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AlexInAustraliaFlag for Australia

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Shortcut with no Target Location

I've got this computer that has a lot of shortcuts on the desktop, but I'm not too sure where these shortcuts are pointing to or how they got created.

For example:
Use This ABC (ie, "Use This Link.lnk") has:
Target Type: Application
Target Location: (nothing displayed)
Target: ABC Interface
Start In: "C:\Program Files\MyApplication\"

If I look in the MyApplication folder, I can see an AppABC.exe, and when I right hand click on this exe, go to properties, Version tab, and select "Product Name" in list view, I then see "ABC Interface" in the value.
So my guess is that the shortcut is probably pointing to AppABC.exe

Is this correct? How do you create such shortcuts?
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war1
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Greetings, AlexInAustralia !

Your Target Location would be MyAppliation. I am not sure why it is not showing.

>> So my guess is that the shortcut is probably pointing to AppABC.exe. Is this correct? How do you create such shortcuts?

Yes, the shortcut is pointing to AppABC.exe.  Someone on the computer created these shortcuts.  If you are asking how shortcuts are created, you can create a shortcut in the application folder.  Right click on the executable file and and select "Create Shortcut". Then drag the shortcut to the Desktop.

Best wishes!
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gopal_krishna

You can also create the shortcut by right clicking on the AppABC.exe and Send To >Desktop which will create the shortcut on you desktop.

Cheers
Gopal Krishna K
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sramesh2k
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ASKER

Thank you sramesh2k. It is indeed a Windows Installer shortcut.
One final question though, how do you know which application the windows installer shortcut launches?
Hi Alex,

I don't think the information can be queried right away. One *may* be able to retrieve this information using API calls.

The KB states this:

"When you click on a Windows Installer shortcut, the Windows shell uses the data in the descriptor to call the MsiProvideComponent function."

The Product code is stored in the shortcut itself, and can be viewed when edited using Notepad.

The Product code GUID {90170409-6000-11D3-8CFE-0150048383C9} for Microsoft .FrontPage