Talk:Shortcut (computing)/Archive 1

.pif
I somewhat remember that shortcuts to MSDOS programs are (or were) .pif files rather than .lnk. They also containes various DOS compatibility settings. --Apoc2400 06:23, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Untitled
this key does not exist in my version of winxp:

you do not say which versions of windows this is for.

59.100.160.238 11:29, 10 June 2007 (UTC)fastdude

Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Shell Icons

I know up to 7.x, I haven't used a Macintosh since. Nastajus 17:34, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Shortcut Vulnerability
Is the section on the shortcut vulnerability really needed? It seems like useless fluff to me; after all, I'm not sure Wikipedia is supposed to be a walking archive of exploits ;) nneonneo 05:11, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Tutorial
Is a tutorial for Windows shortcuts really needed? Would you find a tutorial in an encyclopedia? I don't think so... Takua108 02:22, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

I concur - this is somewhat out of place in an encyclopedia. Supermagle 10:55, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Vista shortcut vs not.jpg
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BetacommandBot 22:01, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Vista shortcut vs not.jpg
Image:Vista shortcut vs not.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 20:02, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Ed's suggestions
Report which shortcuts are automatically updated when their target moves. I seem to recall that in early versions of Windows, the shortcut was static. If you moved the file, the shortcut stopped working (and with no notice to the user). But I don't think the Mac ever had that problem.
 * When did Windows fix this problem? (Shortcuts follow moved files on my Win XP and Windows 7 machines.)
 * There is not an exact date. (1) For a long time (Win95?) Windows has automatically searched for the target of a broken shortcut. On Win 98, it did this by doing a search of the disk. (2) Since the introduction of OLE/COM, windows explorer has had the ability to update com/ole location information when it moved a registered OLE/COM file. (3) Since Windows 2000, Windows has had the ability to track links using a distributed link tracking database. (4) Since Office XP Microsoft has commonly used links to guiID's for their products, rather than links to filenames. A link to a guiID can be kept updated using the COM/OLE tracking function of Windows Explorer. (5) Since at least Win 98 shortcuts contain a relative path. The relative path is also searched and updated in the link resolution process: new links may act differently than previously used links.218.214.18.240 (talk) 03:15, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

Emphasize Macintosh and Windows, which have the lion's share of the GUI market.

Let people know that the Mac calls this an "alias".

Rename this article to File shortcut, since the target is not a computer. :-) --Uncle Ed (talk) 13:34, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Virus
A virus just got my folder in my external hard drive shortcut, and i couldn't access my data's. please help — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.55.107.253 (talk) 11:22, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

Shortcut vs Alias
Windows people will find the "shortcut" article. Mac users will find the 'alias" one. It is useful to have both terms even if you cross refer them or make one just refer to the other. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.223.187.206 (talk) 23:53, 8 February 2013 (UTC)

Requested move 16 October 2016

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: Moved to Shortcut (computing). There is no consensus in support of moving this article to shortcut file, but there is support for moving it to shortcut (computing). (non-admin closure).  Anarchyte  ( work  &#124;  talk )   09:17, 3 November 2016 (UTC)

File shortcut → Shortcut file – At least in Windows, shortcuts need not refer to files at all: they can refer to any Shell item (whether it's a file/directory or something more abstract, like "[My] Computer", "Network [Neighborhood]", "Control Panel", "Recycle Bin", or "Recent Places"), or even to a thing that may or may not need to be installed from an MSI before use. (And if you count  files, you can make shortcuts to webpages, too.)  Also, shortcuts to programs specify not only which program to run, but what parameters to pass on its command line. (And this part presumably applies to *nix's  shortcuts, too.)  So they aren't just "shortcuts to files", but files that represent shortcuts to ... things, and the article name "Shortcut file" would make more sense. &mdash;SamB (talk) 20:01, 16 October 2016 (UTC) --Relisting. ©   Tb hotch ™ (en-2.5). 04:19, 25 October 2016 (UTC)
 * ✅ - Offnfopt (talk) 20:27, 16 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Weak oppose. As I understand it, most, if not all, of the subject of the article has the same file extension when used. That, and the shortcuts are literally a shortcut to allow access to another file. To me, that would make me think that these are "shortcuts for/to a file" which, if made a two-word phrase, would be "File shortcut" since the words would be transposed to have a proper adjective/noun agreement. Transposing the words of the title could make readers who are not familiar with this topic think that the article is about "file for a shortcut", which is not true since it is the other way around. To me, the nominator is somewhat suggesting that there is a whole other subject that could be at "Shortcut file". Steel1943  (talk) 17:51, 17 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose: per WP:TITLECHANGES "do not invent names", there is no such thing as a shortcut file and as Steel1943 has already explained 'shortcut file' would suggest a file of/for a shortcut. I do however agree with the nominator that not all shortcuts refer to files, with this in mind I Propose: "Shortcut (computing)" per similar titles such as Handle (computing). Ebonelm (talk) 14:52, 26 October 2016 (UTC)
 * there actually is such thing as a shortcut file.  is the file extension for shortcut files used by Microsoft Windows, though it is not the only shortcut file, there are also   files (not widely used today since it was used for DOS programs) and there are   files which is a shortcut file used to link to web addresses.  Offnfopt (talk) 15:12, 26 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Since the article talks about all types of shortcuts and not just Windows though 'Shortcut (computing)' probably is a better alternative. Offnfopt (talk) 15:24, 26 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Move to shortcut (computing) per . Neither the current title nor the proposed one appear to be anything close to a WP:COMMONNAME, and as already stated, it can be used for more than just files, and it isn't necessarily a file in its own right. &mdash; Amakuru (talk) 13:50, 1 November 2016 (UT


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.</div

Merge suggestion

 * Support - It has been suggested that this article be merged into Alias (Mac OS). I support this because an alias is basically a shortcut to a file. --Kelpso1 (talk) 19:22, 14 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Against - It should be the other way around. Shortcut is more general, so Alias (Mac OS) should be a sub-topic on this page, if the two pages should be merged at all. 134.29.199.13 (talk) 00:51, 15 December 2012 (UTC)

Internet shortcut files, - .URL & .PLS ?
I included Internet shortcuts in the Lede section because it's omission made the definition wrong. However I'm not sure that other OSs have them. If not, it seems that either Internet shortcuts vs. file shortcuts often need to be specified thruout the article, or Internet shortcuts need their own article or stub? https://fileinfo.com/extension/url

I also wonder about the similar .PLS shortcut text files associated to audio players —so called "playlists"— are they shortcuts or playlists, or playlist shortcuts, or URIs? WTF!? https://www.lifewire.com/pls-file-2622177 --2602:306:CFCE:1EE0:2CE3:2428:5D80:7E58 (talk) 14:11, 8 November 2017 (UTC)Doug Bashford

Malicious LNK
Why are there no information about malicious LNK files? Just search for “.lnk file” in google and it will be the first result. The malicious use of .lnk files is quite popular. 200.54.225.138 (talk) 12:20, 19 October 2022 (UTC)