I developp a Java application using Windows Desktop Search from which I can retrieve some information about files on my computer such as urls (System.ItemUrl). An example of such url is file://c:/users/ausername/documents/aninterestingfile.txt for "normal" files. This field give also urls of mail items indexed from Outlook or Thunderbird. Thunderbird's items (only available using vista and seven) are also files (.wdseml). But outlook's items urls start with "mapi://" like : mapi://{S-1-5-21-1626573300-1364474481-487586288-1001}/[email protected]($b423dcd5)/0/Inbox/???????????????????????? The problem I have is opening the real item from Java in Outlook using this url. If I copy/paste it in the run dialog of Windows, it works ; it also works if I use "start" followed by the copied/pasted url in command line. The url seems to be encoded in UTF-16. I want to be able to write such code : String url = "mapi://{S-1-5-21-1626573300-1364474481-487586288-1001}/[email protected]($b423dcd5)/0/Inbox/????????????????????????"; Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd.exe /C start " + url); I doesn't work and I've tried other solutions like : String start = "start"; String url = "mapi://{S-1-5-21-1626573300-1364474481-487586288-1001}/[email protected]($b423dcd5)/0/Inbox/????????????????????????"; FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(new File("test.bat"); fos.write(start.getBytes("UTF16"); fos.write(url.getBytes("UTF16")); fos.close(); Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cmd.exe /C test.bat"); without any success. Using the solution above, the file "test.bat" contains the correct url and the "start" command, but the run of "test.bat" results in the well known error message : '¦' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Has anybody an idea to be able to open "mapi://" items from Java ?