At its simplest, you can create a shortcut that automatically connects you to your preferred ExpressVPN location or closes an existing connection when you're done. Pin the shortcut to your taskbar and you can control ExpressVPN with a double click.
However, life gets more interesting when you create your own scripts. What about the automatic connection to the VPN every time you start your torrent client , for instance? Expresso makes it very easy, and in this article we will see how it works.
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1. Quick download
Expresso is an open source project, and potential users or anyone interested can download and explore its source code from the GitHub site.
However, if you are looking for an easy life and just want the download links, we recommend heading to Express launches page , instead of.
As we write, there are two main downloads. If you're running Windows, you need the latest expresso-xxx-win64.zip file, and if you're on Mac, you need expresso-xxx-osx64.zip.
Take a copy of the appropriate file, download it, and unzip it to a folder somewhere.
Expresso needs the ExpressVPN Chrome extension , too, so install it if you haven't already.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
2. Automate ExpressVPN connections
Open the folder you just created, right-click on expresso.exe and select Create Shortcut.
Right click on the shortcut 'expresso.exe - Shortcut', select Properties and check the Destination box. In our test system, this said:
"C: Users [USER] Downloads expresso-1.2.1-win64 expresso.exe "
Regardless of what the target box reads on your system, move to the end of the text, hit the space bar, type CONNECT and click OK.
Right click on the shortcut, select Rename and give it a name like 'Connect to ExpressVPN .
Now repeat the above process to create a new shortcut, this time adding the command DISCONNECT and renaming the second shortcut to 'Disconnect from ExpressVPN .
3. Try the espresso shortcuts
To test Expresso, open the ExpressVPN app so it's visible on your desktop.
Double click on the Connect to ExpressVPN shortcut. If everything is working, you should see that the application reacts as if you have clicked the Connect button and it will connect to your nearest server in a few seconds. Once you're connected, double-click the Disconnect shortcut to try it out as well.
If a shortcut doesn't work, right-click, select Properties, and double-check the target text. You should see a CONNECT or DISCONNECT command after the file path (commands are not case sensitive).
If the shortcuts seem correct, launch the ExpressVPN Chrome extension and click Connect. If the extension works, but the espresso does not, then the problem is express and we have no ideas.
But if the Chrome extension doesn't work either, that's likely the cause of the problem. Try uninstalling it, reinstalling it, and testing it again. If the extension still won't connect, contact ExpressVPN support for advice.
(Image credit: ExpressVPN)
4. Connect to specific ExpressVPN countries
Express CONNECT The command connects you to your closest server, but what if you want to choose a specific country?
It's so easy that you've probably already guessed the answer - just enter the name of the country or city afterwards CONNECT , separated by a space (CONNECT GERMANY or CONNECT LONDON .)
This becomes a bit more difficult if the location name has a space, like NEW YORK , since expresso will not recognize two words as a single location. To work around this problem, enclose the name in quotation marks, like: CONNECT "NEW YORK"
Create a new shortcut in the expresso folder, as you did before. Add the CONNECT command followed by the country you usually use, save the shortcut and give it a try.
5. Connect to ExpressVPN when running an application
Most likely, some apps are so important that you want to make sure they are always protected by ExpressVPN. It's a hassle to do that manually (plus there's always a chance you'll forget it), but expresso makes it much, much easier.
Open Notepad and create a batch file with expresso to connect, then launch the applications you want to run. Here is an example with Chrome and Word.
@echoff
Follow the same format with your own application paths: use the Start command, then put the application name in quotes as the title, then the path in quotes. (Ignore any wrapped text in our example and make sure the application path is on a single line.)
When you're done, save the file in the same folder as expresso.exe, using a name like Connect ExpressVPN with Apps.bat .
To test your script, double-click on the batch file and watch expresso connect it, and your chosen applications only start once ExpressVPN is up.
(Image credit: ExpressVPN)
6. Run ExpressVPN when your system starts
At this point, you should have some useful batch files and shortcuts that run really useful tasks. Now all you have to figure out is how you are going to access them.
If you use some of these regularly, perhaps to connect to ExpressVPN before launching an app, then it makes sense to keep them close. Right-click on a favorite shortcut, select Pin to taskbar, and it's ready to go when you need it.
If a shortcut is really important, maybe it will automatically connect to a specific location when the system starts, you can set it to run when Windows starts.
(Before trying this, make sure the ExpressVPN app doesn't do what you need. The Settings, General box already has options to start ExpressVPN when Windows starts and optionally connect to the last used location, for example. The only benefit of using expresso is if you always want to start at a specific location, not what you were using last time).
To run a shortcut when your system starts up, press Win + R, type shell: start and hit enter to open the Startup folder.
Then right-click on the expresso shortcut you need and select Copy.
Finally, right-click inside the Startup folder, select Paste, and you're done. Reboot your system and ExpressVPN should now run and connect according to your expresso commands.
