@Greg-Teater
Both of your suggestions a) and b) would require some changes to the code base of Notepad++ (will not happen in the near future, if ever).
Thus, my suggestion is to create a desktop shortcut to a script file that changes the config file of your Notepad++ installation before running notepad++.exe. The config file is in XML format, the script has to delete the /NotepadPlus/FileBrowser XML node.
The following is a VBScript solution. Please note: You have to change lines 19 and 20 according to your needs.
The location of the Notepad++ config file depends on the type of installation you are running, a portable one or created by the Npp installer.
Installed by installer: %AppData%\Notepad++\config.xml
Portable: <Npp-Directory>\config.xml
Save the script for example as NppLauncher.vbs and create a desktop shortcut to it. Then open the properties of the shortcut and change its target to the following command:
wscript.exe "<Path-To-The-Script-File>"
The script forwards all received command line arguments to Notepad++.
Option Explicit
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Variables declarations
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dim objFSO, objXmlDoc
Dim strNppPath, strNppExePath, strConfigPath, strCfgFilePath
Dim strNodePath, colNodes, objNode
Dim intCnt, strArguments
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Create base objects
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objXmlDoc = CreateObject("MSXml2.DOMDocument.6.0")
strNppPath = "<Path-To-Npp-Installation-Directory>"
strConfigPath = "<Path-To-Directory-With-Npp-Config-File>"
strNppExePath = objFSO.BuildPath(strNppPath, "notepad++.exe")
strCfgFilePath = objFSO.BuildPath(strConfigPath, "config.xml")
strNodePath = "/NotepadPlus/FileBrowser"
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Main script
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Open Npp XML config file
objXmlDoc.async = False
objXmlDoc.validateOnParse = False
objXmlDoc.preserveWhiteSpace = True
objXmlDoc.load(strCfgFilePath)
'Delete XML node regarding "Folder as Workspace" feature
Set colNodes = objXmlDoc.selectNodes(strNodePath)
For Each objNode In colNodes
Call objNode.parentNode.removeChild(objNode)
Next
'Save Npp XML config file
objXmlDoc.save(strCfgFilePath)
'Start Notepad++ with provided command line arguments
strArguments = ""
For intCnt = 0 To WScript.Arguments.Count - 1
strArguments = strArguments & " " & Quote(WScript.Arguments(intCnt))
Next
Call Execute(strNppExePath, strArguments)
'===============================================================================
' Surround a string with double quotes
'===============================================================================
Function Quote(ByRef strString)
Quote = """" & strString & """"
End Function
'===============================================================================
' Run application with provided arguments
'===============================================================================
Function Execute(ByRef strApp, ByRef strArgs)
Dim objWshShell
Set objWshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Execute = objWshShell.Run(Quote(strNppExePath) & " " & strArguments, _
1, _
False)
End Function