How to move target a Windows shortcut points at and allow existing shortcut work?

Question

I would like to do the following:

1. Create a shortcut to a folder (say mLink.lnk --> C:\tmp)
   • This will be emailed to users
2. Move and/or rename the folder (C:\tmp --> C:\tmp2)
3. Setup intermediate step for the previous shortcut to work
   • Basically the mLink.lnk emailed shortcut would then open up C:\tmp2

It seems you should be able to use mklink and setup a symbolic link on the previous folder location (C:\tmp) to then point to the new location. Basically have the following setup:

mLink.lnk --> c:tmp --> c:\tmp2

Unfortunately, I am not able to create symbolic links on the network share I am hoping to have these shortcuts to. I get The device does not support symbolic links error when I run mklink.

Is there a different way I can do this? Or does the restriction against symbolic links basically prevent me from doing this?

Answer 1

Ok... First: a Windows .lnk File is in principle just a simple String with a foldername. So essentially you are just sending some String to them, which is automatically copied into the Address Bar of their explorer and opened (The real workings are a little more complex, but for a Link like C:\tmp this is what happens)

Second - Windows does usually not track these Files, because they are not symlink. If you create a symlink on your PC, where C:\tmp points to the folder C:\tmp2, this will not change the contents of the LNK-File. So you are sending exactly the same file per mail as before. The people will click on the Link on their own system and of course the LNK still reads "C:\tmp" and on their system nothing has changed.

It can work if the LNK points to a Network-Share (e.g. connect a free Network Letter P:\ to a samba-share \server1\tmp) And Link to this connected Drive - so the LNK points to P:\ Then if you want to use another Tempfolder on the server, just change the shared folder on the server and all people will automatically use the new folder...

Answer 2

It would be simpler to create the symlink c:\tmp to point to initially to c:\tmp1 on the server. Changing to tmp2 will then be done by deleting c:\tmp and recreating it as link to c:\tmp2.

You will have this way only one link that never changes for the users, but that you can change on the server at any time.

If this doesn't work, then your network share client doesn't support symlink expansion.