This application is what is used by Internet Explorer when I'm downloading content from my MSDN subscription. It was installed by Internet Explorer when I first accessed the service, but it can be used as a download manager for any type of download management. However it has an annoying behavior.

When installed from IE as an activex object, the File TransferManager installs itself to C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files. However It is apparently no normal object. It doesn't show on the folder listing under windows explorer no matter what I try. I doesn't show under IE->Tools Menu->Internet Options->General Tab->Browsing History Settings Button->View Objects. The only way to view this file is to fire up the command prompt.

Why is this a problem? Because the manager provides pause/resume and it's not uncommon for me to pause a download, turn off my computer and only resume it the next day. I'm forced to go to the command prompt and fire the transfer manager from there. There is no way I can start it from within IE or Explorer.

So,

I tried to open a command prompt and create a shortcut to the executable from within and place that shortcut on my desktop. The normal windows xp command prompt doesn't offer this. But I use TakeCommand which has all sorts of scripting capabilities to manage my console. But even though I see the file on the console and can fire it from there, the shortcut creation command can't see the file and fails. There's nothing wrong with TakeCommand shortcut creation command mind you. The Transfer Manager executable isn't simply there when it comes to try and create a shortcut probably for the same reasons it isn't for windows Explorer.

Fine, I say. Let's fire up PowerShell instead.

Code:
> $ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
> $lnk = $ws.CreateShortcut("$Home\Desktop\TransfMgr.lnk")
> $lnk.TargetPath = "C:Windows\Downloaded Program Files\TransferMgr.exe"
> $lnk.Save()
And voilá. Finally, I have a new shortcut on my desktop to the damn thing.

PowerShell certainly delivers. IE doesn't.