CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#directorytargetshortcut
Phu Minh Pham
Phu Minh Pham

Reputation: 1055

Get target of shortcut folder

How do you get the directory target of a shortcut folder? I've search everywhere and only finds target of shortcut file.

Upvotes: 24

Views: 33215

Answers (7)

Luke Girvin
Luke Girvin

Reputation: 13452

I think you will need to use COM and add a reference to "Microsoft Shell Control And Automation", as described in this answer.

Here's example code to use it (from the now defunct http://www.saunalahti.fi/janij/blog/2006-12.html#d6d9c7ee-82f9-4781-8594-152efecddae2 ):

namespace Shortcut
{
    using System;
    using System.Diagnostics;
    using System.IO;
    using Shell32;

    class Program
    {
        public static string GetShortcutTargetFile(string shortcutFilename)
        {
            string pathOnly = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(shortcutFilename);
            string filenameOnly = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(shortcutFilename);

            Shell shell = new Shell();
            Folder folder = shell.NameSpace(pathOnly);
            FolderItem folderItem = folder.ParseName(filenameOnly);
            if (folderItem != null)
            {
                Shell32.ShellLinkObject link = (Shell32.ShellLinkObject)folderItem.GetLink;
                return link.Path;
            }

            return string.Empty;
        }

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            const string path = @"C:\link to foobar.lnk";
            Console.WriteLine(GetShortcutTargetFile(path));
        }
    }
}

Upvotes: 33

user2991288
user2991288

Reputation: 376

I have used this, always based on builtin windows "Shell.Application" COM object, but implemented using pure late-binding and reflection, thus without any need to add a reference to the existing project, and without any dependencies.

    public static string GetLnkTarget(string lnkPath)
    {
        if (!System.IO.File.Exists(lnkPath))
            throw new FileNotFoundException();

        Type shlType;
        object shl = null;
        object dir = null;
        object items = null;
        object itm = null;
        object lnk = null;

        try
        {
            //var shl = new Shell();
            shlType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Shell.Application");
            shl = Activator.CreateInstance(shlType);

            string dirName = Path.GetDirectoryName(lnkPath);
            string lnkFile = Path.GetFileName(lnkPath);

            //var dir = shl.NameSpace(dirName);
            dir = shlType.InvokeMember("NameSpace", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod, null, shl, new object[] { dirName });

            //var itm = dir.Items().Item(lnkFile);
            items = dir.GetType().InvokeMember("Items", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod, null, dir, null);
            itm = items.GetType().InvokeMember("Item", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod, null, items, new object[] { lnkFile });

            //var lnk = (ShellLinkObject)itm.GetLink;
            lnk = itm.GetType().InvokeMember("GetLink", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.GetProperty, null, itm, null);

            //return lnk.Path;
            object path = lnk.GetType().InvokeMember("Path", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.GetProperty, null, lnk, null);
            return (string)path;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            throw ex;
        }
        finally
        {
            if (lnk != null) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(lnk);
            if (itm != null) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(itm);
            if (items != null) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(items);
            if (dir != null) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(dir);
            if (shl != null) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(shl);
        }
    }

Upvotes: 0

M1zHu0
M1zHu0

Reputation: 1

public static string GetLnkTarget(string lnkPath)
{
    var shl = new Shell();
    var dir = shl.NameSpace(Path.GetDirectoryName(lnkPath));
    var itm = dir.Items().Item(Path.GetFileName(lnkPath));
    var lnk = (ShellLinkObject)itm.GetLink;

    if (!File.Exists(lnk.Path)){
       return lnk.Path.Replace("Program Files (x86)", "Program Files");
    }
    else{
       return lnk.Path;
    }
}

Upvotes: 0

EJ Thayer
EJ Thayer

Reputation: 167

In windows 10 it needs to be done like this, first add COM reference to "Microsoft Shell Control And Automation"

// new way for windows 10
string targetname;
string pathOnly = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(LnkFileName);
string filenameOnly = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(LnkFileName);

Shell shell = new Shell();
Shell32.Folder folder = shell.NameSpace(pathOnly);
FolderItem folderItem = folder.ParseName(filenameOnly);
if (folderItem != null) {
  Shell32.ShellLinkObject link = (Shell32.ShellLinkObject)folderItem.GetLink;
  targetname = link.Target.Path;  // <-- main difference
  if (targetname.StartsWith("{")) { // it is prefixed with {54A35DE2-guid-for-program-files-x86-QZ32BP4}
    int endguid = targetname.IndexOf("}");
    if (endguid > 0) {
      targetname = "C:\\program files (x86)" + targetname.Substring(endguid + 1);
  }
}

Upvotes: 7

Meine
Meine

Reputation: 53

An even simpler way to get the linked path that I use is:

private static string LnkToFile(string fileLink)
{
    string link = File.ReadAllText(fileLink);
    int i1 = link.IndexOf("DATA\0");
    if (i1 < 0)
        return null;
    i1 += 5;
    int i2 = link.IndexOf("\0", i1);
    if (i2 < 0)
        return link.Substring(i1);
    else
        return link.Substring(i1, i2 - i1);
}

But it will of course break if the lnk-file format changes.

Upvotes: 0

Mohsen.Sharify
Mohsen.Sharify

Reputation: 257

if you want find your application path that has shortcut on desktop, an easy way that i use, is the following:

Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName.Substring(0, Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName.LastIndexOf("\\")

this code return any exe path that is running,Regardless that who requested file

Upvotes: -2

TwistedMexi
TwistedMexi

Reputation: 45

All file shortcuts have a .lnk file extension you can check for. Using a string for example, you could use string.EndsWith(".lnk") as a filter.

All URL shortcuts have a .url file extension, so you will need to account for those as well if needed.

Upvotes: -4

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