diff --git a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/Applications.cs b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/Applications.cs
index aaf794d9d0..b1030bffe7 100644
--- a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/Applications.cs
+++ b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/Applications.cs
@@ -94,6 +94,39 @@ internal static class Applications
             ? @"\\" + resolved[8..] : resolved.StartsWith(@"\\?\", StringComparison.Ordinal) ? resolved[4..] : resolved;
     }
 
+    internal static string ResolveExecutable(string path)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            if (!Path.IsPathFullyQualified(path) || path.StartsWith(@"\\.\", StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                || path.StartsWith(@"\\?\", StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                || !string.Equals(Path.GetExtension(path), ".exe", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "Use an absolute .exe file path, not a command line or device path");
+            if ((File.GetAttributes(path) & FileAttributes.Directory) != 0)
+                throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "The selected executable path is a directory");
+            var resolved = CanonicalPath(path);
+            if (!string.Equals(Path.GetExtension(resolved), ".exe", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "The selected path must resolve to an .exe file");
+            return resolved;
+        }
+        catch (Exception error) when (error is FileNotFoundException or DirectoryNotFoundException)
+        {
+            throw new NativeFailure("APP_NOT_FOUND", "The selected executable does not exist; provide an existing absolute .exe path");
+        }
+        catch (UnauthorizedAccessException)
+        {
+            throw new NativeFailure("PERMISSION_DENIED", "Windows refused access to the selected executable");
+        }
+        catch (Exception error) when (error is ArgumentException or NotSupportedException)
+        {
+            throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "The executable path is invalid; provide an absolute .exe file path");
+        }
+        catch (IOException)
+        {
+            throw new NativeFailure("APP_IDENTITY_UNAVAILABLE", "The selected executable could not be read; check the file before selecting it again");
+        }
+    }
+
     internal static string Digest(string path)
     {
         using var file = File.OpenRead(path);
diff --git a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopExecutor.cs b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopExecutor.cs
index 671dd91440..11b63019e0 100644
--- a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopExecutor.cs
+++ b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopExecutor.cs
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ internal sealed class DesktopExecutor(MtaDispatcher mta, StaDispatcher sta) : IA
                 {
                     var before = Windows.Refresh(app, context)
                         .Select(window => (window.Handle, window.ProcessId, window.ProcessStarted)).ToHashSet();
-                    await sta.Invoke(() => ShellBroker.Launch(@"shell:AppsFolder\" + app.AppId), cancellation);
+                    await sta.Invoke(() => ShellBroker.Launch(Path.IsPathFullyQualified(app.AppId)
+                        ? app.AppId : @"shell:AppsFolder\" + app.AppId), cancellation);
                     var elapsed = Stopwatch.StartNew();
                     WindowState[] windows;
                     while (true)
diff --git a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopWindows.cs b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopWindows.cs
index 06b1dd68c7..48cfda6283 100644
--- a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopWindows.cs
+++ b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/entry/DesktopWindows.cs
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ internal static class DesktopWindows
 
     internal static async Task<AppState> Select(string selector, RequestContext context)
     {
+        context.Check();
+        if (Path.IsPathFullyQualified(selector))
+        {
+            var path = Applications.ResolveExecutable(selector);
+            var windows = Observe(context).Windows;
+            context.Check();
+            // An unlisted executable discloses its full path in the consent question.
+            return new AppState(Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"), path, Path.GetFileName(path),
+                ApplicationAuthorization.Create(path, path, path), windows.Any(window => string.Equals(window.AppId, path, StringComparison.Ordinal)));
+        }
         var applications = await Discover(context);
         var application = SelectApplication(applications, selector);
         context.Check();
@@ -107,10 +117,10 @@ internal static class DesktopWindows
     private static CatalogApplication SelectApplication(IReadOnlyList<CatalogApplication> applications, string selector)
     {
         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(selector))
-            throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "An exact application id from listApps is required");
+            throw new NativeFailure("INVALID_ARGUMENT", "An exact application id from listApps or an absolute .exe file path is required");
         foreach (var application in applications)
             if (string.Equals(application.AppId, selector, StringComparison.Ordinal)) return application;
-        throw new NativeFailure("APP_NOT_FOUND", "Use an exact application id from listApps");
+        throw new NativeFailure("APP_NOT_FOUND", "Use an exact application id from listApps or an existing absolute .exe file path");
     }
 
     private static CatalogApplication[] Merge(ShellApplication[] shellApplications, ResolvedWindow[] windows)
diff --git a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/tests/Program.cs b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/tests/Program.cs
index 48c7bb6005..695af5799a 100644
--- a/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/tests/Program.cs
+++ b/packages/experimental/cua-windows/native/tests/Program.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ Refuses(() => NativeRequest.Parse(WireJson.Parse("""{"id":"one","method":"getSta
 Refuses(() => NativeRequest.Parse(WireJson.Parse("""{"id":"one","method":"typeText","params":{"appHandle":"app","text":"hello","unowned":1}}""")), "INVALID_ARGUMENT");
 Refuses(() => WireJson.Parse("""{"id":"one","id":"two"}"""), "INVALID_REQUEST");
 Refuses(() => WireJson.Parse("""{"params":{"x":1,"x":2}}"""), "INVALID_REQUEST");
+foreach (var path in new[] { @"C:\Tools\Editor.exe", @"D:\Portable Apps\编辑器.exe", @"\\server\tools\Editor.exe" })
+{
+    var selection = NativeRequest.Parse(WireJson.Parse(System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize(new
+    {
+        id = "select", method = "getApp", @params = new { selector = path },
+    })));
+    Check(selection.Params.GetProperty("selector").GetString() == path, "Executable selection preserves the exact path on the wire");
+}
 var launch = NativeRequest.Parse(WireJson.Parse("""{"id":"launch","method":"launchApp","params":{"appHandle":"pending"}}"""));
 Check(launch.Method == "launchApp" && launch.Params.GetProperty("appHandle").GetString() == "pending",
     "Host launch continuation retains the selected application handle");