Automatically replace *.url files leading to Google Photos URLs on Windows systems. Hacky and hardcoded but mostly works.

Google_Photos_URL.ps1

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
# https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.windows.forms.sendkeys?view=netframework-4.7.2

$Path_Downloads = 'C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\Downloads'

function Get-LinkURL {
    Param(
        [string]$Path
    )

    Write-Host "> Processing ""$Path""."

    If (-Not(Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path -PathType Leaf)) {
        Write-Error -Message "Invalid path ""$Path""."
        Return
    }

    $Content = Get-Content -Raw $Path
    $Content -match 'URL=([^\n]+)' | Out-Null
    $PhotosUrl = $Matches.1
    If (-Not $PhotosUrl) {
        Write-Error -Message "No URL found in file ""$Path""."
        Return
    }

    If (-Not $PhotosUrl -match '^https://photos.google.com/photo/[^/]+$') {
        Write-Error -Message "Link URL ""$PhotosUrl"" is not a Google Photos URL."
        Return
    }
    
    # download image
    $Dl_Before = (Get-ChildItem -Path $Path_Downloads).Name
    Write-Host "  Opening URL ""$PhotosUrl""."
    Start-Process $PhotosUrl
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 5
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("%{TAB}")
    Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 300
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("%{TAB}")
    Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 300
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("+d")

    # wait for new download
    While (-Not $Dl_Diff) {
        $Dl_After = (Get-ChildItem -Path $Path_Downloads -Exclude '*.part','*.crdownload').Name
        $Dl_Diff = $Dl_After | Where-Object { $Dl_Before -NotContains $_ }
        Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
    }
    Write-Host "  Found new file ""$Dl_After"", closing tab."
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait("^w")

    # replace with downloaded image
    $Source = Join-Path -Path $Path_Downloads -ChildPath $Dl_Diff
    $SourceExt = [IO.Path]::GetExtension($Source)
    $DestinationExt = [IO.Path]::GetExtension($Path)
    $Destination = $Path.Substring(0, $Path.Length - $DestinationExt.Length) + $SourceExt
    Write-Host "  Removing ""$Path""."
    Remove-Item $Path
    Write-Host "  Moving file ""$Source"" to ""$Destination""."
    Move-Item -Force -Path $Source -Destination $Destination
}

Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter '*.url' | ForEach-Object {
    Get-LinkURL -Path $_.FullName
}