Alex Ruben
How to Create Test Notifications in Windows Using PowerShell
In this guide, you will learn how to create desktop notification popups in Windows using PowerShell. This method is particularly useful for developers, testers, and anyone who needs to generate notifications for various purposes on demand. By following the steps below, you’ll be able to display test notifications that can help you understand how Windows notifications behave, which can be useful during application development or testing scenarios.
Step 1: Open PowerShell
First, you need to launch PowerShell, which is the command line interface for Windows. To do this, click on the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard, then type “PowerShell” into the search field. From the results, right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as Administrator to open it with elevated permissions. This is necessary for certain commands that require administrative access.
Step 2: Load the Required Assembly
To create a notification, you need to load a specific Windows Forms assembly. In the PowerShell window, type in the following command and then press Enter:
[void] [System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms")
This command enables you to use Windows Forms components, which are essential for creating desktop notifications.
Step 3: Create the Notification Object
Next, you need to instantiate the notification object. Input the following commands into PowerShell one line at a time, pressing Enter after each line:
$objNotifyIcon = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.NotifyIcon
$objNotifyIcon.Icon = [System.Drawing.SystemIcons]::Information
$objNotifyIcon.BalloonTipIcon = "Info"
$objNotifyIcon.BalloonTipText = "How does it look?"
$objNotifyIcon.BalloonTipTitle = "Test Notification!"
$objNotifyIcon.Visible = $True
These commands set up the properties for your notification, including the icon that will be displayed, the title of the notification, and its content.
Step 4: Show the Notification
To display the notification you have just created, enter the following command into PowerShell and press Enter:
$objNotifyIcon.ShowBalloonTip(10000)
This command shows the notification for 10 seconds (10,000 milliseconds). You can adjust this duration by changing the value inside the parentheses.
Step 5: Allow Time for the Notification to Display
After the notification is displayed, it’s good practice to pause the script to ensure it does not terminate immediately. For this, use the command:
Start-Sleep 500
This pauses the script for half a second (500 milliseconds), allowing you to view the notification before the script finishes executing.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
When testing the notification functionality:
- Ensure that your system notifications are enabled in Settings under System > Notifications & actions.
- If the notification does not appear, check if you have multiple displays connected; sometimes notifications may show on a different screen.
- Multiple notifications can be shown by re-running the notification script, but make sure to not overwhelm the user with excessive alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I customize the notification text and title?
You can easily customize the notification by changing the text within the $objNotifyIcon.BalloonTipText and $objNotifyIcon.BalloonTipTitle commands. Adjust the strings to whatever message you want to display.
What versions of Windows support this feature?
This functionality is supported in Windows 7 and later, but it’s recommended for use on Windows 10 or higher for best results.
Is there a way to clear notifications once displayed?
Notifications typically disappear automatically after a set duration. However, if you’d like to remove them before they time out, right-click on the notification in the system tray and select the option to dismiss it.
