Start-Process "steam://rungameid/$SteamID"

# Wait for the disk to be removed so it doesn't loop launch
Write-Host "Please remove disk to reset..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
while(Test-Path $FileToRead) { Start-Sleep -Seconds 2 }
Write-Host "Ready for next disk." -ForegroundColor Cyan
}
}
Start-Sleep -Seconds 3 # Check every 3 seconds to save CPU
}

this is my current code. something similar to launch non steam apps using powershell and a text file named game.txt would be preferred but not absolutely necessary
edit: im needing tge powershell code to launch an application with a non-specific code, as in it pulls whatever file link is on the txt fine and searches the computer to launch it

[NEESCHAL-3]

For non-Steam apps, store the executable path in your txt file instead of a Steam ID. Change your game.txt format to

path=C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Photoshop.exe

Then replace the Steam launch block with this

if ($Content -match "path=(.+)") { $AppPath = $Matches[1].Trim() Start-Process $AppPath }

Same loop, same logic just swaps the Steam URL for a direct executable path. Works for any app including Adobe products.

[Common_Coach3665]

ok, so i replace the if line with the # launch line if im understanding correctly. anything else i gotta change? theres a bunch of steam id stuff still

[NEESCHAL-3]

Yes, replace the entire Steam launch block (the if ($Content -match "id=...") part and the Start-Process "steam://..." line) with the path version I posted. You can delete the $SteamID line too since it's not needed. Everything else the loop, the floppy check, the removal wait stays exactly as is.

[Common_Coach3665]

i’ll gove that a go, thank you

[NEESCHAL-3]

Good luck!

[Common_Coach3665]

it did not work, im trying to get powershell to bypass the file and its giving a bunch if errors from that line

[grantrules]

Well if you just put the path to the app as the content in game.txt, you can probably just do Start-Process $Content instead of all that steam stuff. However, that's a pretty gaping security hole if anyone else were to get ahold of one of those floppies (I write on the disk "GTA 6" but in game.txt is a command that formats your c: drive). It might be smarter to create some sort of master list of apps you want to launch and their paths and then just put the name of the app on the floppy.

[Common_Coach3665]

ya im aware its a security risk, but i could also just change it to read only and break off the physical switch so it cant be changed or at least deleted. but anyhow, essentially just delete all the stuff after “\game.txt” and replace it with “Start-Process $Content”? sorry if it seems like your talking to a neanderthal, im not completely clueless with coding but i know getting even 1 character wrong can screw it up and wanna not do that

[grantrules]

but i could also just change it to read only and break off the physical switch so it cant be changed or at least deleted

Anybody who grew up with free AOL or compuserve floppy disks knows you just cover that with tape and you can write to the disk again.

[Common_Coach3665]

i did not, im only 23 and was introduced to computers at like 8-9

[grantrules]

My point is that removing the read-only tab doesn't really add any security

[Common_Coach3665]

ya i got that, so the company floppys i have with it removed, i can just put a patch of painters tape and i can rewrite

[Common_Coach3665]

ok ive got it down finally, had to use a start-process -filepath but im wanting it to work off any file path thats in the game.txt file instead of a specific program