Why?
Just use the built-in PowerShell cmdlets to do this.
Invoke-WebRequest, Start-BitTransfer, or the .Net namespace.
You don't need a browser to scrape a web site or download a file.
Point of note: Some site blocks any automated effort, regardless of the tool you try to use.
3 ways to download files with PowerShell
# 1. Invoke-WebRequest
$url = "http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/test/10meg.test"
$output = "$PSScriptRoot\10meg.test"
$start_time = Get-Date
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile $output
Write-Output "Time taken: $((Get-Date).Subtract($start_time).Seconds) second(s)"
# 2. System.Net.WebClient
$url = "http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/test/10meg.test"
$output = "$PSScriptRoot\10meg.test"
$start_time = Get-Date
$wc = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$wc.DownloadFile($url, $output)
#OR
(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, $output)
Write-Output "Time taken: $((Get-Date).Subtract($start_time).Seconds) second(s)"
# 3. Start-BitsTransfer
$url = "http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/test/10meg.test"
$output = "$PSScriptRoot\10meg.test"
$start_time = Get-Date
Import-Module BitsTransfer
Start-BitsTransfer -Source $url -Destination $output
#OR
Start-BitsTransfer -Source $url -Destination $output -Asynchronous
Write-Output "Time taken: $((Get-Date).Subtract($start_time).Seconds) second(s)"
# Get specifics for a module, cmdlet, or function
(Get-Command -Name Invoke-WebRequest).Parameters
(Get-Command -Name Invoke-WebRequest).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Invoke-WebRequest -Examples
<#
# Built-In Examples
$R = Invoke-WebRequest -URI http://www.bing.com?q=how+many+feet+in+a+mile
$R.AllElements | where {$_.innerhtml -like "*=*"} | Sort { $_.InnerHtml.Length } | Select InnerText -First 5
shortest HTML value often helps you find the most specific element that matches that text.
$R=Invoke-WebRequest http://www.facebook.com/login.php -SessionVariable fb
$FB
$Form = $R.Forms[0]
$Form | Format-List
$Form.fields
$Form.Fields["email"]="User01@Fabrikam.com"
$R=Invoke-WebRequest -Uri ("https://www.facebook.com" + $Form.Action) -WebSession $FB -Method POST -Body $Form.Fields
# Sends a sign-in request by running the Invoke-WebRequest cmdlet. The command specifies a value of "fb" for the SessionVariable parameter, and saves the
$R.StatusDescription
(Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa973757(v=vs.85).aspx").Links.Href
#>
Get-help -Name Invoke-WebRequest -Full
Get-help -Name Invoke-WebRequest -Online
(Get-Command -Name Start-BitsTransfer).Parameters
(Get-Command -Name Start-BitsTransfer).Parameters.Keys
Get-help -Name Start-BitsTransfer -Examples
<#
# Built-In Examples
Start-BitsTransfer -Source "http://server01/servertestdir/testfile1.txt" -Destination "c:\clienttestdir\testfile1.txt"
Import-CSV filelist.txt | Start-BitsTransfer
Start-BitsTransfer -Source "c:\clienttestdir\testfile1.txt" -Destination "http://server01/servertestdir/testfile1.txt" -TransferType Upload
Start-BitsTransfer -Source "http://server01/servertestdir/testfile1.txt", "http://server01/servertestdir/testfile2.txt" -Destination
$Cred = Get-Credential
Start-BitsTransfer -DisplayName MyJob -Credential $Cred -Source "http://server01/servertestdir/testfile1.txt" -Destination "c:\clienttestdir\testfile1.txt"
Import-CSV filelist.txt | Start-BitsTransfer -Asynchronous -Priority Normal
Start-BitsTransfer -Source "http://server01/servertestdir/*.*" -Destination "c:\clienttestdir\"
Import-CSV filelist.txt | Start-BitsTransfer -TransferType Upload
Start-BitsTransfer -Source .\Patch0416.msu -Destination $env:temp\Patch0416.msu -ProxyUsage Override -ProxyList BitsProxy:8080 -ProxyCredential
#>
Get-help -Name Start-BitsTransfer -Full
Get-help -Name Start-BitsTransfer -Online
<#
WebClient Class
Definition
Namespace: System.Net
Assembly: System.Net.WebClient.dll
Provides common methods for sending data to and receiving data from a resource identified by a URI.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.net.webclient?view=netcore-3.1
WebClient.DownloadFile Method
Namespace: System.Net
Assembly: System.Net.WebClient.dll
Downloads the resource with the specified URI to a local file.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.net.webclient.downloadfile?view=netcore-3.1
#>
Though if you truly want to do this with Selenium via Chrome, then this similar SO thread should be of help.
How to control the download of files with Selenium + Python bindings in Chrome
As well as this article and sample:
PowerShell & Selenium: Automate Web Browser Interactions – Part
II
As for this warning ...
> "this type of file can harm your computer. Do you want to keep the file anyway?".
... this is not PowerShell or a PowerShell warning, this is the Windows and the Browser (IE, Edge, Chrome, et all) alerting you to a potential threat.
Working around the Google Chrome "This type of file can harm your
computer" problem
Google announced recently that it made the decision to improve
protection against unwanted software downloads in the Chrome browser
and Google search.
See these SO thread as well on this topic.
How to disable 'This type of file can harm your computer' pop up
This type of file can harm your computer, trying to download an .ini file in Chrome using c# and selenium
