There is no single “program alias” setting: the right method depends on whether you want a shortcut in PowerShell or Bash, Windows Shell lookup for a desktop application, or a command name declared by a packaged Windows app. For a quick command-line shortcut, use a PowerShell alias or a Bash alias; use a function instead if the shortcut needs fixed arguments.
Choose the kind of alias you need
| Where you want the shortcut | Use | Scope or persistence |
|---|---|---|
| PowerShell command line | PowerShell alias; use a function if it needs arguments | Current session, or later sessions when defined in the relevant profile |
| Bash command line | Bash alias; use a function if it needs arguments | Interactive shell; save the definition in a shell startup file to load it later |
| Windows Shell application lookup | App Paths registry entry | Per-user or per-machine |
| Packaged Windows desktop app | Execution alias declared in the package manifest | Declared by the app developer in the package |
These mechanisms solve different problems. A PowerShell alias is not a Windows-wide executable registration, and an App Paths entry is not a shell alias.
Create a PowerShell alias for an executable
In PowerShell, use Set-Alias to give an executable a shorter command name. For example:
Set-Alias -Name mytool -Value 'C:ToolsMy Programprogram.exe'Replace the example path with the executable’s actual location. The quoted path matters when it contains spaces. Microsoft describes Set-Alias as creating or changing an alias for a command, including an executable: Microsoft Learn: Set-Alias.
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Make the alias persist in PowerShell
The command above creates the alias in the current PowerShell session. To load it in later sessions, add the definition to the profile used by the PowerShell host you open. Check the profile path with:
$PROFILEOpen that file in a text editor, add the Set-Alias line, and save it. If the profile file does not exist, create it before editing. PowerShell profiles are host-specific, so an alias in one host’s profile may not load in another. See Microsoft Learn: about_Aliases for alias and profile details.
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Use a function when the command needs arguments
PowerShell aliases map a name to a command; they do not bundle parameters or arguments. Define a function when you want the shortcut to run the executable with fixed options:
function mytool { & 'C:ToolsMy Programprogram.exe' --help }Enter mytool to run that command. To make it persistent, put the function in the same relevant profile. The call operator & runs the quoted executable path.
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Create an alias in Bash
For a simple command substitution in an interactive Bash shell, use the alias command:
alias ll='ls -l'To remove it from the current shell, run:
unalias llBash expands aliases in command position while reading interactive input; aliases are not expanded in noninteractive shells by default. To have an alias available in later interactive sessions, add its definition to the startup file used by your shell, commonly ~/.bashrc for interactive Bash. A Bash alias is not a reliable way to pass arguments: define a shell function when the shortcut needs to accept or fix arguments. The Bash manual page documents alias and function behavior.
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Register a Windows desktop app with App Paths
If your goal is for Windows Shell application lookup to find a desktop executable by its filename without changing the system-wide PATH, App Paths is a separate Windows registration mechanism. Microsoft documents these registry locations:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionApp Pathsfor a per-user registration.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionApp Pathsfor a per-machine registration.
Create a subkey named for the executable, such as program.exe, and set its default value to the executable’s fully qualified path. An optional Path value can specify a path prepended to PATH for that process. This is app registration for Shell resolution, not a PowerShell or Bash alias. Follow Microsoft’s application registration documentation and take care when editing the registry.
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For a packaged Windows desktop application, the developer can declare an execution alias in the app package manifest using the Windows app execution alias extension. This allows users and processes to start the packaged app by its declared command name rather than entering its full path. It is a packaging feature, not a setting for creating a personal shell alias. See Microsoft’s packaging extensions documentation.
Quick Recap
Which method should you use?
- Choose a PowerShell alias for a short name to run an executable from PowerShell, without extra arguments.
- Choose a PowerShell function when the shortcut needs fixed parameters or more command logic.
- Choose a Bash alias for a simple substitution in interactive Bash; use a function when arguments matter.
- Choose App Paths when you are registering a conventional Windows desktop executable for Shell lookup.
- Choose a manifest execution alias when you are developing and packaging a Windows app that should expose a command name.
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