What are IDL paths and how do I retrieve them (in order to open Windows Store apps)?

Help & Support
1

A while ago I had a problem not being able to open files with Windows Store apps, specifically Serif Affinity suite. The issue was that these apps reside in folders containing version numbers so static links would be impossible as versions change. If I recall correctly, some Windows Store executables are not even possible/easy to locate (not sure if that was the particular case here but it doesn't matter).

I can't for the life of me remember where I got these IDL paths (here or Serif's forum), but they solved my issue.

Affinity Photo:

IDL:?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

Affinity Designer:

IDL:?AAAAFAAfgJvUNEJFAvNNt4A4k5Q0VuHJBAAAwwRBUFBTsQQIAAMAAAAAAAAA8AIAADFTUFNVKEyfeZ85S6jQ4dQt4dXzcQAAABEAAAAAHwAAAC8AAABTAGUAcgBpAGYARQB1AHIAbwBwAGUATAB0AGQALgBBAGYAZgBpAG4AaQB0AHkARABlAHMAaQBnAG4AZQByADIAXwA4ADQANABzAGQAegBmAGMAbQBtADcAawAwAAAAAAARAAAAJwAAAAALAAAA//8AABEAAAAOAAAAABMAAAACAAAAEQAAABkAAAAAEwAAAAEAAACVAAAAFQAAAAAfAAAAQQAAAFMAZQByAGkAZgBFAHUAcgBvAHAAZQBMAHQAZAAuAEEAZgBmAGkAbgBpAHQAeQBEAGUAcwBpAGcAbgBlAHIAMgBfADIAMAAwAC4ANAAuADEANwAwADEALgAwAF8AeAA2ADQAXwBfADgANAA0AHMAZAB6AGYAYwBtAG0ANwBrADAAAAAAALEAAAAFAAAAAB8AAABQAAAAUwBlAHIAaQBmAEUAdQByAG8AcABlAEwAdABkAC4AQQBmAGYAaQBuAGkAdAB5AEQAZQBzAGkAZwBuAGUAcgAyAF8AOAA0ADQAcwBkAHoAZgBjAG0AbQA3AGsAMAAhAFMAZQByAGkAZgBFAHUAcgBvAHAAZQBMAHQAZAAuAEEAZgBmAGkAbgBpAHQAeQBEAGUAcwBpAGcAbgBlAHIAMgAAAM0AAAAPAAAAAB8AAABeAAAAQwA6AFwAUAByAG8AZwByAGEAbQAgAEYAaQBsAGUAcwBcAFcAaQBuAGQAbwB3AHMAQQBwAHAAcwBcAFMAZQByAGkAZgBFAHUAcgBvAHAAZQBMAHQAZAAuAEEAZgBmAGkAbgBpAHQAeQBEAGUAcwBpAGcAbgBlAHIAMgBfADIAMAAwAC4ANAAuADEANwAwADEALgAwAF8AeAA2ADQAXwBfADgANAA0AHMAZAB6AGYAYwBtAG0ANwBrADAAAAAdAAAAIAAAAABIAAAAinFmZhHnVky4KyV0qeZOHQAAAAAKAQAAMVNQU00L1IZpkDxEgZoqVAkNzOxJAAAADAAAAAAfAAAAGwAAAFAAYQBjAGsAYQBnAGUAXABNAGUAZABpAHUAbQBUAGkAbABlAEwAbwBnAG8ALgBwAG4AZwAAAAAAOQAAAAIAAAAAHwAAABQAAABQAGEAYwBrAGEAZwBlAFwAQQBwAHAATABvAGcAbwAuAHAAbgBnAAAAEQAAAAQAAAAAEwAAAD8/P/8RAAAABQAAAAATAAAA/////xEAAAAOAAAAABMAAAAABAAAOQAAAAsAAAAAHwAAABQAAABBAGYAZgBpAG4AaQB0AHkAIABEAGUAcwBpAGcAbgBlAHIAIAAyAAAAAAAAADEAAAAxU1BTsRZtRK2NcEinSEAupD14jBUAAABkAAAAABUAAABHEAAAAAAAAAAAAABVAAAAMVNQUzDxJbfvRxoQpfECYIye66w5AAAACgAAAAAfAAAAFAAAAEEAZgBmAGkAbgBpAHQAeQAgAEQAZQBzAGkAZwBuAGUAcgAgADIAAAAAAAAALQAAADFTUFOzd+0NFMZsRa5bKFs417AbEQAAAAcAAAAAEwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=

Affinity Publisher:

IDL:?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

My question is basically, how do I grab these IDL paths for Microsoft Store apps and are they specific to Directory Opus? (I see they were discussed here and here for instance.)

My own research revealed that IDL stands for Interface Description Language (which is something that quickly rises above my head). So I asked this question, unrelated to DOpus on SuperUser. But the only reply I got so far implies that my question (getting permanent IDL path to Store app) wasn't answerable for some reason unbeknownst to me.

2

One of many good reasons to shun Microsoft Store apps. The entire design of it is backwards and abysmal.

IDL is basically opaque binary data that the Windows Shell can turn into a path. It can be useful, but finding the data isn’t always easy, and is usually done by dragging something to a toolbar. But first you have yo find that thing, which the design of the Microsoft Store actively tries to prevent you from doing, for reasons no one can explain.

2 Likes
3

I see. That was more informative than the reply I got on SuperUser!

Wonder if there's any tool out there that could make it possible to locate these hidden programs.. If I find any, I'll post it here.

4

Dragging them from the Start Menu to a toolbar (in Customize mode) will get the IDL to launch the app.

I'm not sure if there's a way to send files to it via that, though.

There's also an AppX(long random numbers) class ID for most of those apps which can be used with the FileType command, and which can often be used to send files to things. Those can often be found in the registry, or via the manifest XML files in the app folders (which you can list from an elevated command prompt, and the folders themselves can be browsed in Opus once you know their paths; it's just the WindowsApps folder itself which is inexplicably permissioned to block you from listing it, due to Microsoft's continuing and worsening insanity).

But it's much easier to just use a proper piece of software that is installed normally and not obfuscated by this garbage.

1 Like
5

If you want to get away from installing Affinity apps from the Microsoft store, Affinity offers the .MSI installers from the downloads page (Account > V2 Licenses & Downloads > View License). Scroll to the bottom and look for "Looking for Windows MSI Installers?"

3 Likes
6

Didn't know that. Thanks! Will those versions inform you when new updates arrive, yes?

7

Yes.

1 Like